Science, Technology and Innovation Research Sponsor Program 2026

• Develop high-quality, international-standard researches that connect Vietnamese scientists and build network between them and international scientists; ,
• Promote interdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and transnational researches to address major national and global challenges;
• Attract world-class Vietnamese scientists to return and contribute to the country by providing research grants and fostering an intellectual environment for collaboration;
• Develop a pipeline of exceptional young scientists through domestic research projects.

Target groups
• Host Institution (HI): Must be a science and technology organization (university, research institute, etc.) based in Vietnam with full legal capacity; legally exercises science,technology, innovation researches and development functions aligned with project areas ; ensures sufficient human resources, equipment and facilities for effective project implementation.
• Project Leadership: Each project shall have one Principal Investigator (PI) and a maximum of one Co-PI who are affiliated with or have research partnership with the Host Institution. They must: Hold a Ph.D. degree or higher in a field relevant to the research; Produce at least 03 research results in a relevant field; Have at least 03 publications in prestigious international journals or be the author of at least 01 patent/utility solution within 5 years preceding the application date; Demonstrate the capacity to directly organize the research and guarantee sufficient time for the project, dedicating a minimum of 30% of their working time to the project’s execution.
• The senior members of the Project must have expertise relevant to the research content of the Project; have a doctoral degree or higher; spend at least 30% of working time to implement the Project.
• Domestic and international experts implementing the Project possess outstanding experience and knowledge in Project fields.
• Other members and relevant individuals must have qualifications and skills relevant to the Project research areas
Preference will be given to project proposals that involve collaboration between domestic and international scientists (especially overseas Vietnamese scientists) to elevate Vietnam’s scientific standing.
Priority Areas
Smart health, smart mobility, smart agriculture, artificial intelligence, data science, computer science, applied mathematics, materials science, green energy, biotechnology, creative economy, digital economy.

• Urgency of the research problem (10%);
• Creativity and scientific significance; technology novelty; scope of impact (national and international) (30%);
• Research capacity and experience of Principal Investigator (PI) and team members; connectivity and collaboration between Vietnamese and international scientists; interdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and transnational approach; research facilities and infrastructure of Host Institution (30%);
• Clear objectives and research contents/activities; appropriate research methodology and work plan to achieve set goals and expected outputs; feasibility; reasonable budget estimation (20%);
• Potential for application and/or technology transfer, product commercialization; practical significance and impact on socio-economic development (10%).

Project outputs must satisfy at least 3 out of the following 4 requirements:
• Develop products, services or technological solutions of practical benefits to the community;
• Publish research articles in Q1 international journals (List of Journal proposed by PI & approved by VinIF) or at Rank A/A * conferences;
• Intellectual Property (IP) registration (accepted by patent offices and VinIF Scientific Council)
• Training of Master and PhD students

VinIF operates as a non-profit organization promoting the development of science and technology in Vietnam. PI, research team and host organization shall retain ownership, manage and utilise all assets provided and acquired during and resulted from the project implementation.

VinIF operates with a flexible and rational financial mechanism designed to provide researchers with optimal working conditions and the most streamlined administrative procedures. While the maximum funding level is 10 billion VND per project, a well-justified financial plan is essential and serves as one of VinIF’s key evaluation criteria. The minimum funding grant is 2 billion VND

The funding covers:
• Salaries for project members and expenditures of domestic and international experts;
• Raw materials, fuel, supplies, tools, and equipment dedicated to the research;
• Service fees and leasing of equipment or systems;
• Travel expenses, organization of workshops/seminars, office expenses, and management costs directly related to the research.
The host institution is required to sign a Grant Agreement with VinIF before project commencement. In this agreement, the institution commits to providing favorable conditions regarding time, administrative procedures, and working environments to ensure the Principal Investigator and the research team can fulfill their tasks. Funding will be disbursed in installments to the host institution based on the terms of the research grant agreement.
Note: At any given time, an individual is not permitted to concurrently receive both a VinIF scholarship and remuneration from VinIF-funded projects.

• From 01/5/2026 to15/5/2026: Proposal submission
• From 16/5/2026 to 30/6/2026: Evaluation and selection
• July 2026: Announcement of funded projects
From July 2026: Signing of Grant Agreements

Digital Submission
Project applications must be submitted in soft copy (Word and signed/stamped PDF formats) via the online portal at https://oms.vinif.org. The dossier includes:
• Project Application Form (Template: VINIF-A-DDK);
• Project Proposal in English (Template: VINIF-A-TMDA);
• Supplementary Documents: Any additional materials provided by the host institution or Principal Investigator deemed necessary to strengthen the proposal’s persuasiveness.
Re-submission Policy
There is no limit on the number of times a proposal can be submitted. Projects that have been improved or refined compared to previous submissions are encouraged to re-apply.
Hard Copy Submission
Projects selected for funding consideration are required to submit one (1) physical set of the application dossier before signing the Grant Agreement.
Mailing Address: Vingroup Innovation Foundation (VinIF) 9th Floor, Century Tower, Times City 458 Minh Khai, Vinh Tuy, Hanoi.

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Contact Information: For further inquiries, scientists may contact us via email at: project@vinif.org