Does your institution provide specific administrative support for interdisciplinary science research teams within applicable disciplines?
Yes. Tzu Chi University provides dedicated administrative support for interdisciplinary science research through its Office of Research and Development, particularly the Academic Research Division. This administrative support includes research project administration, research incentives, laboratory setup support for new faculty, conference support, English editing subsidies, research ethics and IRB-related procedures, academic integrity management, and the establishment and performance review of research centers.
The university also provides matching funds, internal review and management processes for institutional research projects, support for research outcome dissemination, and research enhancement activities. These functions help interdisciplinary research teams navigate project development, compliance, funding, and performance management across applicable disciplines.
3.1 Office of Research and Development
The TCU Office of Research and Development (ORD) functions as the primary administrative nexus for all research activities, with explicit responsibilities for interdisciplinary and collaborative grant facilitation. Current active administrative support includes coordination of Taiwan National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) social-need-driven interdisciplinary research programmes, management of cross-institutional collaboration grants through the Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, oversight of bilateral and multilateral international collaborative research agreements (including EU TRANSCAN-3 oncology translation initiatives and agreements with Israel, Lithuania, and Latvia), and administration of the institutional Industry-Academia Collaboration Programme. The ORD provides dedicated personnel for pre-submission consultation, compliance review, budget management, and post-award reporting for all interdisciplinary grants.
■ Office of Research and Development — Active Calls: Current grant opportunities and administrative services [Link]
3.2 College of International and Interdisciplinary Studies (Established 2018)
In 2018, TCU formally established the College of International and Interdisciplinary Studies as a dedicated academic and administrative unit. The College provides structural support for cross-disciplinary curriculum design, international exchange coordination, and the administration of interdisciplinary degree programmes that do not fit within conventional single-discipline college structures. The existence of a dedicated interdisciplinary college signals institutional commitment at the highest organisational level.
3.3 Joint Programme Administration with Academia Sinica
The TCU–Academia Sinica Translational Medicine Doctoral Programme involves a formally shared administrative structure in which first-year doctoral students are co-registered at Academia Sinica’s premises in Taipei. Cross-institutional co-supervisory arrangements are governed by a joint academic committee, with administrative responsibilities distributed between both institutions. This represents a model of inter-institutional administrative integration rarely achieved in Taiwan’s higher education sector.
■ TCU–Academia Sinica Joint Programme: Programme structure and administrative framework [Link]
3.4 Continuous Quality Assurance Under the Higher Education SPROUT Project
Since 2008, TCU has received consecutive recognition under the Ministry of Education’s Teaching Excellence Programme and its successor, the Higher Education Sprout Project (2018–present), for 15 consecutive years. The administrative infrastructure developed under these nationally funded initiatives — including institutional research management systems, faculty performance tracking, and research development support — directly underpins the institution’s capacity to support interdisciplinary research teams.
■ Research support and related mechanisms: [Link]
