Frequently Asked Questions

The Research Management Office (RMO) is the primary point of contact for research administration support at VinUni. RMO assists faculty with:

• Grant opportunities and proposal submission
• Research ethics and compliance
• Research project management, guidance, and consultation
• Research collaborations and agreements
• Research reporting and visibility

Contact RMO via [email protected] or through your designated research support staff. RMO office is located at I519.

VinUni aims to conduct high-quality, impactful research that addresses key global and societal challenges. Research areas include:

• Health sciences and biomedical research
• Data science and artificial intelligence
• Sustainability and environmental studies
• Smart technologies and engineering innovation
• Business, management, and social impact

Researchers are encouraged to collaborate across disciplines to address complex real-world problems.

Researchers typically follow these steps:

• Define the research idea and identify potential collaborators
• Identify potential funding sources (internal or external)
• Contact RMO for guidance on proposal development and approvals
• Obtain any required ethics approvals
• Secure funding and initiate the project through the university’s research management procedures

Engage RMO early to ensure compliance with institutional policies and receive support throughout the process.

Potential collaborators can be identified through:

• Faculty research profiles on the VinUni website
• Research centers and institutes
• Internal seminars, workshops, and research events
• Interdisciplinary initiatives and research programs

RMO may also facilitate connections among faculty with shared research interests.

VinUni provides a range of research infrastructure and facilities, including:

• Specialized laboratories and research equipment
• Computing and data infrastructure
• Research centers and interdisciplinary institutes (RISE Centers)
• Library resources and research databases

Access to facilities may depend on the research area and the relevant college or research center.

All VinUni policies, including research, can be found at: policy.vinuni.edu.vn/all-policies/

Specific research guidelines and handbooks are available at research.vinuni.edu.vn.

Researchers are encouraged to consult these policies and contact RMO if they need clarification.

VinUni offers several internal funding programs, which may include:

• Seed funding for early-stage research ideas
• Internal competitive research grants (such as AREP)
• Funding by RISE Centers

All calls are announced periodically by RMO and RISE Centers. Find all calls at: research.vinuni.edu.vn/resources/

The primary tool is Pivot-RP (VinUni login required) — a comprehensive global database for searching funding by discipline, career stage, and eligibility.

RMO also maintains an internal SharePoint funding opportunities page (VinUni login required) with curated funding calls. Additional opportunities are shared through internal announcements and newsletters.

Contact RMO at [email protected] for support with specific funding applications.

Yes. RMO can conduct an administrative and financial review prior to submission. This review includes:

• Verifying compliance with proposal guidelines
• Checking required documentation and institutional information
• Reviewing budget structure and administrative details

Note: The RMO review does not replace academic peer review, which remains the responsibility of the research team.

For internal funding schemes, proposal and budget templates are provided as part of the call for proposals.

For external funding programs, researchers should follow the templates specified by the funding organization.

RMO can provide guidance on preparing budgets and aligning documentation with funder requirements.

Before submitting a research proposal, approvals are required from:

• College or RISE Center where the Principal Investigator (PI) is based
• Research Management Office (RMO) for preliminary administrative review
• Finance Department for financial review
• Vice Provost for Research and Innovation for institutional approval

RMO facilitates and coordinates this internal approval process.

Notify RMO at least five working days before the submission deadline. This allows RMO to conduct administrative and financial reviews, facilitate approvals, and ensure compliance.

For complex proposals or large collaborative projects, contact RMO as early as possible to allow adequate preparation time.

The research team is responsible for drafting the institutional commitment letter to address specific funder expectations. RMO will then review the draft, provide guidance if needed, and facilitate obtaining the authorized institutional signature.

Prepare commitment letters early to allow sufficient time for review before the submission deadline.

In some cases, researchers may request a teaching buy-out when supported by externally funded research grants. Requests typically require:

• Inclusion of the buy-out cost in the grant proposal budget (where permitted by the funding agency)
• Approval from the relevant College leadership
• Coordination with RMO and relevant administrative units

Full policy: Teaching Buy-out Policy for Research Engagement

Steps to prepare a research grant budget:

• Review VinUni’s financial policies for institutional requirements
• Consult administrative staff of your College or RISE Center for technical guidance
• Follow the guidelines and templates in the relevant funding call
• Ensure the budget accurately reflects all planned research activities

For additional guidance, contact RMO at [email protected].

Common allowable costs (subject to funder and VinUni policies) may include:

• Personnel costs related to the research project
• Research equipment and laboratory supplies
• Fieldwork and data collection expenses
• Research-related travel
• Software, data access, or research services
• Dissemination activities such as publications or conferences

All expenses must be reasonable, directly related to the project, and compliant with funder guidelines. Consult RMO or the Finance Department if unsure.

Indirect costs (overhead) are institutional expenses that support research but cannot be directly attributed to a single project. Examples include research administration, lab maintenance, IT systems, and library resources.

VinUni applies a minimum indirect cost rate of 20% on external research grants. If a funding organization has specific policies, the rate may be negotiated or adjusted accordingly, subject to institutional approval.

Contact RMO if you have questions about how indirect costs apply to specific funding programs.

