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The fifth call of the Charles-ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Joint Seed Funding Scheme is now open.

Purpose

Charles University and the University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø have established a joint seed funding scheme with the goal of facilitating cooperation in the framework of our strategic partnership. This represents the fifth call for proposals for joint initiatives between CU and UStA following a pilot in 2022. The funding shall enable academic staff from all disciplines to identify complementary strengths, explore areas of synergy, and develop outstanding future projects in research, academic innovation, educational enhancement, and pedagogical development. The joint seed funding aims to support the first steps of cooperation and is not meant as complete project funding.

Possible formats for cooperation may include:

• Intensive research workshops
• Pedagogical workshops (e.g. exploring digital or other course collaboration)
• Short-term research or pedagogic research stays
• Graduate summer/winter programmes
• Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects

Selection criteria and process

Applications will be reviewed and scored by selection committees at CU and UStA. The selection committees will evaluate each application using the following criteria:

Partnership and strategic relevance

• How the research or teaching project will be shared with the broader academic communities at each institution.
• How the project will promote and consolidate the relationship between the two universities.
• How the project contributes to realising university strategies and supports the research or teaching priorities of the relevant Faculty, School, or Department.

Academic quality and innovation

• The academic quality of the proposed activities.
• The contribution to novel thinking.
• The ability to cut across disciplines.
• For education projects, this may also include pedagogical innovation, curriculum design, and scholarly approaches to teaching. 

Anticipated outcomes and scalability of the project

• A clearly formulated plan outlining the project’s expected outputs and near‑term outcomes, including what will be produced or achieved during the funded period. 
• The project’s potential for growth and wider adoption - for example, how this project or the knowledge gained may be expanded or transferred to other projects, courses, programmes, or contexts at local, regional, or national levels.

Impact and legacy

• The project’s expected medium‑ and long‑term influence, including the significance of the work for students, staff, the wider institution, or the broader educational or research landscape.
• How the project may achieve wider recognition, shape practice beyond the immediate context, or contribute to developments across disciplines or beyond academia.
• The elements of the project that will continue after completion, its lasting value, sustainability, and potential to create enduring change.

The selection committees reserve the right to allocate less funding compared to the amount requested by the applicants. The selection shall take into consideration the project subject area and type, to encourage the widest possible range of activities.

Duration and key dates

Project timelines should be clearly outlined in the application and may not exceed 12 months from the project start date. It is expected that projects will start no later than 1 September 2026. Projects must be concluded, and funding must be spent within 12 months.

Call opens: Monday 16 March 2026
Applications close: Monday 18 May 2026 (5pm CET / 4pm BST)
Outcomes announced: July 2026 
Projects commence: 1 September 2026 
Projects complete: 31 August 2027 

How to apply

Terms and conditions of open call

The supported activities should have a clearly defined focus and serve as a catalyst for the development of new joint projects. The activities can take place in Prague or in ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. The motivation for holding the activity should be clearly explained, including how the involved CU and UStA faculties and schools can benefit long term from this cooperation.

• A project must be carried out by at least two applicants, one from each institution, who will work together to build a joint proposal. Applicants should be full-time or part-time academic staff with a contract of employment until at least the end of the project. It is strongly recommended that each institution include co-applicants (one or more); participation of early-stage researchers is also encouraged.
• All academic fields covered jointly by CU and UStA are included in the present call, and interdisciplinary projects are encouraged as long as the resulting project is beneficial for both universities.
• Projects aligning with the are particularly welcomed.
• Recipients of a grant under previous calls for proposals are eligible to apply. However, proposed projects must be entirely new and not a continuation, or further edition, of pre-existing initiatives. Moreover, applicants not having benefitted from funding under previous calls will be given priority in the selection process.
• Projects may also include the participation of self-funded external investigators or partner institutions where relevant.

Up to 4 projects will be awarded in the 2026 call of the scheme.

