The Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) is a distinguished global consortium comprising 24 leading research-intensive universities from six continents. It harnesses the diversity and global distribution of top-tier researchers and educators to tackle complex, globally significant issues. The network aims to leverage its geographical and cultural diversity to foster robust academic collaborations, enhancing the collective strengths and visibility of its member institutions.

WUN’s mission centers on promoting high-impact research partnerships that address major global challenges. It focuses on four key areas: encouraging innovative international research collaborations, nurturing early career researchers, fostering global citizenship among undergraduates through dedicated programs, and shaping institutional policy and practice via information sharing. The organization also engages with relevant national and international bodies to broaden its influence and collaborates on initiatives that enhance its visibility and impact.

Through its coordinated and strategic efforts, WUN offers a platform that blends academic excellence with social responsibility, encouraging member universities to work together on solutions for sustainable development. It provides a unique structure for mutual support, strategic resource sharing, and talent development that benefits both institutions and society at large.

The WUN Research Development Fund (RDF) is an annual grant program designed to foster collaborative research among academic staff at member universities. Offering grants of up to £10,000 for a one-year period, the RDF serves as a catalyst for larger-scale, high-impact research projects that enhance the network’s mission and global influence. The fund supports initiatives likely to produce meaningful outputs such as influential publications and competitive bids for major research funding.

Aligned with the WUN Strategic Plan 2023–2026, the 2025 RDF cycle focuses on research tied to sustainable development. Key thematic areas include social justice and inequality, urbanization, energy transitions, water and food security, mental health, maternal and child health, ageing, and ethical applications of artificial intelligence.

The RDF prioritizes interdisciplinary and comparative research projects involving diverse academic teams across multiple regions. These projects should demonstrate clear advantages arising from the collaboration among WUN institutions. While the grant encourages matching contributions from home universities, such support is not mandatory or a factor in the evaluation process.

The RDF reflects WUN’s commitment to global impact through research collaboration, with a special emphasis on empowering early career researchers and fostering academic diversity.