Since 2019, Tohoku University (TU) and University College London (UCL) have jointly supported an annual Strategic Partner Funds, establishing a strong foundation for research and education collaboration in areas of shared strength. Building on this success, in December 2025, the Presidents of both universities agreed to designate Disaster Science, Neuroscience, and Quantum Science and Technology as three strategic priority areas.
Aligned with this vision, we are pleased to announce the launch of the call for applications for the 9th round of the matching fund for Academic Year 2027.
If you wish to apply for this 9th round of funding, please consult with your partner researcher(s) at UCL and submit your application through UCL’s online system by the deadline. Please note that the online application must be submitted by the UCL-side principal investigator (PI) on behalf of the project.
Some requirements for this call—including the eligible research areas and funding amounts—have been updated from previous rounds. Please review the details below and refer to the Guidelines for further information.
Online Application Period
From Tuesday, September 1, 2026 to Friday, October 9, 2026
Research Areas
This round of funding is strategically restricted to the following three priority areas:
1. Disaster Science
2. Neuroscience
3. Quantum Science and Technology
Funding Scale & Value
– Awards: Maximum of 3 projects
– Value: Up to £10,000 (approx. JPY 2,000,000) per project from each respective institution
Funding Period
From Thursday, April 1, 2027 to Friday, March 31, 2028
*Note: Due to differences in the financial years of both universities, this is the support period on the Tohoku University side. The UCL-side support period runs from December 2026 to July 31, 2027.
Application Guidelines and Online Application form
◇Guidelines: UCL-TU Strategic Partner Funds 2026-27
◇Online Application Form: UCL-TU JotForm
Japanese Version: Link to Information in Japanese
[Reference] 2026-2027_Schedule for Joint Matching Funds with Overseas Institutions (Tentative) (As of September 1, 2026)Contact Information
Global Strategy Office
TEL: +81-22-217-6311
E-mail: kokusai-c*grp.tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace “*” with “@”)