The Stellenbosch-Warwick Joint Seed Fund is a collaborative initiative between Stellenbosch University (SU) and the University of Warwick. Established to foster innovation, research, and academic partnerships, this fund provides financial support to seed innovative projects that bridge the expertise of both institutions.
Key dates:
Successful projects will have a maximum duration of 24 months. Projects from the spring 2024 round are expected to commence from 1 August 2024 and complete activities by 31 July 2026.
Objectives:
The Stellenbosch-Warwick Seed Fund is designed to flexibly support Stellenbosch and Warwick researchers and professional service staff to establish new links and advance existing collaborations, by enabling activities such as:
organisation of virtual, hybrid or in-person workshops, conferences, symposia;
preliminary research, experiments and pilot studies;
meetings to facilitate planning and development of external funding proposals;
reciprocal or non-reciprocal visits to establish new collaborations.
Proposals should address the following points:
Research projects should articulate the challenge the team is seeking to address, and how they are placed within the broader research landscape to do this;
Education projects should outline ways that the project will help to internationalise teaching and learning at Stellenbosch and Warwick
Clear definition of the objectives, outcomes and impact – including external funding targets;
Demonstrate why neither university could tackle the challenge alone – or the additionality achieved through collaboration;
Articulate what the funding will enable and why it is an appropriate funding source for the activity;
Be balanced in benefit and be of strategic interest to both Stellenbosch and Warwick;
Reflect the most efficient and effective means to achieve the project objectives.
Funding:
The Stellenbosch-Warwick Seed Fund offers financial support of up to ZAR R100,000 for Stellenbosch-related expenses and GBP £5,000 for Warwick-related expenses.
We encourage the submission of proposals that outline the most efficient approaches to achieving the fund's objectives, even if they fall below the maximum funding threshold. Your innovative ideas and collaborative initiatives are welcome.
Examples of allowable expenditure include:
Eligible costs will typically include:
Reasonable travel and visa costs;
Accommodation and subsistence costs (it is expected that Stellenbosch staff participating in activities located at the University of Warwick will stay in on-campus accommodation. Warwick staff visiting Stellenbosch will be provided with a list of accommodation options on campus or in town.
Reasonable event/workshop costs (activities should be held on campus or justification provided for alternative locations);
Research/educational support (e.g. access charges, virtual platforms, consumables, transcription costs, research assistant hourly rates), not typically exceeding 20% of the total project budget.
The Seed Fund will not typically fund:
Infrastructure and equipment;
Overhead/central support charges;
Non-Stellenbosch or Warwick staff expenses (including travel and accommodation);
Salaries and honoraria of permanent and fixed term staff
Conference registrations and related travel/accommodation costs
Costs already incurred prior to submission of the proposal.
Eligibility:
The Stellenbosch-Warwick Seed Fund is open to staff from all academic departments and research units as well as all professional service staff.
Applicants must be permanent or fixed-term, full or part-time staff. For applicants on fixed-term contracts, the duration of contract must extend beyond the project completion date.
How to apply:
Please complete the electronic application at this link. Applications must include:
