The programme ‘Grants for Transformative and Collaborative Research in the Middle East and North African  region’ (GTCR-MENA) was established in response to the needs of researchers in selected countries in the MENA region, particularly those attached to institutions that lack appropriate research facilities. Under this scheme, grants can be awarded for research projects in the eligible fields to Principal Investigators in the eligible countries to enable them to purchase the equipment and/or consumables they need to enhance their productivity.

Up to six grants in total are available, one per Centre of Excellence. Each collaborative grant will be RMB 600,000 in total. Since the supported projects will be two years in duration, RMB 300,000 per year will be provided.

While the aim of the grant is to support mainly in-person collaborative projects through research visits and/or student exchanges, up to 30% of the total funds can be used for equipment and/or consumables. The grant may also support participation in a training workshop at the collaborating CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence.