UNIC Fund for Virtual and International Educational Projects at Erasmus University

The UNIC Fund for Virtual and International Educational Projects (UNIC VIP Fund) aims to incentivise Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) and other UNIC faculty members to incorporate virtual collaborative international educational activities (Virtual/Blended Exchange) into their regular curriculum (e.g., within existing or new courses). The fund provides financial and administrative support to design, coordinate, and implement these activities. 

Fund Objectives 

The fund aims to support virtual international educational activities across UNIC university partners. Initiatives can involve new collaborations and activities bringing individuals together for the first time, or the consolidation, deepening, or transferring existing collaborations. Both categories are eligible for funding. 

At a Glance: 

• Funded amounts: EUR has made available seven grants of €4 000,00 each. 
• What can be funded: EUR will support the design and implementation of collaborative teaching activities through direct budgetary transfer to faculties. This can cover personal costs (including student assistants’ salaries), materials (e.g., software licences), honorariums, and travel costs. 
• Who can apply: All EUR staff members (part-time and full-time professors, educators, lecturers, etc.) involved in teaching. Applicants must be able to deliver the activity before the end of their contract and seek support from their supervisors.  
• Supported Formats: Virtual international educational activities (Examples: Virtual exchanges; Blended exchanges with a predominant share of virtual teaching; Virtual collaboration on challenge-based learning, etc.) 
• Collaboration: EUR academics/educators must collaborate with at least one other academic/educator from another UNIC university in designing the learning activity. 
• Timeline: Calls for the fund will be open from 16 September to 16 December 2024. Applicants will be notified about results by 28 February 2025. The earliest official starting date of the activities is 17 March 2025. The activities should be completed by 31.03.2027 (all budgets must be spent by 31.03.27) 
• Student engagement: Students of all participating partner teachers are involved in collaborative virtual international learning activities. 
• Recognition and integration: Activities must provide ECTS recognition through each participating university and be integrated into the formal curricula of the participating universities. 
• Communication and Dissemination: Dissemination/visibility activities must be included in the general activity plan. 

Additional Information for Applicants 

• The selection of applications is criteria-based (see Call for Proposals for more information). 
• 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). 

   

Contact 

If you need more assistance with finding partner academics or educators, or for any other information, please contact the UNIC at EUR team: unic@eur.nl.