START Program Process
* Applicants must be university professors or researchers.
* To be eligible for funds under the START program, the selected applicant’s university must sign a START Research Agreement (RA). Key provisions of the RA specify project conditions, including funding for the project, IP rights, and clarify other aspects of research collaboration.
* By submitting a START proposal, participating universities agree to accept our START Research Agreement.
* A copy of the standard START RA can be shared upon the request of an authorized official of the university. Please email request to START@samsung.com.
START Program Calendar
Jan 2025
START Program Open
Feb - Mar 2025
Abstract Proposal Submission (Deadline: Mar. 21)
Applicants are required to submit an abstract proposal in the prescribed format. Detailed submission guidelines can be accessed here.
Please note that proposals cannot be submitted, amended, or modified after the deadline.
All applicants must review and agree to the SRA Research Agreement Terms at the time of submission.
Apr 2025
Proposal Screening and Candidate Announcement
The START Committee (SC) will evaluate all submitted proposals based on the following criteria:
- Innovation: Innovativeness of the research idea
- Impact: Potential societal and/or business impact including the expected outcomes from the development, dissemination, and application of the project results.
- Feasibility: Feasibility of the research, considering the alignment with the planned timelines, objectives, intended outcomes, and available resources.
- Competency: Research competencies of the principal investigator in the relevant field(s).
Shortlisted applicants will be notified of the results via email.
Please note that individual feedback will not be provided for proposals that are not selected for the refinement phase.
May 2025
Full Proposal Submission and Interview
Up to two candidates maybe shortlisted for each sub-theme / topic.
Samsung / SRA may provide guidance, research directions, and feedback to these teams to refine their proposals further. Shortlisted candidates will then be required to submit a full proposal for final evaluation.
These teams will subsequently be invited to participate in a video call for presentation and interview.
Jun 2025
Recipient Announcement
The final selected recipients will be announced on this website in June.
Aug 2025
START Project Kickoff
Samsung recommends that projects commence by August or September 2025.
If the contract cannot be completed by end of August 2025, the project may be discontinued or deferred to the next cycle.
Participants shall ensure that no confidential or proprietary information is included in the submitted proposals. SAMSUNG will treat all the information submitted in the proposals as non-confidential and non-proprietary. Under the START Program, submitted proposals will be reviewed by SAMSUNG personnel, including SAMSUNG researchers familiar with the information provided by the university researcher in the project proposal. During the evaluation process, SAMSUNG cannot maintain the confidentiality of any information outlined in the proposals. Accordingly, SAMSUNG does not require nor desire any information that may be deemed confidential by the university researcher or university.