Proposals

One joint application must be submitted by Monday 18 May 2026, 5pm CET/4pm BST using the Please use the 2026 Charles-ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø application form (Word) for sections 1-7 below:

1. Names, titles, departments/schools and emails of CU and UStA Principal Investigators and any other academic staff involved in the activities.
2. Type of collaborative activity
3. List of UN Sustainable Development Goals that align with proposed project (optional)
4. Project title and layperson abstract of the proposed project (up to 200 words)
5. Narrative description of the proposed project for a multi-school, multidisciplinary audience using the following sub-headings (up to 1000 words):
   • Project objectives
   • Background and previous work as appropriate
   • Specific outputs expected (for education projects, outputs might include new course materials, a COIL pilot, a shared assessment framework, or a teaching resource)
   • Explanation of how you will evaluate the success of your project (for education projects, evaluation may draw on pedagogic literature, reflective practice, student feedback, or evidence‑informed teaching frameworks)
   • Anticipated schedule for completion
6. Brief description of how the project will address the selection criteria using the following subheadings:
   • Partnership and strategic relevance (maximum 150 words)
   • Academic quality and innovation (maximum 150 words)
   • Anticipated outcomes and scalability of the project (maximum 150 words)
   • Impact and legacy (maximum 150 words)
7. Budget and budget justification, with one section for CU budget and one section for UStA budget, explaining in detail all anticipated expenditures
8. Short curriculum vitae (2 pages maximum) of Principal Investigators
9. Brief endorsement letters from respective heads of faculty (Charles) and school (ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø).  

Submitting your application

Deadline: Monday 18 May, 5pm CET / 4pm BST

You must complete one joint application, using the Charles-ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø joint seed funding scheme application form and submit it through the . 

The following documents must be submitted as part of the application:

1. 2026 Charles University Application Form (Word)
2. Curriculum vitae of CU PI
3. Curriculum vitae of UStA PI
4. Endorsement letter of CU head of faculty
5. Endorsement letter of UStA head of school

Results

Applicants will be notified about the outcome of the selection process by July 2026.  

Award funding

Each application will receive one of the following:

• Up to £5,000 (GBP) or €6,000 (EUR) in total
• £2,500 or €3,000 from each institution

Up to four projects will be awarded in the 2026 call of the scheme.

Co-funding of projects by the faculty/department/school/institute/centre, or external bodies, is welcomed.

Allowable expenses include:

• costs linked to organisation of joint meetings, seminars or workshops
• cost of developing shared online resources, e.g., video editing
• consumables needed for the implementation of the project
• travel, accommodation and meal costs
• costs related to publication/dissemination of results

Non-allowable expenses include:

• salaries or salary supplementation of any kind (except for COIL tutors/learning technologists/ facilitators)
• indirect and overhead costs
• course fees
• infrastructure and equipment purchases, such as computers, including laptops and basic computing facilities such as printers, word processing and other standard software
• conference registrations unrelated to the dissemination of results
• costs already incurred prior to submission of the proposal

Award expectations

Principal Investigators (a term inclusive of project leads from education focused roles) will be required to submit a brief update midway through the project, in addition to providing a final report at its conclusion. A one-year post-completion update may also be requested if the outcomes of grant proposals or submitted publications are still unknown at the time of the final report submission. PIs are also expected to actively participate in events and opportunities related to the Charles-ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø strategic partnership. Additionally, they should inform the Centre for Strategic Partnerships at Charles University and the Global Office at the University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø of visits that take place in either location.

Equality Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

Adherence to respective equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) policies are an important feature of this programme to ensure that all participants can do their best work, thrive and succeed. Applicant teams should consider how they can take meaningful steps in their future collaborations to foster an environment that values, supports and respects a diverse range of views, knowledge and experiences. Applicants should consider EDI as it applies to e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, (dis)ability, and career stages.

Sustainable travel

CU and the UStA recognise the importance of organising in-person meetings and events to support the development of collaborative projects. Therefore, both institutions encourage applicants to consider the environmental impact of their research and travel.  Please refer to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’ for more information.

Trusted Research

Trusted Research, the term used by the UK Government and other bodies to refer to national security issues in the planning and undertaking of research, has been an increasingly prominent agenda since 2019. The University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø is required to put in place, and enforce, relevant provisions to ensure that it attends to this agenda. We have created guidance and a Trusted Research Tool to assist researchers and direct colleagues towards existing policy and process to ensure compliance where necessary. As part of your application to this scheme, you confirm that you have (or will) review/ed relevant guidance and complete/d a Trusted Research Tool submission including any required outcomes. Please see the Trusted Research web page for information and access to the Tool.