Funding
Global Partnerships can offer both strategic and open funding calls in support of developing and strengthening our global relationships. Information regarding active funding calls can be found below.
- Unless otherwise stated in the guidelines, these funding calls are all largely defined as:
- Open to eligible members of the University of Exeter (acting as the lead PI).
- Will constitute a competitive bid process, during which applications will be,
- Peer-reviewed and assessed by theme / discipline / faculty relevant academics,
- Secondary review by members of the Global Partnerships Team and
- Final funding decisions will be ratified by an appropriate senior member of staff (academic or professional services, as appropriate).
All Global Partnerships funding schemes seek to support high-impact proposals and initiatives that endeavour to both directly and indirectly support both Faculty and University level Global Strategy plans. Examples of this might include initiatives and proposals that seek to bring together teams from Exeter and our partners from across the globe in support of high-impact collaborative research and education.
To ensure good alignment to Faculty and University level global plans, potential applicants to any of the below schemes are highly encouraged to discuss their applications with their Faculty APVC Global and / or Global Partnerships Business Partner.
Please also note that Global Partnerships funding is largely calculated on a financial year-to-year basis. Occasionally, the lifetime of the initiatives that our funding calls support will cross over financial year-end. On such occasions project PIs will be asked to declare (in advance of receiving funds) how their award should be split across the financial year-end.
All internal funding awards allocated by Global Partnerships must be delivered in line with principles of the University Sustainable Travel Policy University Travel Policy 2024.
Funding opportunities
There are numerous external opportunities available for our Exeter academics and students. Please see below links for further information on scholarships, fellowships and exchanges:
The University of Exeter and City University of Hong Kong have launched a pioneering initiative to foster interdisciplinary collaboration in brain science, uniting researchers across life sciences, social sciences, computer science, humanities, and beyond.
Building on the strengths of the Exeter Brain Network and the City University research cluster on Brain, Behaviour, and Society (CUBBS), this Brain Science Initiative (BSI) partnership aims to break down academic silos and spark innovative, cross-disciplinary research.
Through this initiative, we are inviting applications to the second round of BSI Initiator Projects, with a deadline of 9 November 2025, for delivery of projects between January and June 2026.
Researchers specialising in fields related to the workings of the brain are being invited to apply. Up to £5,000 is available per project in brain science, encompassing neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, mathematics, and computing.
Full guidelines and the application form can be found below.
Please contact GP-Funding@exeter.ac.uk and Liam Roberts (Global Partnerships Regional Head, China) at l.p.j.roberts@exeter.ac.uk with any questions.
Exeter-CityUHK Initiator Grant Guidelines & Application Form
Applications are now invited for the HLS Global Partnerships Development Fund (GPDF) 2025–26.
This internal funding scheme supports academic staff in building and strengthening collaborations with the Faculty’s key global partners and emerging networks. The fund aims to enhance Exeter’s international profile through research, education, student recruitment, and innovative partnership activities.
- Eligibility: Open to all HLS academic staff
- Funding available: Up to £4,000 (higher requests considered with strong justification)
- Focus regions/partners: Europe, India, North America, China/Hong Kong, Africa (Global South), plus selected networks
| Key Dates | |
|---|---|
| Call opens | 22 September 2025 |
| Application deadline | 6 November 2025 |
| Outcomes announced | 13 November 2025 |
| All activities completed by | 31 July 2026 |
Applications should demonstrate strong strategic alignment, sustainable partnerships, and clear outcomes. Please submit completed applications to GP-Funding@exeter.ac.uk with endorsement from your DoGE and/or HoD.
Guidelines and the application form can be found below. For any queries, please contact Emma Clarke, E.V.F.Clarke@exeter.ac.uk
We are pleased to announce a new funding opportunity in support of research student mobility. The Visiting Research Student Fellowship programme will provide PhD Students with an opportunity to work with a supervisor on a research project. The key aim of the programme is to foster collaboration, develop research skills, and provide students with meaningful experience with projects aligned with the academic and strategic priorities of both institutions. The specific objectives of the programme are to:
- Support pre-defined, high-quality research activities to increase research productivity
- Provide PhD students with practical research experience in an international and interdisciplinary academic environment.
