THE T4EU SEED FUNDING PROGRAMME


About

One of the Alliance’s priorities is to foster research support. The T4EU Joint PhD Support Office collaboratively engages academic representatives from all member universities to guide the Alliance’s research goals and opportunities. 

To facilitate communication among academic staff members within the alliance, various tools are available. These include funds dedicated to organising matchmaking events for academic staff across the Alliance. Additionally, the Partnering Tool is a digital platform designed to connect researchers in specific areas and facilitate collaboration. 

Initiatives or projects, including at least two T4EU universities, can benefit from the Seed Funding Programme described here below.

1st step : define your ideas 2 : find partners using the partnering tool 3 : meet at a matchmaking event 4 : write down your project 5 : benefit from seed funding

objectives

The seed funding for initiatives issued by the Alliance provides financial support for initiatives or projects involving a minimum of two institutions within the Alliance. 

You can find some examples of initiatives that could be funded below:

  • Initiation of research activities from diverse academic fields within the Alliance.
  • Organisation of scientific workshops, seminars or conferences.
  • Projects aiming to launch new joint curricula or courses on a Bachelor’s, Master’s or doctorate level, or opportunities around micro-credential programmes (LLL and based on fields of excellence).
  • Development of teaching/learning materials for joint curricula. 
 

Examples of T4EU focus areas and values:

  • Projects considering environmental transformation.
  • Projects supporting societal transformation, community building, inclusion and diversity, e.g. in the field of common heritage, multilinguals and university cooperation with the cultural sector.
  • Projects in line with digital transformation and smart regions.
 

Useful tools

  • Use the partnering tool to communicate and find partners within fields and topics you would like to work on.
  • Utilise the budget allocated to each university to host matchmaking events aimed at stimulating discussions and fostering collaborative projects among the members of the Alliance. You can also join a matchmaking event organised at a T4EU university (T4EU Weeks, seminars, conferences…). 

HOW TO APPLY

The involved project staff must be employed by a T4EU university as an academic staff member, a researcher or post doc position. The T4EU strongly recommend inclusiveness and encourage early stage researchers and especially women to apply.

The project team must comprise a minimum of two staff members from different T4EU universities. Collaboration with universities outside the Alliance is permissible, provided their participation is self-funded.

The project team can benefit from between 3,000 and €30,000 .

The institutions applying to the call shall co-finance no less than 20% of the total cost of the project.

The project should be described through the specific form specified in each call. The general advice is to always draft your application preparing the following information:

  • title of the project
  • amount requested (see budget template)
  • partnering institutions – specify each project partner within and outside of the Alliance.
  • abstract of the project
  • complete description,
  • shorter summary adapted for web publications.
  • description of your alignment to the T4EU values and focus areas.

Your project team should have one person to be in charge of sending the application form and the budget template below.

Download the application form here. 

Download the budget template here.  

The application form must be filled in and sent to t4eu@univ-st-etienne.fr 

The Selection Board is composed by one representative (e.g. an academic expert, a vice-rector for research or similar) per each T4EU University. One person from each university will be in charge of reviewing the projects and will attend as a jury member.

seed funding calendar

  • Period for call: May 2 – June 30 2024
  • Jury: in progress – the results to be announced in September
  • Project implementation: From September 2024

Period for call No. 1:

  • Period for call: February-March 2025
  • Jury: April 2025
  • Project implementation: From May 2025

Period for call No. 2:

  • Period for call: June 2025
  • Jury: October 2025
  • Project implementation: From November 2025

Period for call No. 1:

  • Period for call: October 2025
  • Jury: January 2026
  • Project implementation: From February 2026

Period for call No. 2:

  • Period for call: June 2026
  • Jury: October 2026
  • Project implementation: From November 2026
  • Period for call: January-February 2027
  • Jury: April-May 2027
  • From June 2027