UTS Key Technology Partnerships Visiting Fellow Program

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• Funding details

  Travel expense guidelines
  UTS will reimburse return economy airfare, accommodation and living expenses to the KTP visitor for the duration of their visit up to a maximum of A$10,000. Expenses are reimbursed at the end of their stay after original receipts/tax invoices are provided for each expense.

  Please note:

  • We do not reimburse cash
  • The approved expenses will be reimbursed into the bank account nominated by the KTP visitor
  • The reimbursement process usually takes between four to six weeks
  • Receipts from a credit card or EFTPOS terminal will not suffice as valid documentation for reimbursement
  • UTS and the Key Technology Partners jointly fund successful proposals. Reviewers from both universities assess applications together and decide which institution will cover each budget item.

  Airfare
  UTS will reimburse the cost of economy class airfare via a reasonable route.

  Accommodation

  • UTS has corporate rates with some hotels and service apartments nearby. The hotel invoices UTS directly at the end of the stay, so visitors are not out of pocket. The rates offered by these hotels are usually about A$250 per night (except holiday seasons). The Global partnerships team will book the hotel for the visitor and will provide a document that includes information about accommodation, transport, safety, banking and other useful web links to help make the settling process in Sydney smoother.
  • It is also possible for KTP visitors to book their own accommodation. However, in this case they will need to pay for the cost first and claim it back at the end of the visit.
  • Please keep in mind the accommodation daily amount approved by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and UTS is a maximum of A$297 per day.

  Living expenses

  • Living expenses will be reimbursed to a maximum of A$165 per day. Please also refer to the items covered and not covered by the KTP Visiting Fellow Program table below.
  • Please note that tipping is not encouraged by UTS. In situations where tipping is necessary, UTS will cover a maximum tip of 10% of the total bill or a total of A$50, whichever is the lesser amount. However, when there’s already a surcharge included in a bill (e.g. a public holiday surcharge, service fee for large groups, etc.), tipping on top of this surcharge will not be covered by UTS. For further information, please refer to the Entertainment Vice-Chancellor's Directive (Clause 5.10).

  ITEMS COVERED AND NOT COVERED
  Items Covered   √	Items Not Covered   X
  Airfare Lowest possible economy class airfare via a reasonable route (approved by the UTS Global Partnership team)  Accommodation Please keep in mind the accommodation daily amount approved by the Australian Taxation Office and UTS: maximum A$297 per day  Visa Fees  Please apply for the most appropriate Australian Visa type as per advised by the Australian Embassy and indicated on the Invitation Letter provided by UTS. Allow enough lead time to avoid additional fees. We are unable to provide a reimbursement if the KTP visitor doesn’t have a suitable visa.  Meals for the KTP visitor including reasonable alcohol consumption (1 –2 drinks) as part a restaurant meal. Internet access: if required at the accommodation, please choose the most economical suitable package. Local transport costs to and from the Sydney Airport at the beginning and end of the visit. Please keep Opal Card tax invoices and note the Opal travel caps/limits: A$19.30 per day Monday to Thursday excluding public holidays, A$9.65 per day on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, or A$50 per week. Incidentals such as toiletries and reasonable laundry costs. In transit costs (food): reasonable costs for food incurred in a transit city during an incoming flight to Sydney or return flight from Sydney are covered. N.B These expenses will need to be covered by the living expenses approved budget. In transit costs (transport): reasonable local transport costs to airports are covered. N.B These expenses will need to be covered by the living expenses approved budget.	Business or first-class flight tickets Hotel mini bar and bottle shop alcohol purchases Phone calls: The KTP visitor may find it beneficial to purchase a local sim card. Newspapers and magazines  Books and other equipment,whether related to KTP visitor’s academic work or not. Gifts: anything purchased with the intention of giving to someone else.  Car hire and petrol costs  Costs related to sightseeing or leisure activities, including gym costs. Tipping Excess baggage Clothing, including clothing for work purposes. Meals for others In transit costs (accommodation): Overnight stays whilst in transit are not covered (as there is no reason for them to occur).

  *The Global Partnerships team will provide the visitor with a “Tips for Expense Reimbursement” document that will guide them through the expense acquittal process.

