2026 National Tsing Hua University- Kaohsiung Medical University Joint Research Program

1. Project Period: 2026/1/1 - 2026/12/31
2. Project Type:
   1. Individual research project: Each project must be co-hosted by a teacher from National Tsing Hua University with a physician from Kaohsiung Medical University, with active participation from clinical physicians highly encouraged.
   2. Continuation project:
      1. Applicants must submit a progress report for 2025 and a new proposal for 2026, aligned with the original research direction and format requirements.
      2. Continuation applications are limited to one cycle. If the continuation proposal is rejected, reapplication will not be accepted the following year.
   3. Integrated research project:
      1. The maximum total budget for each project is 3 million NTD.
      2. The project must include a main project and at least three sub-projects, with a maximum of five sub-projects. The principal investigator (PI) of the main project must also serve as the PI for one of the sub-projects. Each project (including the main project and sub-projects) must comply with the guidelines for individual projects and be jointly led by one member from NTHU and one from KMU.
3. Research Topic:
   1. Combine basic and clinical medicine, focus on academic excellence, technology and application innovation.
   2. To promote the distinctiveness and value of research outcomes, this year’s program introduces newly designated priority themes: “Sports Medicine and Precision Exercise”, “Brain Science and Neuroscience”, and “Artificial Intelligence in Drug Development and Computational Analysis”. Projects selected under these priority themes will be eligible for enhanced funding support compared to general proposals.
4. Qualifications for Principal Investigator:
   1. National Tsing Hua University
      1. Must hold full-time positions at Assistant Professor or Assistant Research Fellow level or above.
      2. Principal investigators (including co-investigators) must not travel abroad for more than three consecutive months during the project year. Those with existing plans for long-term overseas travel are ineligible to serve as principal or co-investigators.
      3. Each investigator may apply for only one hospital collaboration project per execution year. Approved multi-year projects count toward the one-project limit. Please refer to 2026 NTHU Hospital Joint Research Program.
   2. Performance Indicator Guidelines
      1. Teams that receive funding in this year(2026) must submit supporting documentation that meets one of the following criteria within two years after the completion of the project (2027-2028) in order to be eligible to apply for new projects in the following years:
         1. For individual and continuation plan: The principal investigators from both institutes must have published at least one original research paper as the first or corresponding author (including co-authorship) with both universities credited as co-authors.
         2. For integrated research project: (Item i is mandatory; select at least one from items ii to v)
            1. An integrated project must be submitted for external funding.
            2. Each sub-project must result in at least one co-authored journal publication by researchers from both institutions, with the applicant listed as first or corresponding author.
            3. At least one integrated project must be awarded, with the principal investigator including full-time faculty or researchers from both institutions.
            4. Subject to institutional review and approval, at least one jointly filed patent must be submitted, with both institutions listed as co-owners and both project leaders as inventors; alternatively, one technology transfer case must be completed with licensing revenue equal to or exceeding the funding amount of this project.
            5. At least one industry-academia collaboration project funded by a government agency must be awarded, with funding equal to or exceeding this project’s subsidy, and the principal investigator must include full-time faculty or researchers from both institutions.
      2. Predatory journals should be excluded (as identified by the NTU College of Medicine).
      3. Applicants who have previously received funding under this program, or whose bilateral collaboration has already yielded relevant outcomes (e.g., journal publications, external applications or approvals of integrated projects), are advised to clearly describe such achievements and provide supporting documentation in their application for the review committee’s reference.
5. Funding Guidelines:
   1. NTHU: No fixed equipment is allowed to be arranged.
   2. KMU: At least 10% of the total subsidized funding must be allocated to either: a. Capital expenditures, or b. Operating expenses related to the use of instruments and commissioned services within the KMU system.
6. Application Period: From September 3 to October 15, 2025, until 17:00. Late submissions will not be accepted.
7. Application Procedure:
   1. Please upload the project proposal to the system by the deadline. NTHU application path: "Academic Information System" > " Office of R&D Information System" > "System Portal Site" > "Hospital Project Name."
   2. Proposals must be submitted to both institutions separately. Applicants from each side should follow their respective application guidelines and verify their eligibility.
8. Additional Reminders:
   1. Projects involving human trials, animal experiments, infectious agents, or genetic recombination must include ethical approval documents at the time of application. If such documents are not available at application time, they must be submitted before project execution; funding cannot be accessed until approval is verified.
   2. New Review Requirement for 2026: Applicants who have previously conducted hospital collaboration projects administered by the NTHU Biomedical Center must complete and submit the Section XI: Publication Evidence Form with their proposal. This form is a key review item, and accurate completion will facilitate the review process. Please refer to the website for the definition of qualifying publications.
   3. After the project concludes, please submit the final report according to each hospital program's regulations and participate in the results presentation.
9. Contact Information: Ms. Wu, yfwu@mx.nthu.edu.tw (#31252)