1. According to the "Operational Guidelines for the Ocean Affairs Council Subsidy for College and University Student Research Projects," the eligible applicants, project scope, and funding categories are detailed as follows:
(1) Eligible Applicants and Qualifications: The applying institutions must be domestic public or private colleges and universities approved by the Ministry of Education (hereinafter referred to as "schools"). The qualifications and restrictions for student proposers and their advising professors are as follows:
1. Students: Enrolled students at public or private colleges and universities (excluding part-time master's or doctoral programs for working professionals) who have secured a commitment from an advising professor to supervise and recommend their research. Each research project proposal is limited to one student, and each student may submit only one application per year.
2. Advising Professors: Full-time faculty members at the rank of Assistant Professor or above within the applying institution. Each professor may supervise up to two students per year.
3. Beyond meeting the aforementioned qualifications, students and their advising professors must not be spouses or related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity, and both must be affiliated with the same institution.
(2) Research Topics Eligible for Subsidy: Research projects related to maritime law and politics, marine industry development, marine resource management, marine environmental protection, marine science and technology, marine culture, marine education, maritime safety, marine tourism and recreation, marine biodiversity conservation, and marine pollution prevention. Priority will be given to projects aligning with the Ocean Affairs Council’s key themes for the 116th year.
(3) Funding Categories:
1. Research Stipend: Each approved project will receive a subsidy of NT$50,000 for the proposing student.
2. Expenses for Consumables, Equipment, Books, and Miscellaneous Items: The requested amount per project shall not exceed NT$50,000. The Council reserves the right to approve funding amounts based on the nature and requirements of the project.
3. Administrative Fee: Costs incurred by the school in coordinating the research project execution, to be managed by the institution in compliance with government regulations. A fixed amount of NT$5,000 per project is allocated.
2. Application Period: From now until November 30th, 2026.
3. Application Procedure: Applications must be submitted through the respective schools; individual student applications will not be accepted. Schools are requested to compile the application form, research proposal, copies of both sides of the student ID, declaration form, and other relevant documents (one hard copy and one electronic copy each), and submit them along with the "Ocean Affairs Council Subsidy for College and University Student Research Projects Application Summary" to the Council by November 30th, 2026 (inclusive). Late submissions will not be entertained. Regardless of approval status, submitted documents will not be returned.
Faculty members or students who wish to apply should submit all required documents (1 hard copy and 1 soft copy) to Ms. Liao, Research Planning Division, Office of Research and Development (ext. 2532), by November 25, 2026.
4. Review Process: The Council will convene a review panel comprising 3 to 7 representatives from relevant agencies or scholars to conduct the evaluation. Depending on the volume of applications, preliminary and final reviews may be conducted. The evaluation criteria include understanding of the project (10%), completeness and feasibility of the research proposal (30%), project execution methodology (30%), academic and professional qualifications of the student and advising professor and their capability to execute the project (20%), and rationality of budget allocation (15%), as detailed in Attachment 2 of the "Operational Guidelines for the Ocean Affairs Council Subsidy for College and University Student Research Projects."
5. Estimated Total Budget: NT$2,400,000.
6. Utilization of Research Data: Proposing students are encouraged to utilize the Ocean Affairs Council and its affiliated agencies’ official websites, the National Oceanographic Data and Sharing System (NODASS), and datasets published on the government open data platform for research analysis according to their research themes and practical needs. When citing relevant data, please indicate the source in the references and highlight it with a yellow background.
Relevant documents are available for download on the Ocean Affairs Council website at: