Deadline: 22-Oct-2025
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is requesting applications for its Scotland-Asia Partnerships Higher Education Research Fund to enhance the existing international research partnerships between Scottish universities and partners in Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea (projects can include additional partners from other countries).
Funding is available to Scottish universities and research institutes, with the stated objectives of enabling research to include a focus on environmental issues and climate change; developing new or expanding existing research partnerships (e.g. to other Scottish universities/consortia); developing a practical application for the research and engagement with industry, and widening the scope of the existing partnership.
Key themes include Clean Energy and Environment (inc. animal welfare), Digital, Physics and Space, Advanced Manufacturing, Health, and Sustainable Cities and Urbanisation. Subthemes include Food, soil and water, environmental change; Transport; Energy, resources; Advanced manufacturing; Health (Medicine and life sciences inc. public health); Climate research, emissions research, or sustainable energy; Sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, water and food, circular economy, biobased industries; Sustainable Cities and Urbanisation (could include transport); Space, ICT, Big Data, Cybersecurity; Robotics, autonomous systems, sensors/internet of things and photonics; Marine science (ocean science e.g. climate related, or coastal protection etc).
The SAPHIRE scheme is open to researchers from all Scottish universities and research institutes who are on open-ended or continuing contracts. Applications must relate to one of the stated themes and subthemes, and projects should already be receiving peer-reviewed funding from UK or international funding bodies. For new projects, applicants must demonstrate a track record of securing peer-reviewed funding. Each project must include a partner from Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, or Indonesia, while additional partners from other countries may also be involved. Industry participation is welcomed as part of the consortia. Applicants on fixed-term contracts should ensure their contracts extend for at least three months beyond the project’s completion, and Early Career Researchers in transition to permanent positions remain eligible.
Successful applicants can commence projects from 1st January 2026. Project duration should be between three to six months, with all funds spent by 30th June 2026. While time extensions may be considered in exceptional circumstances, no financial extensions will be granted beyond the funding deadline.
The Scottish Government has made available up to £40,000 under the scheme for 2025–26. Individual project funding will range between £5,000 and £8,000, with priority given to smaller projects to maximise participation across partnerships. Funding can be used for costs incurred by Scottish universities or research institutes, including materials, travel, facilities, IT, catering, and staff time, but cannot cover the activities of overseas partners.
Applications must be submitted by an individual employed by a Scottish university or research institute and must include an institutional statement of support from the research office. There is no restriction on the number of proposals a single institution can submit, though the awarding body will seek to ensure a fair distribution across the sector. Proposals will be assessed by RSE subject-specific committees, with final decisions determined by a stakeholder panel consisting of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Funding Council, and the RSE.
For more information, visit RSE.