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) provides final institutional approval for the research grant budget before proposal submission. Prior to this, the budget is reviewed by RMO and the Finance Department. RMO coordinates this internal review process.

Yes. VinUni can serve as the lead institution in international research grants, provided the proposal meets the eligibility requirements of the funding organization. As lead institution, VinUni is responsible for coordinating submission, managing project finances, and ensuring compliance.

For multi-institution proposals, one institution acts as lead while others participate as partners. RMO may assist with administrative coordination, internal approvals, and collaboration agreements. Engage RMO early when preparing multi-institution proposals.

Research involving human participants or identifiable personal data typically requires ethics approval. Examples include:

• Surveys, interviews, or focus groups with individuals
• Experiments or behavioral studies involving human participants
• Research using personal or sensitive data
• Studies involving interaction with patients, communities, or organizations
• Research involving observation of individuals where consent may be required

Consult RMO if you are unsure whether your study requires ethics approval.

Follow VinUni’s official policy on research involving human participants. Detailed procedures and application guidelines are available on the VinUni Research website. Carefully review the guidelines and prepare the required documentation before submitting. RMO can provide guidance on the application process.

RMO coordinates ethics review submissions to the Vinmec–VinUni Ethics Review Committee (ERC) twice a month (typically at the beginning and middle of the month). Expected review timelines:

• Expedited review: approximately 2–3 weeks
• Full review: approximately 4–5 weeks

Actual timelines may vary depending on the complexity of the study and the completeness of the application.

You may begin activities that do not involve human participants, such as literature reviews, developing research instruments, and theoretical work.

Activities involving human participants — including recruiting, conducting surveys/interviews, or collecting participant data — must not begin until formal ethics approval has been granted.

Informed consent is the process by which participants are given sufficient information to voluntarily decide whether to participate. Participants should be informed about the purpose, what participation involves, potential risks/benefits, data use and protection, and their right to withdraw at any time.

Informed consent is generally required for research involving direct interaction with participants or collection of identifiable personal data, unless specific exceptions are approved through the ethics review process.

Good data protection practices include:

• Collecting only the data necessary for the research
• Storing data securely using appropriate institutional systems
• Limiting access to authorized team members
• Anonymizing or de-identifying data where possible
• Complying with relevant data protection regulations and institutional policies

Clearly describe data management plans when submitting for ethics review.

Research involving biological materials, hazardous substances, or lab experiments may require additional approvals, including laboratory safety review and biosafety review for biological materials.

Consult your College, research center, or relevant safety office to determine requirements. Full policy: Regulations on Management of Laboratories

VinUni expects all researchers to conduct research with integrity, honesty, and transparency. The University will vigorously investigate allegations of academic misconduct. See the VinUni Code of Conduct and the Workflow for Handling Alleged Research Misconduct for details.

Regarding conflicts of interest: researchers must disclose any personal, financial, or professional interests that could influence their research, at proposal submission, ethics review, and publication stages. Transparent disclosure maintains the integrity and credibility of the research process.

After a grant is awarded, VinUni and the funder complete the grant agreement or contract signing. Once finalized, the university sets up a project account in SAP with an internal order, designating the Principal Investigator (PI) as the budget owner.

The PI and team then implement the project according to the approved proposal, budget, and funder requirements. See VinUni Research Management Policies and Procedures (VU_HT06.EN) for further details.

Research funds are managed through the internal order in the SAP financial system. Through SAP, the PI and authorized personnel can check funding status, monitor expenditures, and track the remaining budget. Consult your College or RISE Center administrative staff for guidance on financial procedures.

Procurement should follow university procedures. Initiate requests through internal processes using the project’s internal order in SAP. Administrative support staff in your College or RISE Center can assist with preparing requests, obtaining quotations, and ensuring compliance with institutional policies and funder requirements.

Budget revisions may be possible depending on funder policies. Some funders allow limited reallocation between budget categories; others require prior approval for any changes. Consult RMO and your administrative support staff to determine whether funder approval is required and how the revision should be processed.

Requirements vary by funding agency. Many funders require periodic financial reports and a final report at the end of the grant. These typically summarize how funds were spent and confirm alignment with the approved budget. Reports are coordinated with finance and administrative teams, with RMO support where needed.

Researchers may recruit assistants, postdocs, or other personnel if positions are included in the approved project budget. Recruitment must follow university HR policies and procedures, coordinating with HR and your College or RISE Center administrative staff. Begin the recruitment process early to allow sufficient time for review and onboarding.

Yes, students may be hired as work-studies if the work aligns with the project’s objectives and costs are permitted under the grant. Students may assist with data collection/analysis, literature reviews, lab or fieldwork support, and research administration. Consult your College or RISE Center administrative staff for appropriate hiring procedures.

In many cases, yes — especially when applying for external funding. A DMP outlines how research data will be collected, stored, protected, and shared. Some funders require a DMP at the proposal stage; others during implementation. Even when not required, a DMP is considered good research practice. Review the specific requirements of your funding agency and consult RMO if needed.

