NCKU AISSM International Seed Fund Program 2025

Project introduction

The Academy of Innovative Semiconductor and Sustainable Manufacturing (AISSM) at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) is dedicated to fostering international collaboration. The “NCKU AISSM International Seed Fund Program” is designed to encourage research partnerships in semiconductor design, packaging and testing, materials, smart, and sustainable manufacturing. This program aims to initiate new international research collaborations that can later secure external funding, driving innovation and sustainability in the semiconductor industry. Please refer to the attached slides attached slides for more details.

Funding and Project Requirements

• ✈️ Funding Projects:(Each professor can only apply for one project.)
• ✈️4 projects in collaboration with universities in North America and Europe (up to USD 10,000 per project)
• ✈️2 projects in collaboration with universities in Asia (up to USD 3,000 per project)

Project Requirements:

• 1. The proposal must include a joint research plan with an international Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI).
• 2. The proposal should outline objectives, expected outcomes, sustainability, and future funding plans.
• 3. Two-way student mobility between NCKU and partner universities is required.
• 4. Matching funds from the international partner institutions are mandatory. (No direct fund transfers between institutions.)

Research Areas

• ⚙️ Integrated Circuit Design
• ⚙️ Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology
• ⚙️ Semiconductor Packaging and Testing
• ⚙️ Key Materials
• ⚙️ Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing

Priority Partner Universities

North America:

• U.S. –University of Arizona
• U.S. –Arizona State University
• U.S. –Northern Arizona University
• U.S. –Purdue University
• Canada –University of Ottawa

Europe:

• Netherlands – Eindhoven University of Technology
• Germany – Technische Universität Dresden
• Czech Republic –Czech Technical University in Prague
• Latvia –University of Latvia
• Lithuania – Vilnius Gediminas Technical University

Asia:

• India –IIT Madras
• India –IIT Gandhinagar
• Japan –Institute of Science Tokyo
• Japan –Kumamoto University
• Japan –Kyushu University

Eligibility Criteria

Co-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs)

• 1. Each project must be jointly submitted by one professor from NCKU and one professor from a partner university.
• 2. Applicants must be current tenure or tenure-track faculty members, or adjunct professors at NCKU AISSM and the partner institution (priority will be given to tenure-track faculty).

Student Mobility

• 1. The project must include a two-way student exchange, allowing short-term research stays between NCKU AISSM and the partner universities.
• 2. Participating students must be full-time registered students at NCKU AISSM or the partner university (both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible).

Funding Plan

• Applicants must outline a plan for obtaining additional funding from national and international sources to sustain the collaboration.

Eligible Expenses

• ✈️ Meetings & Workshops – Organizing academic meetings, workshops, or seminars.
• ✈️ Travel – Travel expenses for incoming visiting students.
• ✈️ Stipends – Providing stipends for visiting students, post-doctoral fellows, and research personnel.

Application and Evaluation

• Application Deadline: April 7, 2025
• Results Announcement: By April 25, 2025
• Project Completion Deadline: December 15, 2025

Application Process:

• The NCKU AISSM PI and Co-PI must submit the below complete application materials by April 7, 2025.
• A Letter of Support from the partner institution’s administration, confirming their commitment to providing matching funding if the proposal is successful, must be included. The review of applications will be conducted by the Academy’s administrators through a meeting to evaluate and select the successful applicants.

Required Application Materials

• 1. Complete application form, including budget information and FULL SCIENTIFIC JUSTIFICATION AND WORK PLAN.
• 2. Letter of support from the International Partner Institution’s administration committing to providing matching funding in case the application is successful.
• 3. Short-version CVs of Co-PI from NCKU AISSM and Co-PI from International Partner Institution.。

Please email the above complete application materials to Ms. Phoebe Lu at pphoebelu109@gs.ncku.edu.tw by April 7, 2025.