Tsinghua University and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have formed a strategic flagship partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to foster collaboration between the universities in education, research, and innovation. Both institutions recognise that collaborative activities enable cross-border pooling of capabilities and sharing of expertise, the opportunity to appreciate different perspectives, and new ideas and innovation.
Taking the partnership to a new level, Tsinghua and TUM have decided to set up a dedicated seed funding to initiate new collaborative projects. This current call of the TUM collaboration fund is also meant to facilitate the development of new strategic research collaborations with Tsinghua and Tsinghua SIGS. Applicants will be asked to clearly lay out how their intended activities will contribute to future, more comprehensive collaborative projects, e.g., by involving additional stakeholders in the Munich – Beijing / Shenzhen ecosystem, or by leading to new science and to future applications for external funding.
The call is open to Tsinghua - TUM research projects that support our flagship partnership in its strategic outlook to become a platform of broader Sino-German scientific and societal collaboration in the areas of Climate Change Mitigation, Carbon Neutrality, and Health.
The focus of collaboration lies on developing solutions for the sustainable handling of the effects of climate change, including but not limited to the focus areas:
- Climate change mitigation and carbon neutrality
- Sustainable energy and materials
- Resilient and healthy societies
- Future human habitats and smart cities
- Environment and ecology
- Innovation management
- Bioeconomy
TUM faculty members can apply for funds to support one or more of the following activities:
- Visits to Tsinghua University and Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, to develop joint research initiatives (e.g., workshops, publications, proposals for third-party funding, etc.);
- Networking events to initiate new and to intensify existing cooperations, involving students and young talents (e.g., international workshops and seminars);
- Joint events that involve faculty, staff, and students of the cooperating institutions to develop new ideas for collaboration, e.g., structured student exchange formats;
- Summer and Winter Schools for TUM students and PhD candidates in Beijing / Shenzhen;
- Development of project-specific virtual collaborative formats, especially in teaching.
Proposals to support existing (rather than new) collaborative activities should clearly state how additional funding would add value to the collaboration that is already in place. The purpose of this fund is to connect researchers and kick-start collaborations rather than to sustain them, so the application must identify potential external funding or long-term plans.
TUM applicants can apply for up to € 10,000 per project.
Funds can only be spent on activities that fit the purpose of this call. Applicants are asked to itemize their budget using the tables in the application form and to include further descriptions and rationales as necessary.
Funds can be requested for:
- Travel, accommodation, public transport, and per diems of TUM employees to visit Tsinghua University, in Beijing and Shenzhen (TUM travel authorization and travel reimbursement regulations apply);
- Consumables (including rent or project-specific material);
- Development costs for virtual teaching formats.