- Foster cross-institutional collaborations and academic development
Guidelines and application form can be found below.
Application deadline: Monday 10th November 2025. Please do not hesitate to contact Stuart Westhead, Regional Head Europe (s.westhead@exeter.ac.uk) or the funding team in Global Partnerships (GP-Funding@exeter.ac.uk) with any queries about these funding mechanisms.
KEY CALL DATES
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Funding Call Opens |
30th September 2025 |
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Application Deadline |
10th November 2025 |
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Applicants notified of outcome |
Mid December 2025 |
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All activity must be completed by |
31st July 2026 |
We are pleased to announce a new funding opportunity in support of Professional Staff Exchange. The programme will provide professional development opportunities; and help share best practice and experience between colleagues at the Universite Paris-Saclay & University of Exeter. The key aim of the Professional Staff Exchange Programme is to develop and expand relationships. We welcome applications from any professional staff at Exeter and Saclay to undertake a staff fellowship at the partner institution, including the following areas:
- International research programme development
- Development of sustainable research facilities
- International student recruitment
- Interdisciplinary education and curriculum development
Guidelines and application form can be found below.
Application deadline: Monday 10th November 2025. Please do not hesitate to contact Stuart Westhead, Regional Head Europe (s.westhead@exeter.ac.uk) or the funding team in Global Partnerships (GP-Funding@exeter.ac.uk) with any queries about these funding mechanisms.
KEY CALL DATES
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Funding Call Opens |
29th September 2025 |
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Application Deadline |
10th November 2025 |
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Applicants notified of outcome |
Mid December 2025 |
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All activity must be completed by |
31st July 2026 |
Exeter - Paris-Saclay Professional Staff Exchange Guidelines
Exeter - Paris-Saclay Professional Staff Exchange Application Form
We are pleased to announce that the Visiting Research Student Fellowship Program through the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) - University of Exeter Sustainability & Resilience Partnership, is now open for applications.
Visiting Research Student Fellowship Program Details
Award amount up to GBP £4000 per fellowship
The Visiting Research Student Fellowship (VRSF) program will provide PhD Students with an opportunity to work with a supervisor on a research project. The key aim of the program is to foster collaboration, develop research skills, and provide students with meaningful experience with projects aligned with the academic and strategic priorities of both institutions.
The specific objectives of the program are to:
- Support pre-defined, high-quality research activities to increase research productivity in one of the key thematic focus areas: Adaptation to Climate and Ecological Change, Innovative Health Initiatives, Enhancing Social Justice.
- Provide PhD students with practical research experience in an international and interdisciplinary academic environment.
- Foster cross-institutional collaborations and academic development.
Please find guidelines below. The application process is also detailed here, with the link to the application form found on this page. All the information can also be found on our Funding Opportunities pages: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/departments/globalpartnerships/funding/ and at: Exeter-UBCO Sustainability and Resilience Partnership - Office of the Vice-Principal Research.
Key dates:
Application deadline: Wednesday 12th November 2025
Outcomes on applications: w/c 15th December 2025
Please do not hesitate to contact Stuart Westhead, Regional Head North America (s.westhead@exeter.ac.uk) or the funding team within Global Partnerships (GP-Funding@exeter.ac.uk), with any queries about these funding mechanisms.
We are pleased to announce that the Professional Services Exchange Program through the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) - University of Exeter Sustainability & Resilience Partnership, is now open for applications.
Professional Services Exchange Program Details:
In this round, we welcome applications from any professional staff at Exeter and at UBCO to undertake
a staff fellowship at the partner institution in one of the following areas:
• International research program development
• Development of sustainable research facilities
• International student recruitment
• Interdisciplinary education and curriculum development
Award amount up to GBP £4000 per fellowship
Application deadline: Wednesday 19th November 2025
Outcomes on applications: w/c 15th December 2025
Please find guidelines and application form below. Further information on our Exeter – UBCO Sustainability & Resilience Partnership can be found here: Exeter-UBCO Sustainability and Resilience Partnership - Office of the Vice-Principal Research.
