The University of Illinois System and the University Academic Alliance in Taiwan awarded $1.2 million to eight new interdisciplinary research teams, selected from 52 applications, to drive innovations and enhance collaboration between the universities. This initiative, launched in 2023, aims to accelerate economic development through innovative technologies, with funding from UAAT’s Secretariat and the U of I System’s Office of the Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation.
The newly funded seed grant projects will focus on:
- advanced materials and circuits for AI and future computing,
- building a Taiwan-to-Illinois pipeline for nonlinear and quantum photonics,
- AI-powered optical imaging for chronic disease prognosis,
- using AI to assess social and environmental health outcomes,
- creating digital twins for personalized immunotherapy,
- developing a digital twin framework for smart additive manufacturing,
- innovative aeration strategies for urban wastewater treatment,
- and sustainable electrochemical remediation of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for industrial and environmental applications.
“Through our strong partnership with UAAT, we look to develop research programs with impact in both the immediate future and over the long term,” U of I System President Tim Killeen said. “Researchers from Illinois and Taiwan have joined forces to conduct leading-edge work in their respective fields, and we fully expect breakthrough discoveries from these funded collaborations and longer-term solutions to grand challenges as these faculty-to-faculty partnerships grow. The seed grant program is part of our strategic focus on growing partnerships with the UAAT, its faculty and its students.”
Project teams were required to have participation from at least two of UAAT’s 12 universities and at least one of the three U of I System universities, and proposals had to focus on next-generation semiconductor technologies, AI and data for human well-being, and sustainability – key areas of strength for both groups of universities.
“It is inspiring to witness the launch of this collaboration among international university alliances and systems,” said Wen-Chang Chen, president of National Taiwan University and convener of UAAT. “With this joint initiative, UAAT and the U of I System are establishing a new model for international collaboration through international alliances/systems by combining the resources and expertise of their member universities. These funded projects represent some truly innovative ideas for collaboration in critical academic fields, and it will be exciting to follow their progress.”
For more information: University of Illinois System
