As part of one of the world's most innovative and recognizable brands, we are committed to support university research and innovation in the U.S., Canada, India, and select European countries, while also fostering partnerships with university faculty and researchers. The Sony Research Award Program provides funding for cutting-edge academic research and helps build a collaborative relationship between faculty and Sony researchers. With awards up to $150,000 USD* per year for each accepted proposal, both the Faculty Innovation Award and Focused Research Award create new opportunities for university faculties and research institutions to engage in pioneering research that could drive new technologies, industries and the future.
FACULTY INNOVATION AWARD
Global research and development at Sony enables us to foster innovative ideas, which could ultimately lead to future technology advancements and company growth. In order to speed up and expand the creation of new ideas, we would like to partner with universities and research institutes. This partnership will help cultivate advanced concepts and fertilize our own research and development. The Sony Faculty Innovation Award provides up to $100K USD* in funds to conduct pioneering research in the areas listed below. Please select the single most relevant keyword to your submission. In an effort to further connect with users and creators alike, for many of the keywords listed here ,creator tools or creator technologies are often one of the envisioned use-cases.
FOCUSED RESEARCH AWARD
Solid research is the underlying driving force to crystallize fearless creativity and innovation. While we are committed to run in-house research and engineering, we are also excited to collaborate with academic partners to facilitate exploration of new and promising research. The Sony Focused Research Award provides an opportunity for university faculty, research institutes, and Sony to conduct this type of collaborative, focused research. The award provides up to $150K USD* in funds, and may be renewed for subsequent year(s). A list of candidate research topics appears here. Please select the Focused Research Theme for which your submission is written.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
We accept applications from Principal Investigators (PIs) who meet the eligibility criteria below.
- PI's institution: PIs must belong to a university, educational institution, or governmental/non-profit research institute. (E.g., we accept submissions from research institutes that are categorized as governmental and NPO/NGO in nature index tables.)
- PI's position: PIs must be a full-time professor (adjunct professors and adjunct researchers are not eligible) or researcher and be eligible to supervise Ph.D. students at the PI's institution. Full professors, associate professors, and assistant professors are eligible to apply. For the UK, this includes Senior Lecturers, Principal Lecturers, Lecturers, and Readers who are eligible to supervise Ph.D. students at their institutions.
- Countries: The PI's institution must be in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
Co-PI(s)
We accept applications that have a PI and one or more co-PIs for the same proposal as long as all co-PIs are from the same institution as the PI. However, only one award is made to the PI and the PI's university/institution if the proposal is selected. All co-PIs must meet the same eligibility criteria as that for a PI, and co-PIs will be required to sign program documents.
Multiple Proposal Submissions
A PI or different PIs from the same university/institution may submit more than one proposal for different research topics. However, please do not submit identical proposals more than once, and do not submit more than one proposal for each research topic. Note that at the bottom of your submission confirmation email, there is a link to resubmit your proposal in the event that you discover that your original had an error or an omission. Please use this link for resubmissions and do not resubmit identical proposals. Also, please do not submit "test" submissions. In the rare event that you do not receive a confirmation email for your submission, please complete the Inquiry Form available here informing us of your issue.
Requirements
Target Award
Please select one target award between the Focused Research Award and the Faculty Innovation Award when you submit a proposal. Refer to the following comparison chart:
| Award | Research Theme | Period | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focused Research Award | up to $150K USD* | Choose from the Focused Research Theme List | One (1) year, with a possible extension |
| Faculty Innovation Award | up to $100K USD* | Choose from the list of Keywords | One (1) year, with a possible extension |
Target Research Topic
Please select one Focused Research Theme for your proposal if you choose the Focused Research Award. Please select one keyword (the single most relevant keyword for your proposal) if you choose the Faculty Innovation Award.
Research Agreement
A sponsored research agreement is required that is mutually agreed upon by Sony**, the PI, and his/her institution on all program terms including objectives, milestones, publication, use of research, and patent rights before any award is made or funding is available. This sponsored research agreement is negotiable at the award stage and must be between Sony**, the PI, and the PI's university/institution only. The sponsored research agreement will be for the benefit of the Sony legal entity specifically contracting with the PI's university/institution as well as Sony's corporate affiliates.
Term of Proposals
Please submit proposals for a one-year period only. No multi-year proposals will be accepted. An extension of the research may be possible depending upon the results of the research collaboration in year one, but it will require a separate discussion for another award the following year.
Minimum Deliverables
Three (3) quarterly reports and a final research summary report are required at a minimum.
Visiting Researcher Support
Sony may request the PI to support a Sony visiting researcher(s) at Sony's option and expense.
Confidentiality
Proposal authors or universities/institutions must ensure that no confidential or proprietary information is included in submitted proposals. Sony will treat all information submitted in proposals as non-confidential and non-proprietary.
Intellectual Property (IP) Rights
IP rights are negotiable at the award stage and will be specified in the sponsored research agreement. At a minimum, Sony and its corporate affiliates require the right to utilize the results of the research that Sony or its corporate affiliates sponsor for noncommercial purposes, including results that describe potentially patentable subject matter. Sony and its corporate affiliates will also require rights to any background IP that is required to utilize the research results sponsored. No submissions are allowed that use background IP to which the PI and his/her institution do not have the full authority to grant noncommercial use rights to Sony and its corporate affiliates.
Proposal Format
Please include the required items listed below in your submission:
- Title, abstract, methods, goals/milestones, references, and either one Focused Research Theme (if for the Focused Research Award) or one primary keyword (if for the Faculty Innovation Award).
- Please describe your submission's differentiation from the current state-of-the-art.
- Please include the best contact email address and phone number (complete with country code) for the PI.
All proposal contents must fit within 11 pages (a ten-page maximum proposal with references and a one-page budget summary). The file format must be a PDF or a MS Word file format and must be under 16 MB in size. Out of consideration to reviewers, please limit your minimum font size to a 10-point font.
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
The CV for the PI must be included when you submit a proposal. The CV file must be a separate file from the proposal file. There is no page limitation for the CV, however the CV file size must be under 16 MB.
Budget Guidelines
The Focused Research Award is limited to a maximum of $150K USD* per proposal. The Faculty Innovation Award is limited to a maximum of $100K USD* per proposal. This funding is a sponsored research grant that is to be used to conduct the research described in the proposal, and includes any overhead related to this research and any and all other fees or charges needed to carry out the research. There is a single payment for the award and it is all-inclusive of all associated expenses and fees. Sony will not specify a maximum amount or percentage of the budget that may be allocated to overhead.
Submission Protocol
Submissions must be done through the online submission form.
Submissions made by email will not be accepted. Submissions must be in the English language or they will not be accepted. Submitters will automatically receive a confirmation email once they complete the online submission form and process. Please keep the confirmation email as proof of each submission.
Deadline
Submissions must be completed by September 15, 2023.
Please keep in mind proposals for external funding must be routed for approvals and received by SRS a minimum of five business days before the sponsor deadline and plan your submission timeline accordingly. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to preaward@rit.edu.