<p><?tk 3?><?tk 3?>The Discrete Time/Resource Trade-Off Problem (DTRTP) under uncertainty poses a significant challenge in project management, as it requires simultaneously optimizing scheduling efficiency and robustness against unforeseen disruptions. To address this challenge, this study proposes a hybrid metaheuristic framework integrating the Starting Time Criticality (STC) concept for the systematic generation of robust project schedules. The core contribution lies in formulating an STC-based robust scheduling model, in which activity work content is used as a surrogate measure to capture the impact of uncertainty on schedule robustness. Based on this model, a hybrid metaheuristic framework is developed, embedding STC into solution evaluation and search guidance while remaining flexible to different search engines. Representative implementations using Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Differential Evolution (DE) are constructed to demonstrate the framework’s effectiveness and generality. Extensive computational experiments show that the proposed STC-based framework significantly outperforms existing state-of-the-art robust scheduling models in terms of four performance measures. Overall, the proposed approach provides a practical and extensible methodology for enhancing schedule robustness and resilience in complex project environments.</p>