Revised Announcement

Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI) and Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) are jointly calling for proposals for the 2025 Bilateral Research Collaboration Program. Due to procurement regulations (Note 1), the original open bidding process has been adjusted. The project will now proceed through an open selection and evaluation process, followed by a restricted tender process for contract signing and payment with the selected teams. The execution guidelines remain largely unchanged, except for the following modifications:

(1) Target Participants:

Applying teams must be composed of Taiwan and CTU professors, collaboratively conducting research on the same project topic. The Taiwanese principal investigator (PI) must be the applicant, submitting the research proposal within the specified deadline for further evaluation.
 

(2) Application Process & Deadline:

Applicants must submit a jointly written research proposal in English (Attachment 1) along with relevant supporting documents. Please provide:

All materials must be sent before the submission deadline (March 14) to the following address:
Ms. Chieh-Ting Chan
Business Development Division, Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute
No. 26, Prosperity Road I, Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Submissions will be considered valid based on the postal stamp date. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Once submitted, the proposal cannot be modified or supplemented, and submitted documents will not be returned after the evaluation process.

Note 1:

The Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI) and the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) have jointly established a research center to promote bilateral collaboration and exchange. We are now soliciting proposals for the 2025 Bilateral Collaborative Research Projects. Through academic cooperation and TSRI's service platform, the initiative aims to establish long-term and stable partnerships between teams, fostering the sharing of research resources and strengths on both sides. Bilateral teams are welcome to apply by following the published guidelines and completing the necessary documents. Further details are as follows:
 
1. Proposal Submission Period:
From today to March 14, 2025 (Friday) (GMT+8).
(The start time for application submission will be based on the actual date of the announcement.)


2. Project Timeline:
To align with the internal processes of both parties, the list of selected proposals will be confirmed on April 7, 2025. The project period will commence on the same date, with a mid-term review scheduled before August 15, and a final review to be completed by November 30. The project will conclude on December 20, 2025.


3. Eligibility Criteria:
（1）Target Participants:
Applying teams must be composed of Taiwan and CTU professors, collaboratively conducting research on the same project topic. The Taiwanese principal investigator (PI) must be the applicant, submitting the research proposal within the specified deadline for further evaluation.

（2） Research areas include, but are not limited to:
   I.  IC Design: Analog Design, Digital Design, MEMS Sensors, Silicon Photonics, and other IC design related topics.
   II.  IC Fabrication: Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD), and other IC fabrication related topics.
   III. Teams interested in participating in the bilateral research project are requested to visit the following link to fill in the research topic and contact information to facilitate bilateral team matching: Matching List

（3） For selected projects, an agreement may need to be signed between the two parties, such as a CRA (Collaborative Research Agreement). The agreement may specify items such as the distribution of rights and obligations between the two parties, including clauses regarding intellectual property rights. The content of the agreement will be negotiated by both parties.


4. Project Funding:
（1）Research funding will be provided separately by both parties, with each Principal Investigator (PI) responsible for their respective planning and management.

（2） Each approved project will receive a research grant of NTD 1.9 million, disbursed in installments: 50% upon project selection, 40% upon passing the mid-term review, and the remaining 10% upon passing the final project review and acceptance.

（3） Based on the chip fabrication requirements outlined in the project proposal (if have), TSRI will provide additional tape-out support of up to NTD 2 million per project, in alignment with the project's actual progress, to facilitate chip fabrication and publication.

Applicants must submit a jointly written research proposal in English (Attachment 1) along with relevant supporting documents. Please provide:

All materials must be sent before the submission deadline (March 14) to the following address:
Ms. Chieh-Ting Chan
Business Development Division, Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute
No. 26, Prosperity Road I, Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Submissions will be considered valid based on the postal stamp date. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Once submitted, the proposal cannot be modified or supplemented, and submitted documents will not be returned after the evaluation process.

6. Evaluation Criteria:
Proposals meeting the eligibility requirements will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Bilateral Collaboration (30%)
• Feasibility (25%)
• Technical Innovation and Advancement (20%)
• Application Value (15%)
• Budget Planning (10%)

The evaluation results will be confirmed on April 7, 2025.


7. Milestones and Review Items
This project involves two reviews: a mid-term review and a final review.

（1）Mid-term Review: The mid-term report must be submitted by August 15. The report will assess the project’s progress against the timeline outlined in the project proposal. This review will be conducted through written documentation.

（2）Final Project Review: The research objectives must be completed, and the final report must be submitted by November 30. The final report should include a description of the research objectives and measurable performance indicators, such as records and feedback on bilateral short-term exchanges, evidence of academic publications or patent applications, research reports, and other execution outcomes.


8. Notes:
（1）The Taiwanese Principal Investigator (PI) may submit the Project Proposal Application Form on behalf of the team.

（2）The structure of the Project Proposal Application Form should include:

1. General Information (Project topic and classification, contact details of bilateral team PIs and points of contact)
2. Team Members (Educational background, roles, and responsibilities of team members from both sides)
3. Abstract (Project summary)
4. Project Content (Background, technical advantages, research strategy, expected outcomes, and contributions to international research collaboration)
5. Timeline (Schedule timeline management, review checkpoints, expected deliverables, and performance metrics)
6. Budget Plan
7. Declaration and Signatures
8. Attachments

（3）Research budget usage must be documented in an itemized list for reference during the final review.

（4）Key Deadlines:
       • Application Opens: February 10, 2025 (The start time for application submission will be based on the actual date of the announcement.)
       • Submission Deadline: March 14, 2025 (GMT+8)
       • Announcement of Selected Projects: April 7, 2025 (Starting from the actual announcement date)
       • Mid-Term Review: Submit mid-term review report by August 15, 2025
       • Final Review: Submit final review report by November 30, 2025

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