Deadline: June 3, 2025
Applications are open for the ACU Higher Education & the SDGs Network Grants 2025. Higher Education and the SDGs Network Grants fund collaborative work around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Open to professional and academic staff at ACU member universities, the grants focus on the priority themes of the ACU Higher Education and the SDGs Network:
- Engagement and impact
- Estates and stewardship
- Partnerships
- Research
- Teaching and learning
From sourcing energy-saving and clean energy options for Fijian schools, to supporting women’s economic empowerment by addressing the financial literacy and gender-based disparities in access to finance – the grants have been used to fund a diverse range of activities, projects, workshops, and events.
Award
- Four grants of up to GBP 2,500
Eligibility
- Open to professional and academic staff at ACU member universities.
- Applicants cannot be from a university that has previously received an ACU Higher Education and the SDGs Network Grant.
- Applicants are encouraged to:
- Collaborate with other ACU member universities or other organisations such as local governments, to promote further Commonwealth partnerships. This will be looked on favourably.
- Consider matching or additional funding from their own university as part of the application. This will be looked on favourably, but is not essential.
- Applications could include ideas for:
- Virtual exchange or collaboration, teaching or professional practice collaboration. Sharing and co-development of learning materials, tools, training and approaches to support contingency and continuity of operations planning at higher education institutions (HEIs).
- Virtual fellowships, comparative analyses, research management and uptake capacity-building.
- Integrating sustainable development into operations.
- Sharing SDG learning content and materials.
- Developing SDG-focused research strategies.
- Co-creating research for impact, community engagement, and partnerships for the goals
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:
- Project goals and feasibility
- Impact and outputs
- Experience and skills of the project lead and institution support
- Alignment with the themes of the ACU Higher Education and the SDGs Network
- Collaboration
Application
Applicants will be required to provide the following information in the application form:
- Outline of the project and a detailed time plan, including:
- What the project will involve.
- How the project will address the Higher Education and the SDGs Network’s themes.
- The project time plan should be for a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 12 months.
- Letter of support from the Executive Head or equivalent, or other senior member of the applicant’s institution, demonstrating:
- Support for the programme of work proposed.
- The ways they will provide support for your project.
- This letter of support will also act as a reference for the project lead.
- CV of project lead.
For more information, visit ACU Grants.
