Deadline: September 15, 2025
Are you a faculty member or researcher exploring cutting-edge ideas in technology, engineering, or computer science? The Sony Research Award Program 2025 is now open for applications, offering up to $150,000 USD in funding to support transformative research collaborations. This opportunity targets academic institutions and nonprofit research organisations in North America, Europe, and India. If you’re seeking industry support for high-impact work, this is a call you shouldn’t miss.
Read on to learn about the eligibility requirements, award details, intellectual property considerations, and how to apply.
What Is the Sony Research Award Program 2025?
The Sony Research Award Program 2025 is an annual initiative from Sony Corporation to foster collaborative research and technological innovation across academia and industry. By connecting with forward-thinking faculty and research institutions, Sony aims to tackle emerging challenges in areas like AI, quantum computing, robotics, and sensing technologies.
There are two award categories available:
- Faculty Innovation Award: Up to $100,000 USD for one year
- Focused Research Award: Up to $150,000 USD for one year
Successful applicants will partner with Sony researchers to explore their ideas, while retaining the academic freedom to publish and collaborate within defined intellectual property terms.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be a full-time academic researcher or faculty member (assistant, associate, or full professor or UK equivalent).
- Affiliated with a university or non-profit/government research institution in:
- North America (USA and Canada),
- India, or
- Select European countries.
- Only one Principal Investigator (PI) may apply per proposal. However, co-investigators from the same institution are allowed.
- The proposed research must align with Sony’s technological interests, which span AI, imaging, sensing, semiconductors, and more.
Key Dates and Timeline
- Application Deadline: 11:59 PM PDT on 15 September 2025
- Notification of Finalists: By March 2026
- Project Duration: 1 year from contract execution
All applications must be submitted in English, using Sony’s designated application portal.
What the Award Covers
Award recipients will receive financial support as well as technical collaboration from Sony researchers. Each award includes:
- Research funding (up to $150,000 for the Focused Research Award)
- Collaboration with Sony engineers
- Opportunity for Sony to host a visiting researcher (optional)
Funding includes all institutional overhead—no additional overhead beyond the award is permitted.
Throughout the research year, awardees must submit at least three quarterly updates and a final research summary.
Intellectual Property and Publication Terms
Applicants must not submit any confidential or proprietary information with their proposals. All submissions are treated as non-confidential.
Key IP conditions include:
- Sony receives non-commercial rights to use any research results.
- Sony also receives non-commercial rights to use any background IP that is essential to the project.
- The final IP agreement will be negotiated only after a finalist is selected. If an agreement cannot be reached, no award will be issued.
Awardees are typically free to publish their research, provided it does not conflict with Sony’s rights under the agreed terms.
Legal Framework and Arbitration
If disputes arise, they will be resolved through binding arbitration under the applicable regional law:
- JAMS Arbitration Rules (United States)
- EU Arbitration Rules (Europe)
- Indian Arbitration Act (India)
Sony’s liability under the award is limited, and indirect or incidental damages are not covered unless required by law.
How to Apply
Interested applicants can follow these steps:
Ensure you prepare your application materials carefully, following Sony’s formatting and eligibility guidelines. Be sure to highlight the novelty and potential impact of your work.
Final Thoughts
The Sony Research Award Program 2025 offers a unique opportunity for researchers to bring their visions to life with industry backing. With generous funding, technical collaboration, and broad eligibility, this programme is ideal for faculty seeking to bridge academic excellence and applied innovation.
Whether you’re advancing machine learning, computer vision, or quantum technologies, this programme could help catalyse your next breakthrough.
Contact grantsdatabase.org for proposal drafting, refining, and review.
