A year after Rice University announced Rice Global India and signed a strategic collaboration agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), the two institutions are opening applications for the IIT Madras & Rice University Strategic Partnership Collaboration Awards. The call for proposals launches the next phase of a partnership built on shared academic priorities, complementary research strengths and a commitment to solving global challenges through multidisciplinary collaboration.
The awards are designed to support joint research initiatives that strengthen institutional goals at both universities while generating high-impact scholarship with academic and societal benefit. Faculty teams are encouraged to think ambitiously, building projects that can grow over time and attract external funding.
“Rice and IIT Madras share a belief that global collaboration accelerates progress in fundamental research,” said Thomas Killian, dean of the Wiess School of Natural Sciences. “These awards give our faculty and students a pathway to pursue ideas at the frontiers of science and engineering with partners who match their curiosity and drive.”
Located in Chennai, IIT Madras is one of India’s premier institutions for higher education and research and is globally recognized for innovation in science and engineering. The Rice-IITM Strategic Collaboration Initiative has already laid groundwork for expanded exchange across research groups, research centers and graduate education.
“This collaboration was built on a simple idea: when institutions bring their best people together across borders, they accelerate their ability to discover and to impact the world,” said Caroline Levander, Rice’s vice president for global strategy. “The next step is supporting faculty and students who are ready to build that future with us.”
The awards will fund up to three proposals in this cycle. Each proposal must include one investigator from IIT Madras and one from Rice. Teams may include additional collaborators. Proposals that span disciplines or connect multiple research areas are strongly encouraged.
Projects should plan for long-term engagement that includes publications, external funding and sustained collaboration. Each successful Rice-led proposal may receive up to $25,000. Full-time and research faculty members at Rice are eligible to apply. Proposals are due Jan. 15, 2026 with awards announced Feb. 20. Funding will be available starting March 15 and projects must conclude by Feb. 28, 2027. Final reports are due May 31.
Award selection will be made by a joint Rice-IIT Madras committee. Additional details, selection criteria and submission instructions are available here. Questions may be directed to global@rice.edu.