AC21 Special Project Fund
The AC21 Special Project Fund (SPF) was a seed-funding programme that supported collaborative research and educational exchange between AC21 member universities. According to Nagoya University's own institutional records, the fund was launched in 2009 and continued until AC21's active programming concluded in December 2022.
A note on sources and dates: Nagoya University's institutional profiles consistently date the SPF's launch to 2009. The most detailed rules we have found for how the fund actually worked come from a single documented cycle: the call published by Universitas Gadjah Mada's Office of International Affairs in November 2018, covering the 2019 funding round. Where this page describes eligibility, amounts, review criteria or reporting rules, that detail applies to the 2018–2019 cycle specifically — we have not found evidence that identical rules applied for the fund's entire 2009–2022 history, and we do not present them as if they did.
What the Fund Supported
Per the 2018 UGM call, the SPF's purpose was to promote research and educational exchange between AC21 members through seed funding for collaborative activities — not to fund individual research projects. The guidelines were explicit that a proposal involving broad participation across member institutions served the fund's goals more effectively than a project run by one or two researchers. Documented examples of the kinds of activities the fund supported include mini-symposia, workshops, forums for graduate students, small-group joint research, and startup funding for longer-term initiatives.
Who Could Apply (2018–2019 Cycle)
Under the 2018 call, eligibility was limited to academic staff holding faculty positions at an eligible AC21 member institution. Students could not apply directly, though a student-led project could potentially be submitted through a sponsoring academic advisor.
Funding and Project Requirements (2018–2019 Cycle)
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Maximum award | Up to USD 10,000 per project |
| Awards per year | Up to three, with up to two additional awards possible for proposals scoring highly across the review criteria |
| Institution requirement | At least three AC21 member universities |
| Country requirement | Institutions from at least two different countries |
| Project leadership | A named Project Group Leader |
| Application materials | Completed application form and a detailed budget proposal |
How Projects Were Selected (2018–2019 Cycle)
The 2018 guidelines state explicitly that a peer-review process was not used to evaluate SPF applications. Instead, the AC21 Steering Committee reviewed and scored submissions, with final results announced by the AC21 General Secretariat. The published scoring weights were:
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Contribution to AC21 activities | 40% |
| Quality of the proposal | 20% |
| Accountability of the budget | 20% |
| Sustainability and continuation of the collaboration | 20% |
Eligible and Ineligible Costs (2018–2019 Cycle)
Eligible expenses under the 2018 guidelines included forum expenses, travel, stationery and consumables, and other costs directly tied to the project. Explicitly excluded were salaries, student scholarships, course fees, and office equipment such as computers or furniture.
Reporting Requirements (2018–2019 Cycle)
Recipients were required to submit three documents by December 25 of the project year: a final project report, a final financial report, and a 400–600 word article for the AC21 Newsletter. The guidelines noted that failing to meet these obligations made an institution ineligible for future SPF funding.
A Documented Example
One SPF-funded activity we can point to with a direct source: a Nagoya University faculty profile lists "AC21 Special Project Fund (SPF) 2018: Joint Mini-Symposium on Agro-Industry Research for Well-Being" as an invited presentation. We have not found further detail on partner institutions or outcomes for this project, so we report only what the source documents.
The SPF in AC21's Wider Collaboration Model
The SPF was one of several ways AC21 tried to turn a standing network into active collaboration, alongside the International Forum and Student World Forum. Seed funding of this kind is a recurring feature of university partnerships more broadly, precisely because the earliest, most exploratory stage of a research collaboration is often the hardest to fund through conventional grants. We look at that dynamic in more general terms in how research funding shapes international collaboration.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the AC21 Special Project Fund launched?
The AC21 Special Project Fund was launched in 2009, according to Nagoya University's own institutional records. It ran until AC21's active programming concluded in December 2022.
Is the AC21 Special Project Fund still open for applications?
No. The SPF was a programme of AC21, which concluded its active programming in December 2022. This page documents it as a historical AC21 activity, not a currently open funding scheme.