Worldwide Universities Network (WUN)
WUN at the University of Rochester
The University of Rochester became a WUN member in November 2011. The University supports the WUN research development fund and WUN’s goal of researcher mobility.
Vice Provost Jane Gatewood serves the WUN Academic Advisory Group, which provides oversight of the policies of the network’s academic portfolio.
Megan Bennett-Spears, WUN Coordinator, liaises with coordinators at each of the WUN member universities and with University of Rochester researchers to facilitate collaboration.
The Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) was established in 2000 with a mission to be one of the leading international higher education networks, collaborating to accelerate the dispersal of knowledge; and develop leaders prepared to address the significant challenges and opportunities in our rapidly changing world. The network combines the resources and intellectual power of its 23 members through the following initiatives:
- Research Development Fund (RDF), an annual competitive fund that has invested more than £2.2 million into projects focused on four collaborative Global Challenges.
- More than 88 active Interdisciplinary Research Groups.
- Events such as conferences and workshops.
The WUN has identified four major Global Challenges:
- Global Higher Education and Research
- Public Health (Non-Communicable Disease)
- Responding to Climate Change
- Understanding Cultures
Each Global Challenge has networks of researchers working on a number of topics and sub-themes. WUN members can also bring in a topic themselves and create a network of WUN researchers to address it. For more information on its existing research projects, please visit the WUN website.
WUN Research and Funding Opportunities
WUN supports a diverse range of research activities across all disciplines and particularly encourages interdisciplinary projects. Information on the wide range of current WUN research collaborations can be found on the WUN website.
WUN Research Development Fund
The Research Development Fund (RDF) is an annual competitive fund aimed at bringing researchers together to undertake innovative, high-quality, sustainable research that addresses the four WUN global challenges. The RDF provides grants of up to £10,000 for one year to foster research collaborations among academic staff members at WUN partner universities. A successful RDF project can help establish productive partnerships and networks that could form the basis of a proposal for a larger funding opportunity.
RDF 2023 Focus
In line with the WUN Strategic Plan 2023-2026, we encourage proposals that address problems in one or more of the following areas within the context of sustainable development:
- Social justice and human rights; inequality
- Sustainable world: cities and urbanization; energy transitions; water, and food security
- Mental health; child and maternal health; aging
- Responsible and ethical applications of Artificial Intelligence
- Award amount: £10,000
- Applications for the 2023 award year are now CLOSED!
If you are interested in leading a proposal effort, please contact Megan Bennett-Spears. The Office for Global Engagement can help facilitate the proposal process. For more information, view the fact sheet and timeline.