On the 7 of November Estonian Research Council opens the Estonia-Taiwan cooperation programme for the call for travel grants for Estonian researchers to visit Taiwanese scientific institutions.
The deadline for applications is 30 of January 2026.
The exchange visit programme provides opportunities for researchers from one partner country to visit research institutions in another partner country with the aim to facilitate research cooperation between Estonia and Taiwan; promotes mobility, the building of international contacts and knowledge transfer.
Each year, a joint call is launched, resulting in up to three travel grants with duration up to 2 weeks (14 days) for researchers from both countries. The travel grant recipient must stay the entire duration in the destination country and is prohibited from visiting neighboring countries during this travel (except to reach the destination).
Fields of Research:
• Health and Medicine
• Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
• Civil Security for Society
• Digital, AI, Industry Automation and Space
• Climate, Energy and Mobility
• Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
The potential travel period is set from 1st of June to 31st of December 2026.
Applications do not have to be joint projects between researchers from the two countries, but contact must have already been established with the partner researcher before the application is submitted.
The Estonian-Taiwan travel grant is an individual grant for one researcher and it cannot be applied for the several members of one working group for the same travel to visit the same host.
Eligibility for Estonian researcher:
– each candidate must possess citizenship or be a permanent resident of Estonia
– the travel grant can be applied by a researcher who is holding a doctoral degree and has worked in the Estonian research institution at least for three years prior to the application deadline
– proposed projects must directly involve researchers working at a research institution (i.e. university, research laboratory or research institute) of the receiving country. Estonian applicant must hold a position at the research institution in Estonia.
PS! Inorder to receive an Estonian researcher in Taiwan, the host institution must also submit an application to the Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology (NSCT) before the deadline. ETAG can only award the grant if the application has been submitted to NSCT and it has been accepted.
To host a Taiwanese researcher at Estonian institution:
– Estonian host researcher must have a doctoral degree and has to work in the Estonian research institution at the time of the application deadline
– host institution must be a research performing organisation i.e. university, research laboratory or research institute
– the Estonian host is required to inform ETAG about the application from the Taiwanese researcher via email (marta.vormansika@etag.ee) before the call deadline. The following information must be included in the email: name of the Taiwanese researcher, their organization and position, the title of the application, the research area and the estimated time of the planned visit.
– the travel grant recipient must stay the entire duration in the destination country and is prohibited from visiting neighboring countries during this travel (except to reach the destination)
Evaluation criterias:
– proposal’s novelty, scientific quality and innovativeness
– competence of the applicant. Soundness of the research plan
– outcome and expected impacts (incl. European and International level)
– academic Goals and Career Prospects after the travel
Grant application guidelines and the application form:
Application form
Guidelines
Estonian applicants must submit the electronically signed application with a CV by the deadline (30 January 2026) by e-mail to Marta Vormansika (marta.vormansika@etag.ee).
The results of the call be announced by the end of May 2026 at the latest.
If you have any questions, please contact ETAG consultants:
Katrin Saar
katrin.saar@etag.ee
(+372) 53335625
Marta Vormansika
marta.vormansika@etag.ee
(+372) 5787 2979