• Eligibility criteria

  Eligible applicants

  • The UTS host must be employed at UTS on an ongoing role with the intention to remain at UTS and the KTP collaborator must be employed on an ongoing basis at one of the Key Technology partner institutions; which helps to establish sustainable, long term collaborations.
  • Candidates may only be involved in one application per funding round.
  • If you are an academic, this scheme is open to all career stages (early, mid-career and senior academics). Applications are also open to non-academic staff.
  • Applications are prepared in conjunction with collaborators from one of the Key Technology partner institutions.
  • Proposals for new projects from candidates who haven’t been awarded KTP funding in the past are preferred.
  • Applications to grow a previously funded project must provide evidence of milestones and articulate how the funding will help them to grow and achieve significant results; e.g., access to external funding, bring revenue, develop joint programs, have tangible impact.
  • UTS staff or KTP collaborators who will be undertaking a sabbatical or participating in the Professional Experience Program (PEP) in 2026 are not eligible.
  • Applications will not be accepted from UTS staff or KTP collaborators who have received Key Technology Partnership funding in the previous two years, covering 2024 and 2025. 

  Eligible institutions

  Joint activity proposals in collaboration with counterparts from the following UTS Key Technology Partner universities are eligible:

  • Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)
  • Institut Mines-Telecom
  • Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (UC I Chile)
  • Shanghai University (SHU)*
  • Technical University of Berlin (TUB)
  • University of Arizona (UA)
  • VinUniversity (VinUni)

  *Collaborative projects and visits with Shanghai University will be considered only if they align with one of the following priority areas:

  1. Creative Industries – as outlined in the UTS Creative Industries Strategy.
  2. Environmental Engineering / Sustainability.
  3. Health technologies.

• How to apply

  1. Identify collaborators from one of the eligible institutions listed above, who are interested in submitting a joint proposal.
  2. Download the application form PDF to see a preview of the questions. Discuss and prepare the proposal with your collaborator. Please note: the application form has embedded logic, displaying questions relevant to the chosen program and partner.
  3. Submit the online application form by 15 April 2026 (11pm AEST).
  4. The Global Partnerships team will seek feedback and endorsement from the relevant internal stakeholders.
  5. Application outcomes will be announced via email after 5 June 2026.

• Assessment process

  • A Review Committee will be responsible for the assessment of all grant applications.
  • Applications must meet the eligibility requirements and will be assessed based on the evaluation criteria set out below.

• Evaluation criteria

  Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

  Strength of the proposed collaboration (30%) Outline the strengths of your proposed collaboration, the benefits for UTS and the KTP, budget feasibility and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

  Outputs, Outcomes, Impact (40%) Articulate the outputs, outcomes and impact of your collaboration.

  Interdisciplinarity - actual and/or potential involvement across multiple Faculties and disciplines (10%) Elaborate on the interdisciplinary nature of your collaboration, listing all the Faculties, Schools, and staff from both UTS and the KTP that will be involved.

  Student engagement (10%) Describe the engagement of students in your collaboration and/or the potential it holds for creating opportunities for coursework and/or research training at both universities.

  Vision for the future (10%) Outline the short, medium, and long-term goals of the collaboration.

• Post -award

  • The visit must take place between June and December and the visitors’ last day of departure shall be no later than 4 December 2026.
  • Establish, with the help of the Global Partnerships team, a simple project page to share your collaboration story on the UTS website.
  • Funding awardees must formally acknowledge support received from UTS in publications and presentations flowing from the research project which has received funding.
  • Funding awardees must submit a visit report during the departure meeting.
  • Funding awardees must submit a progress report in June 2027.

• Important dates

  01 March 2026	Applications open
  15 April 2026	Applications close
  18 April – 4 June 2026	Stakeholder consultation and assessment
  5 June 2026	Results announced
  June – 4 December 2026	Visits to take place
  1 June 2027	Progress report submission

• How the Global Partnerships team can support you

  Before the visit:

  • Liaise with the UTS People Unit to request an Invitation Letter (Honorary Appointment)
  • Book accommodation at the hotels that offer UTS a corporate rate
  • Assist with issuing a UTS Travel Insurance Certificate if the KTP visitor’s home university doesn’t provide cover
  • Identify possible sources of external funding for projects 

  During the visit:

  • Arrange meetings with GRS, Research Office and/or any other relevant units
  • Promote events, seminars or workshops

  After the visit: 

  • Organise reimbursement of travel expenses
  • Prompt collaborators once a year to send progress updates
  • Share collaboration stories and milestones with the UTS and the Key Technology Partners

• Contact us

  For any queries, please contact the UTS Global Partnerships team at globalpartnerships@uts.edu.au.