Insper in Brazil and the University of Notre Dame (ND) announce the ND-Insper Joint Research Grant. The goal of this grant is to strengthen academic ties between the two institutions and to support research in keeping with the strategic interests of both universities.

Contacts

For questions regarding the content of this call, please contact:

Insper

Carolina Nakamura Research Office Insper Email: fomento@insper.edu.br

University of Notre Dame

Geraldine Meehan Senior Director, Faculty Engagement and Global Research Notre Dame Global Email: gmeehan@nd.edu 

Grant Project Requirements

• Compliance approval is necessary at both institutions for all research projects. Studies involving data collection and human subjects in Brazil must undergo prior ethical review by an accredited Research Ethics Committee.
• Faculty mobility is recommended for this grant program.

Eligibility

This call is open to teams composed of at least one principal investigator (PI) from each institution. There is no restriction on discipline. PLEASE NOTE: Insper’s academic units are Management and Economics, Law, and Engineering and Computer Science.

• At Insper, the PI must be a full-time faculty member (“docente de dedicação exclusiva”).
• At ND, the PI must be a regular faculty member.

Researchers from both institutions may only apply for one project, either as a principal investigator or a co-principal investigator.

Outcomes

Project outcomes are expected to relate to knowledge generation, project visibility, and future financial sustainability, with optimal outcomes being:

• Co-Publication(s)
• An application to an external funding body

Other measurable outcomes or impacts are encouraged as relevant to the discipline(s). Co-supervision of doctoral theses, while not considered a primary outcome, is welcomed.

Funding & Expenses

• Joint awards up to a total of USD $30,000 (R$ 150.000) will be made for each joint research project, with each project investigator being funded (up to USD $15,000; R$ 75.000) by their respective institution.
• The fund can finance up to two (2) projects, with a maximum budget of USD $30,000 (R$ 150.000) per proposal. The total available funding is USD $60,000 (R$ 300.000), with equal contributions from both universities.
• Funding will be available for joint research projects for a duration of between 12 months and 24 months. Proposals for projects with a longer duration will not be accepted.
• The total requested funds for awarded projects may be adjusted following budget review.
• Unspent funds at the end of the award period will be returned to the awarding institution.

Expenses

Each institution will support its own researchers involved in the research project. Full details of all anticipated costs/activities must be clearly itemized as follows:

• A clear breakdown of expected costs by institution must be provided in the budget. Awarded funds cannot be transferred between universities.
• The budget plan should indicate spending over the full duration of the proposed project.
• Budget justification will be required to ensure good use of financial resources.

Eligible Expenses

• Field work data collection expenses
• Payment to human subjects
• Travel between both institutions for planning, execution, and review of research
• Materials and supplies (e.g., lab reagents)
• Software
• Publications (articles in peer-reviewed high-impact Q1 or Q2 journals, book chapters, or books)
  • Faculty at ND are encouraged to investigate agreements between the Hesburgh Library and a select number of publishers, as a publisher of interest may be among those listed.
• Academic workshops
• Research equipment (all equipment and supplies purchased by a university becomes the property of that university)
• Personnel:
  • Partial Notre Dame graduate student stipend and benefits: graduate student assistants must be involved in the faculty fellow’s collaborative research and writing in ways that contribute to the student’s intellectual formation. This funding request cannot exceed a third of the PI’s requested budget. PLEASE NOTE: At ND, you must allow approximately an additional 13.5% in the budget for fringe benefits for graduate students.
  • Stipend for graduate and undergraduate students from Insper and/or other Brazilian institutions of higher education: Stipends will be paid in accordance with Insper’s policy for research assistantships (“Política de bolsas de pesquisa”). This funding request cannot exceed two-thirds of the Insper PI’s requested budget.

Ineligible Expenses

• Computers
• Faculty salary
• Teaching buy-out
• Business start-up costs
• Tuition fees
• Conference attendance

Outcomes

Project outcomes are expected to relate to knowledge generation, project visibility, and future financial sustainability, with optimal outcomes being:

• Co-Publication(s)
• An application to an external funding body

Other measurable outcomes or impacts are encouraged as relevant to the discipline(s). Co-supervision of doctoral theses, while not considered a primary outcome, is welcomed.

Application Timeline

• Launch: May 13, 2026
• Deadline: September 28, 2026
• Selection Panel: October, 2026
• Notifications Expected: November, 2026
• Projects Start: January 2027
• Maximum Project Length: 2 years

Additional Funding Sources

If a submitted project is under review for other funding or already receives support from another fund, external institution, and/or financing from ND or Insper, the origin, amount, and funding source must be disclosed and clearly specified within the application form.

Selection Process

Proposals will be jointly evaluated by a senior faculty panel from both institutions.

Applications will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• Academic quality of the proposed research, including methodology, scope, ambition, and significance
• Clarity of objectives and outcomes
• Efficiency and reasonableness of the budget
• Sustainability of the research relationship
• Alignment with the strategic goals of both universities

Reporting Requirements

A Project Completion Report must be completed by award holders upon completion of the work defined in the funding application. Submissions to external funding agencies are to be reported and provided to the contacts at the respective institutions.

For 2-year projects:

• A progress report is due at the end of the first year; and,
• A progress report is expected, and a project completion report must be completed by the project leaders at the end of the funding period

Here you are asked to report on the activities and outcomes related to the Global Development Research Grant you received from Note Dame Global.