The aim of EUniWell’s Seed Funding Call is to facilitate cooperation between the institutions of the European university alliance by projects that promote partnership between the universities and knowledge transfer supporting institutional and personal well being. EUniWell’s Zoom meeting on 7 January intends to help search partners for new collaborations, while Semmelweis University will hold an online consultation on 14 January to present the project ideas of Semmelweis citizens to help successful application.

“University, as the concept of institution is a European invention of over a thousand years. This is what the European Union strives to put into a different perspective by setting up university alliances.”, said Dr. Miklós Kellermayer, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and EUniWell project lead.

EUniWell, the European University of Well-Being brings together seven universities: Semmelweis University, Leiden University, Linnaeus University, University of Birmingham, University of Cologne, University of Florence, University of Nantes uniting over a quarter of a million students and 36,000 researchers, educators, and staff. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for European citizens by enabling cross-border learning opportunities for students as well as promoting interdisciplinary research and educational projects in international collaborations. The phylosophy of EUniWell is that development can only be achieved by the active and empowering inclusion of the future’s game-changers; the students and young researchers of today.

The aim of the university alliance’s latest Seed Funding Call is to bring together faculty, researchers, students or staff from at least three universities to work in collaborative projects aiming to achieve goals improving well-being.

The submitted proposals may be jointly created new research and innovative educational projects or projects aiming at the realisation of broad knowledge sharing programmes. The aim is to strengthen existing multilateral relations among the consortium partners and to support the creation of new collaborations and the implementation of innovative projects and ideas.

“Each of the seven universities making up EUniWell adds 50,000 euros to a common grant fund on a yearly basis, which enables the funding of 14 projects per year. The universities will profit from the invested money through the winning joint projects. Each winning project of each round of applications can receive a funding of maximum 25,000 euros. Our goal is to optimize Semmelweis University’s resources by taking part in as many applications as possible.”, said Dr. Miklós Kellermayer.

Those interested in applying and prospective applicants also have the opportunity to get first-hand information from the representatives of EUniWell and indicate their intention to find project partners. To this end, a Zoom meeting is held on 7 January 2021 at 12:00 with the participation of all member universities.

“Semmelweis University welcomes not only researchers and staff, but students and participants of talent support programmes to apply. Any idea related to well-being, is eligible for application, but we have also made recommendations, such as the extension of our unique Students’ Scientific Conference to EUniWell partner universities. A large-scale, international EUniWell Students’ Scientific Conference would promote the well-being and development of students by providing an opportunity for international scientific competition and exchange of knowledge.”, the Dean explained.

Semmelweis University holds and online event on 14 January 2021 at 2 pm to help successful application. Applicants can introduce themselves in person, can present their ideas and can ask questions from a scientific council. Participation requires registration: the event can be accessed via the following Zoom link and prospective applicants can send their applications to project@semmelweis-univ.hu.

Further information on the seed funding call is available here: https://www.euniwell.eu/participate/call-for-joint-projects

In case of questions and ideas, the Office of the Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation and the Innovation Centre will provide information at the e-mail address project@semmelweis-univ.hu.