Good practices for secure data storage include:

• Using secure institutional storage systems where available
• Limiting access to authorized team members
• Protecting sensitive or identifiable data through encryption or restricted access
• Maintaining appropriate data backups
• Ensuring storage complies with ethical approvals and data protection regulations

Many funding agencies and all VinUni internal funding mechanisms require periodic progress reports and a final report. Reports typically cover: research activities and milestones, progress toward objectives, key outputs (publications, datasets, presentations), and use of funds. Review your funder’s specific reporting requirements and submit on time.

When planning a collaboration, researchers are encouraged to discuss the scope and roles of each institution, determine whether joint funding applications will be pursued, and clarify data sharing, intellectual property, and publication arrangements. Depending on the nature of the collaboration, formal agreements may be required. Consult RMO for guidance.

Common agreements include:

• MOUs – for general research collaboration frameworks
• Research collaboration agreements – for specific projects
• Data sharing agreements – for exchange of research data
• Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) – for confidential information
• Subcontract/subaward agreements – for multi-institution funded projects

The appropriate agreement depends on the scope and funder requirements.

Research contracts are reviewed and negotiated through appropriate institutional offices to ensure compliance with university policies and legal requirements. RMO supports the coordination of research agreements and works with administrative and legal teams as necessary. Consult RMO before signing or committing to any research-related agreement with external partners.

The typical MOU process involves:

• Discussion between institutions regarding the scope of cooperation
• Preparation or review of the draft agreement through appropriate university offices
• Internal review and approval according to institutional procedures
• Formal signing by authorized representatives of both institutions

Consult RMO for guidance on initiating or processing research-related MOUs.

Yes. Industry partners may support research through various mechanisms including sponsored research projects, collaborative research agreements, contract research, and joint research initiatives. Industry-supported projects typically define the research scope, funding arrangements, IP considerations, and reporting expectations through a formal agreement.

For multi-institution projects, the lead institution may allocate funding to partners through subcontract agreements. If VinUni is a partner, the subcontract typically defines the scope of work, allocated budget and payment schedule, reporting responsibilities, and compliance requirements. Preparation and review are coordinated through RMO and relevant compliance offices.

VinUni provides institutional support including assistance with identifying industry partners, developing research proposals or project scopes, coordinating contract negotiations and agreements, and managing project administration and compliance. Contact RMO for guidance on establishing and managing industry-sponsored research projects.

IP generated through VinUni research is governed by the Management of Intellectual Property, Copyright and Ownership of Data Policy. In general, IP created by faculty, researchers, staff, or students using university resources is subject to institutional ownership or shared rights as defined in the policy. Review the full policy for detailed guidance.

Consult the RMO Entrepreneurship Lab early. Early consultation can help assess novelty and potential market applications, explore possible IP protection (such as patents), and identify opportunities for industry partnerships or commercialization.

Important: Seek guidance before publicly disclosing the innovation (e.g., through publication or presentations), as early disclosure may affect the ability to obtain IP protection.

VinUni may provide administrative support for patent applications through RMO. Patent-related costs (application, legal, and filing fees) may be covered through external grants (if permitted by the funder) or other available research funding sources. In some cases, RMO may have limited internal funding available for promising innovations — support is considered on a case-by-case basis. Contact RMO early if you believe your research may be patentable.

If VinUni IP is successfully commercialized, revenues (e.g., from licensing or technology transfer) are shared according to the university’s intellectual property policy. Revenue-sharing arrangements typically involve the inventors, the university, and other relevant units as defined in the institutional policy. Consult the official policy for detailed information.

In some cases, researchers may establish startups or spin-off companies based on their research. Such activities must comply with VinUni’s IP policies, conflict of interest regulations, and any applicable IP agreements. Consult the RMO Entrepreneurship Lab and check out the VinUni Startup Funding Guide for guidance.

Follow the style guidelines of the target journal or publisher. The structured format typically follows this pattern:

College/Department/Institute, or Research Center name, VinUniversity
Address: Vinhomes Ocean Park, Gia Lam, Hanoi, Vietnam
Email Address: [VinUni email address]

Full guidelines: Guidelines on Academic Affiliations

Researchers are encouraged to maintain professional profiles on:

• ORCID – for a persistent researcher identifier
• Google Scholar – for tracking publications and citations
• Scopus Author ID – for indexing in Scopus
• Web of Science Researcher Profile – for citation tracking and analytics

Also keep your VinUni faculty profile page updated with publications, research interests, projects and grants, and collaboration opportunities.

Researchers may deposit publications in VinUni’s institutional repository to improve visibility and accessibility. Ensure compliance with the copyright and sharing policies of the publisher — many allow deposit of accepted manuscripts or preprints under specific conditions. Guidance on the deposit process is available through the university’s library services.

Many funding agencies and journals encourage or require data sharing. Researchers may be asked to deposit data in a recognized repository, provide a data availability statement, share datasets upon request, or comply with specific open science policies. However, data sharing must always comply with ethical approvals, confidentiality obligations, and data protection requirements.

Submit a research story to [email protected] to feature your work — including new publications, grants, innovations, collaborations, or other achievements. The information may be reviewed and edited before publishing through VinUni’s research communication channels.

For media engagement, interviews, or broader public communication, contact RMO for support.