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University of Oxford, TU Berlin and Siemens AG Seed Fund - Call for Proposals 2025

Overview

Building on the success of previous Seed Fund rounds, Siemens AG (SAG) University Relations, Oxford (UoO) IAA Team and TU Berlin’s (TUB) Siemens Center of Knowledge Interchange are partnering in a fourth trilateral Seed Fund to stimulate joint research project bids.

We call for proposals in research areas at the intersection of the horizontal methods & technologies (Applied AI, Simulation & Digital Twin, Sustainability & Circularity, Software Systems & Processes) and the vertical application sectors (Buildings/Cities/Energy Systems, Industry/Manufacturing, Connectivity/IoT/Sensor/Edge Computing, Power Electronics/Integrated Circuits/Electronics and Mobility/Transport Systems).

Schematic view of interdisciplinary research areas. Column headings: Buildings, Cities & Energy Systems; Industry, Manufacturing & Robotics; Connectivity, IoT, Sensors & Edge Computing; Power Electronics, Integrated Circuits and Electronics; Rail & Transport Systems. Row headings: Applied Artificial Intelligence; Simulation & Digital Twin; Software Systems & Processes; Sustainability & Circularity.

Schematic view of interdisciplinary research areas.

The schematic shows (for simplicity) projects in separate horizonal tools/technologies applied in separate vertical application areas.  Of course, any project could cover multiple verticals or horizontals as appropriate.

The seed fund management team offers matchmaking for interested researchers with in-scope project ideas to help identifying complementary team partners at the other organizations.  If you are interested in this, informally reach out to your organizations point of contact to get started.

This call for UoO is funded by IAA, so usual rules apply. All disciplines are eligible. Projects must be jointly submitted and may include participation from other institutions or companies (though this will be unfunded).

Funding

The Seed Fund aims to support up to 4 projects running from 1 May to 31 Dec 2025.  Seed funding will be available from 1 May 2025 for up to.  Within each project, the Oxford participant can receive up to £15,000 and the TU Berlin participant can receive up to  €20,000. Siemens project partners are asked to define their input in the application and put in their own costs that will be covered by their respective units.

If successful, recipients of seed funding in Oxford and Berlin will be required to abide by the policies and practices of their respective institutions regarding ethical conduct of research, reporting and reimbursement of expenditures. Siemens partners will not receive direct funds but will be asked to transparently define their input and cover their own costs as part of the financial budget table.

The Werner-von-Siemens Centre for Industry and Science e.V. has partnered with the seed fund team and offers its space and support for a workshop in Berlin i.e., for project definition or consortium building to the seed funded projects at no cost.

Submission Documents

The application must include a narrative project description of no more than 3 pages addressing:

  • Overview description of the field of study and general intellectual context of the project suitable for a non-specialist audience.
  • Outline of the proposed project and its specific objectives as well as its operation and functions including a project timeline and how the competencies within the team match.
  • List of potential calls identified or expectations regarding future targetable calls.
  • Attachments: Short CVs of the principal investigators at each institution (max. 2 pages); A list of prospective recipients on all sides and their estimated time input; A financial budget table per partner specified by the eligible claims categories.

Eligible claims (standard IAA rules)

  • Direct personnel costs e.g. for developing relationships and writing grant proposals. This could be any university employee)
  • Material costs e.g. for prototypes
  • Travel, accommodation and other associated costs e.g. for joint workshops or exchanges.

Evaluation Criteria

All proposals will be evaluated by a trilateral selection committee based on the following criteria:

  • Clear description and importance of the proposed research topic.
  • Coherent collaborative work program for the seed funding phase.
  • The potential to lead to successful joint grant application(s).
  • The track record and competency mix of the principal investigators.

Submission & Reporting

  • Virtual Briefings at 14.00 (UK time) on 20 Jan and 23 Jan – please contact epsrciaa@mpls.oc.ac.uk for details
  • Deadline for proposals: Mon 7 April 2025 at 11:59 pm (London local time)
  • Outcome notification: Mon 14 April 2025
  • Funding Activity: 1 May 2025 to 31 Dec 2025 – maximum of 8 months project duration
  • Progress reports: Recipients must submit a brief mid-project report and a final report at project completion
  • Payment of the grant: The payment and post-award financial management will be administered through the respective institutions at TU Berlin and Oxford

A single, jointly prepared application must be submitted in English as PDF via email to the seed fund management team. Any questions regarding the seed fund, application process or matchmaking requests are encouraged and can be directed to the seed fund management team as well.

Contact Details - Seed Fund Management Team

Ilaria Carrara Cagni: +49 173 2532539, ilaria.carrara_cagni@siemens.com

c/o IAA Team: epsrciaa@mpls.ox.ac.uk

Nicolai Alexander : +49 173 9019705, alexander.nicola@cki.tu-berlin.de