TAMUS-UAAT Collaborative Research Program

I. Program Overview

The Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) and the University Academic Alliance in Taiwan (UAAT) announce a joint RFP to catalyze high-impact collaborative research with the goal of enhancing bilateral innovation and talent development in fields critical to both regions. The program is designed to support multi-institutional research projects that advance scientific breakthroughs and build sustainable research networks.

II. Collaboration Fields

Proposals must address one of the following priority areas:

• Semiconductors
• Agriculture
• Space Technology
• Artificial Intelligence & Quantum Technology
• Health Science & Engineering

III. Eligibility

• Eligible Institutions: Any TAMUS member university as listed in Appendix 1 and any UAAT member university as listed in Appendix 2.
• Eligible Applicants: The lead principal investigator (PI) and other PIs and Co-PIs must be PI-eligible under their respective university’s guidelines and hold a full-time faculty or research staff appointment.
• Collaborating Members: Each proposal must include at least one TAMUS member university and at least one UAAT member university as substantive partners.
• PI Submission Limit: Each individual applicant may serve as PI on only one proposal under this call. Individuals may participate in other proposals as co-investigators or collaborators.
• External Collaborators: External collaborators (non-A&M System and non-UAAT) are permitted but may not receive TAMUS or UAAT funds.

IV. Award Information and Allowable Costs

• Total Funding Available: $1,000,000
• Maximum/Minimum Individual Award: $100,000 USD per award ($50,000 USD for TAMUS researchers; $50,000 USD for UAAT researchers)
• Project Period: 12 months (December 1, 2026 – November 30, 2027)
• Expected Number of Awards: 10
• Cost Share: Matching funds and committed institutional support are encouraged but not required; third-party contributions (e.g., industry) are also welcome.
• Allowable Costs: Personnel (faculty, staff, students), tuition and allowable fees, research supplies, travel, project-related equipment and overhead/IDC (optional for UAAT only). Any equipment purchased with funds provided under an award shall be owned by the recipient institution upon completion, expiration or termination of the project.

All funds must be expended within 12 months of award unless an extension is jointly approved. All expenses must comply with the applicable guidelines of the respective parties from which reimbursement or funding is sought. For UAAT applicants, the relevant UAAT-side budget preparation and expenditure guidelines are available online.

V. Proposal Requirements

Applicants are required to use the joint proposal template found in Section IX, Submission Instructions. The completed joint proposal template must be submitted as a single PDF document and include all required sections specified in the template.

English is the required language for the joint application. Mandarin information is required only from the UAAT PI/team where indicated.

The proposal should clearly address the project’s significance, collaboration field, participating institutions, project team, research objectives and approach, expected impact and key expected outcomes, collaboration plan, milestones and deliverables, budget and budget justification, biographical sketches, letters of commitment, and optional evidence of third-party support.

VI. Review Criteria

Proposals will be reviewed through the respective review processes of TAMUS and UAAT. Following the initial review by each side, TAMUS and UAAT will jointly discuss the review results and determine the final list of selected projects, taking into account proposal quality, strategic priorities, and the availability of funding.

Proposals will be evaluated using the following weighted criteria:

Priority will be given to proposals that demonstrate transformational potential and strong TAMUS-UAAT collaboration.

VII. Intellectual Property

Below are the minimum intellectual property terms agreed to by TAMUS and UAAT which shall apply to any awarded project. 

• Title to any invention or copyrightable work invented or authored solely by TAMUS personnel in the performance of the program will vest in TAMUS;
• Title to any invention or copyrightable work invented or authored solely by UAAT personnel in the performance of the program will vest in UAAT; and
• Title to any invention or copyrightable work invented or authored jointly by personnel of both TAMUS and UAAT in the performance of the program will vest jointly in TAMUS and UAAT.

VIII. Reporting and Expectations

• Recipients must mention the funding in all appropriate media, including any events arising from activities supported by this funding which should include an acknowledgment of “TAMUS-UAAT Collaborative Research Program” and any publications/presentations arising from activities supported by this funding should include acknowledgment of “This publication/presentation is supported in part by the Collaborative Research Program between The Texas A&M University System and the University Academic Alliance in Taiwan.”
• Awardees will be required to submit a final report 60 days from the end date of the project period of performance, detailing outcomes, publications, and other scholarly products.
• Recipients are expected to participate in bilateral exchange activities and presentation meetings organized under this program.

IX. Submission Instructions

• Deadline: Aug. 21, 2026
• Worksheet: A Word version of the application is available online to assist applicants in compiling the required information before entering it into the submission portal.  Only submissions completed and submitted through the portal will be accepted.  Please note that the portal does not allow applications to be saved in progress, so applicants should begin the portal submission process only when they are ready to complete and submit the proposal.
• Submission Portal: Proposals must be submitted through the joint online submission portal by the proposal deadline.
• File Format: Single PDF format (created upon application submission); 12-point font with 1-inch margins for all uploaded attachments.
• Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.
• Questions: TAMUS contact E-mail: ref@tamus.edu; UAAT contact E-mail: uaatsec@ntu.edu.tw

X. Contact Information

• UAAT Secretariat: Dr. Chia-Lin Huang – E-mail: uaatsec@ntu.edu.tw
• TAMUS Office of Vice Chancellor for Research: E-mail: ref@tamus.edu

XI. Key Dates

appendix 1:

TAMUS Member Universities

• East Texas A&M University
• Prairie View A&M University
• Tarleton State University
• Texas A&M International University
• Texas A&M University*
• Texas A&M University Central Texas
• Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
• Texas A&M University San Antonio
• Texas A&M University Texarkana
• Texas A&M University Kingsville
• Texas A&M University Victoria
• West Texas A&M University

*TAMUS member agencies are included under Texas A&M University.

appendix 2:

UAAT Member Universities

• National Taiwan University
• National Cheng Kung University
• National Tsing Hua University
• National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
• National Sun Yat-sen University
• National Taipei University of Technology
• National Chengchi University
• National Chung Hsing University
• National Central University
• National Taiwan Normal University
• Taipei Medical University
• National Taiwan University of Science and Technology