Open Call: UNIC Expert Voices Fund at Erasmus University Rotterdam

Fund Objectives 

 By enhancing our presence at international events, this fund aims to promote the expertise and successes of the UNIC community, sparking new collaborations and expanding our impact. Below, you will find key details about the fund, application guidelines, and important dates. 

Call for proposal  

• Funded amounts: Each UNIC member university will award mobility grants for 5 people to travel to international events. Grants can cover costs like conference fees, travel, accommodation, and meals. Erasmus University Rotterdam has made available 5 grants of maximum €500 each until the end of 2027. 

• Who can apply: Current staff (academic or professional) and students of UNIC universities. All EUR members are welcome (part-time and full-time professors, staff, students, educators, lecturers, etc.). Applicants must be able to deliver before the end of their contract and seek support from their supervisors.  

• Purpose: To disseminate knowledge, best practices, and outputs from UNIC initiatives at international events. 

• Types of events: Conferences, workshops, and training events held outside the applicant’s home institution. 

• Timeline: Calls for proposals will open from January 2025 until November 2026. Applicants will be notified within 4 weeks after submission. Applications will be handled on a rolling base.  

• Funding uses: Grants must be used for travel, subsistence, and participation fees at the specified event. 

• Collaboration and promotion: Recipients must engage in promotional activities before and after the event, using the UNIC media toolkit provided. 

Additional Information for Applicants 

• EUR can only support costs related to its own faculties and/or staff members, regardless of their role in the activity. Costs for staff members of other partner universities cannot be supported unless collaborators in the partner universities seek funding within their own institutions. 

• UNIC Thematic Line (TL) activities financed by other parts of the UNIC budget cannot be financed through this fund. However, academics active in UNIC Thematic Lines with further activities are invited to apply. 

• EUR applicants working together in an initiative with international partners can only submit one application form together (maximum two EUR applicants per application). 

Mandatory Criteria:  

1. Affiliation: The applicant must be a current* staff or student of one of the UNIC member universities. 

2. Location: The presentation must be delivered at a conference or event outside of the presenter's university happening before the end of 2027 

3. Use of Funding: The grant should be utilized by the applicant to cover expenses related to travel, subsistence, or event participation fees associated. 

4. Participation in Promotion: Applicants must be willing to actively participate in pre- and post-event promotion activities, including interviews and testimonials. The media toolkit provided will aid participants in effectively promoting their work. 

Scored Criteria:  

5. Subject Relevance and Sustainability: The presentation focus should be showcasing a UNIC best practice, research and/or educational finding, collaboration, result, or learning, which was developed in one of the UNIC Centres, Thematic Lines, or Work Packages. 

6. Impact and Urgency: The presentation must generate impact, be responsive to critical current issues or offer a vital new perspective. Evaluation of this criterion will take into account various factors including the nature and size of the event; the innovative nature of the topic; the alignment with university strategy, and urgency of the topic and other factors. 

Key Dates 

• Call opens: 13 January 2025 

• Call closes: 30 November 2026; or earlier if all funds are allocated 

• Notification of results: applications will be notified about results 4 weeks after submission