ASEAN Science, Technology and Innovation Fund (ASTIF)
The ASEAN Science, Technology, and Innovation Fund (also known as ASEAN Science Fund, or ASTIF) was established for the purpose of providing seed financing for the various programmes, projects and activities under ASEAN science and technology cooperation, as identified and approved by the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology, and Innovation.
The ASTIF is mainly built up from contributions by the member countries of ASEAN. However, contributions from third parties are welcome. For example, New Zealand, a Dialogue Partner of ASEAN, has made a contribution to the ASTIF.
Management and utilization of the ASTIF is the responsibility of COSTI. An Advisory Body on the ASEAN Science Fund (ABASF) assists COSTI in establishing the guidelines and procedures for utilization of the Fund, and reviewing project proposals requesting support from the Fund.
Areas for 2017 Call:
- Development of policies, guidelines, mechanisms and frameworks;
- Conduct of road-mapping and foresight studies;
- Development of machinery/services for data sharing and networking;
- Conduct of capacity building and/or sharing of experience; and
- Development of public awareness and STI enculturation plans and conduct of awareness/enculturation events.
Areas for 2018 call:
- Energy and water
- Food and biotechnology
- Biomedical and healthcare
- Climate change adaptation and mitigation
- ICT applications
- Relevant enabling innovation for science and technology
ASTIF Call 2026 Now Open
“ASEAN Grand Challenge: AI-Enabled Competitive and Resilient Region”
The ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (COSTI) invites the STI research community across ASEAN Member States to submit project proposals for funding under the ASEAN Science, Technology and Innovation Fund (ASTIF) Call 2026.
Proposals must address one of four priority categories:
(1) AI for Health, Bioeconomy and Food Security
(2) AI for Space, Earth, Ocean and Climate Intelligence
(3) AI for Advanced Materials and Energy Transition
(4) AI for MSME Productivity and Workforce Development.
Key Dates:
- Proposal submission window: 1 August – 16 October 2026
- Announcement of selected projects: 15 February 2027 (via astnet.asean.org/astif/)
How to apply:
Proposals must be prepared using the Standard ASTIF Call 2026 Proposal Template and submitted through the National COSTI Focal Point of the ASEAN Member State serving as the project lead. Full eligibility criteria, funding tracks, eligible expenditures, and evaluation criteria are set out in the Call Guideline.
Download the Call documents:
📄 ASTIF Call 2026 — Call Announcement (link to PDF)
📄 ASTIF Call 2026 — Project Proposal Template (link to DOCX)
📄 ASTIF Call 2026 — Flyer (link to PDF)
For enquiries, please contact the National COSTI Focal Point of your country, using the email subject line “[ASTIF Call 2026]”.
