About
We invite applications from the UK and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) institutions to submit joint research funding proposals up to £80,000 over 2 years. It’s part of the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) managed by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
UK-KSA Research Collaboration grants will provide seed funding for collaborations between the UK and KSA to:
- Initiate new research and innovation collaborations between academic groups, departments, and institutions in KSA and the UK
- Develop existing collaborations at group, departmental, and institutional level
- Encourage these collaborations to work with non-academic organisations and individuals to support the exchange of research and innovation expertise and the translation of research knowledge into tangible benefits
- Establish local hubs for joint UK-Saudi Arabia activity in a particular area, enabling engagement from the wider research and innovation community.
ISPF UK-KSA priority themes:
The bilateral priority themes identified for this call for proposals are:
- Resilient Planet – leading the green industrial revolution to protect the planet:
- Water efficiency, treatment, and engineering
- Environmental monitoring, modelling, and protection
- Healthy People – researching and innovating for secure and healthy populations:
- Antimicrobial resistance and tackling future epidemics
- Early diagnosis and precision medicine
- Genomics and genetic diseases
Who can apply
Both UK and KSA applicants must be leading or established researchers. The application form should be submitted by the UK lead applicant.
In addition, UK researchers must be:
- employees with a contract covering the entire term of the grant (this means that Emeritus and Honorary Professors may not apply as lead)
- working at a not-for-profit higher education institution or eligible research organisation with the capacity to undertake high-quality research.
About the International Science Partnerships Fund
The International Science Partnerships Fund is designed to enable potential and foster prosperity. It puts research and innovation at the heart of our international relationships, supporting UK researchers and innovators to work with peers around the world on the major themes of our time: planet, health, tech, and talent. The fund is managed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and delivered by a consortium of the UK’s leading research and innovation bodies, which includes: UK Research and Innovation (comprising the 7 research councils, Innovate UK and Research England), the UK Academies, the British Council, the Met Office, the National Physical Laboratory, the UK Atomic Energy Authority, and Universities UK International.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
British Council is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and to continuing to attract and nurture talented people from the widest pool to remain internationally competitive in research and innovation. We believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to flourish and succeed. This includes avoidance of bias due to disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, sex (gender), and age.
For further details, please visit UK-Saudi Research Collaboration
If you have any enquiries, please contact ISPF-KSA@britishcouncil.org
