This programme supports researchers in Newton Fund countries to develop collaborations with UK researchers. These awards are particularly suited to initiate new collaborative partnerships, between scholars who have not previously worked together, or new initiatives between scholars who have collaborated in the past.

The aims are to: • Strengthen research capacity of the partner countries0by facilitating training and skill transfer from the UK to partner countries. • Support excellent research0by linking the best researchers in the UK with the best researchers and their groups in partner countries and providing support for initial exploratory research. • Establish long term research links0between both partners to ensure sustainable research capacity in partner countries and benefit to the UK research community in the longer term. • Up to 135 mobility grants at £24K each up to 2 years in duration over 5 years (£12K from BIS funds and £12k from NSFC)