Please do not hesitate to contact Stuart Westhead, Regional Head North America (s.westhead@exeter.ac.uk) or the funding team within Global Partnerships (GP-Funding@exeter.ac.uk), with any queries about these funding mechanisms.
Exeter - UBCO PSX Guidelines Final
Other funding opportunities and links
We are pleased to share that the CUHK Internationalisation Faculty Mobility Scheme is now open for applications. It supports faculty members to visit CUHK (inbound) and/or host visits of CUHK faculty members (outbound). As Exeter is one of their priority partners, researchers may wish to make use of the scheme to initiate and to strengthen their collaboration with their CUHK peers.
The scheme encourages the development of collaborative research projects primarily in four strategic research areas, i.e. China: Tradition & Modernity; Innovative Biomedicine; Information & Automation Technology; and Environment & Sustainability. Strong applications in other research areas will also be considered. Researchers may develop joint projects through applications made by CUHK faculty.
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Inbound Track Your faculty members to visit CUHK |
Outbound Track CUHK faculty members to visit your institution |
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Award Provisions |
Hotel/on-campus accommodation for up to 7 nights. |
An economy class return air ticket & accommodation support for up to 7 nights. |
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Webpage for Guidelines & Application |
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Visit Period |
January-December 2026 |
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Application Deadline |
31 October 2025 |
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Any questions or queries should be directed to Ms. Olivia Kwok at oliviakwok@cuhk.edu.hk.
Université Paris-Saclay make up to 150 ‘Excellence Scholarships’ available to support international internship opportunities - allowing some of their best students to have an international experience during their studies, and to develop professional and inter-cultural skills. Together with Saclay International Affairs we invite Exeter faculty to share internship offers they could make available to Saclay students - with the aims of…
- increasing the attractiveness of Saclay’s programme,
- strengthening Saclay - Exeter cooperation,
- opening new collaborative opportunities between our institutions.
The opportunities are open to Undergraduate and Masters level students – i.e. Bachelor degree: BUT2/BUT3/Licence 2/Licence 3 level; Master degree: Students of engineering school/Ecole Normale Supérieure/Master 1/Master 2 level.
These internships must start between 1st January and 1st December 2025; and run for a minimum duration of 4 weeks for undergraduate students and for a minimum of 6 weeks for postgraduate students. Please see guidance notes below for more information.
IDEX International Internship Scholarship Guidelines 2024
If you would like to submit an internship offer, please fill in this form: Internship Offers for UPSaclay IDEX Internship Applicants/Laureates (office.com)
The UUKi 'Global research and innovation funding gateway' is a regularly updated depository of funding opportunities for international research and innovation collaboration and knowledge exchange, aimed at UK based researchers/institutions.
Global research and innovation funding gateway (universitiesuk.ac.uk)
The Fulbright University of Exeter Award covers a three-to-nine month project for researching, lecturing or teaching in or across any research-active departments at the university.
The Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award allows academics and professionals to undertake lecturing and/or research in any discipline at any accredited US university for between three-to-twelve months.
More information can be found here and here.
For assistance with the application process, please contact:
Marie-Joelle West
M.A.West@exeter.ac.uk
The Fullbright Commission are looking to applicants who can engage with the USA in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity and intellectual freedom, thereby promoting mutual understanding.
There are several Postgraduate Awards available each year. The All Disciplines Award is by far the most competitive, so it’s important to apply for an award that best fits your experience and interest.
Visit the Fullbright Commission website for further details regarding all the awards available.
The Fulbright Specialist Programme allows universities, cultural centres, non-governmental organisations, and other institutions abroad to host a leading U.S. academic or professional to work on diverse, short-term collaborative projects.
Information on eligibility and the application process for the Fulbright Specialist Programme can be found on the website.
Applications for this programme are accepted all year. The Bilateral Teaching Exchange Programme aims to strengthen the international teaching experience and exposure of Chinese University of Hong Hong (CUHK) faculty members by supporting term-time teaching opportunities at overseas universities.
Find more information here.
Through its Jean d'Alembert fellowship programme Université Paris-Saclay wants to allow highly qualified foreign scientists to stay for long periods (from 6 to 12 months) in one of the 275 laboratories of UPSaclay to conduct research, training & dissemination activities. Scientists from all disciplines and all countries are eligible. The topic and the period of the stay must be decided with the Paris-Saclay host laboratory before the application.
Eligibility:
- Junior Researchers: Candidates who have obtained their PhD less than ten years before the date of application;
- Senior Researcher: Candidates who have obtained their PhD at least ten years before the date of application.
Benefits:
- Additional monthly salary of €2,800, which will be paid by Université Paris-Saclay during the presence in the lab (employment contract)
- A maximum budget of €10,000 to cover expenses related to the beneficiary’s research activities in the host laboratory of Université Paris-Saclay
Applicants must mention in their scientific project the requested amount and the details of these expenses. Only operating expenses are eligible, personnel expenses are excluded. Duration: 6 months to 1 year For further query: The Jean d'Alembert fellowship program | Université Paris-Saclay (universite-paris-saclay.fr)
The Jean d’Alembert fellowship program Université Paris-Saclay 2024-2026 call for applications is now open, the next deadline is likely to be April 2025
The invited faculty programme offers funding to host international faculty members for 1 week to one month within UPSaclay constituent colleges, with the purpose of initiating new or reinforcing existing initiatives. Scientists from all disciplines and countries are eligible.
Successful applicants can receive up to €850 per week (for up to 4 weeks max) to cover their travel and business trip expenses.
Eligibility:
- faculty members from Paris-Saclay partner institutions invited by their Paris-Saclay fellows.
Duration:
- up to 4 weeks.
Disciplines/Nationalities:
- no restriction
Applications are made by Saclay faculty members for external (to Saclay) faculty members that they wish to invite. Exeter faculty are therefore encouraged to contact Saclay counterparts and look into the Invited Faculty Programme with their contacts at Saclay. If help needed in connecting with faculty members at Saclay, please don’t hesitate to contact Stuart Westhead (s.westhead@exeter.ac.uk).
The call for proposals occurs in two waves, for stays in the first and second semester of the academic year. Each request (submitted by a Saclay academic) must specify the details of the proposed visiting researcher; proposed duration of stay and month of arrival; brief description of the reason for the stay; host research unit inviting researcher. A brief CV of the visiting researcher should be attached to the application.
Contacts in departments to whom applications should be submitted:
UFR Droit-Économie-Gestion departement-recherche.jean-monnet@universite-paris-saclay.fr
UFR Médecine recherche-faculte.medecine@universite-paris-saclay.fr
UFR Pharmacie elias.fattal@universite-paris-saclay.fr lorraine.thirion@universite-paris-saclay.fr
UFR Sciences missionnaires-invites.sciences@universite-paris-saclay.fr
UFR Sciences du Sport michel-ange.amorim@universite-paris-saclay.fr
The Shared Scholarship scheme is a joint initiative between the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and UK universities, to support students from developing Commonwealth countries who would not otherwise be able to study a Masters programme in the UK.
Applications for the 2021/22 Commonwealth Shared Scholarships are not yet open. More information on the scheme will be available on the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission’s website (link broken) in due course. Please note that all candidates are expected to have met our English Language Requirements before applying.
Scholarships are available to students of high academic quality from certain Commonwealth countries. You must apply well in advance through the Commonwealth Scholarship Agency in the country in which you have your permanent home. Full details are available on the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission’s website [broken link].
You can also check the Funding Database to search for all available scholarships offered by the University in each department.
