Egyptian German Research Fund Call for Proposals

Transcription

1 Egyptian German Research Fund Call fr Prpsals Jint annuncement by the Ministry f Higher Educatin and Scientific Research f the Arab Republic f Egypt (MHESR) and the Federal Ministry f Educatin and Research (BMBF) fr regulatins gverning the funding f jint innvative prjects in the field f applied research thrugh the Egyptian-German Research Fund ( Deutsch-Ägyptischer Frschungsfnds ) as a fllw-up t the German-Egyptian Year f Science and Technlgy Objectives and legal basis On the ccasin f the clsing event f the German-Egyptian Year f Science and Technlgy 2007 in Berlin n 6 December, the Egyptian Minister f Higher Educatin and Scientific Research Hany Helal and the German Federal Minister f Educatin and Research Annette Schavan signed an agreement n the establishment f an Egyptian-German research fund fr the supprt f jint applicatin-riented prjects, t which each side will cntribute 300,000 (equivalent t arund Egyptian Pund) per year. The grants are intended t give researchers including yung scientists - an pprtunity t address new areas f scientific research and t prmte bilateral research cperatin between the tw cuntries in areas f mutual interest. In additin, the grants aim at helping netwrks applying fr funding frm the EU 7 th Framewrk Prgrammes r frm natinal funding schemes. As part f the lng-standing partnership between the Arab Republic f Egypt and the Federal Republic f Germany in the fields f science and technlgy, and under cnsideratin f the available resurces and the existing regulatins fr funding, the Ministry f Higher Educatin and Scientific Research f the Arab Republic f Egypt (MHESR) and the Federal Ministry f Educatin and Research (BMBF) have agreed t issue this jint call fr prpsals fr innvative, applicatin-riented research prjects. The bases f this annuncement are the intergvernmental agreement n Bilateral Cperatin in Science, Research and Technlgy (S&T cperatin agreement) f 1979 and the Declaratin Cncerning the Establishment f a Jint Fund in the Field f Applied Research' f

2 Funding will be awarded in accrdance with the natinal prject funding regulatins f Egypt and Germany respectively. 1 T implement this call, MHESR and BMBF have assigned the Science and Technlgy Develpment Fund (STDF) fr Egyptian applicants and the Internatinal Bureau f the BMBF (IB) fr the German applicants, as well as the Cair ffice f the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Applicants are advised t cntact these rganizatins at early stages f preparing their prpsal. There is n legal entitlement t funding. A decisin n the award f funding will be made after due assessment f the prpsals and within the limits f the available budget funds. 2. Object f funding The aim f this annuncement is t supprt innvative and applicatin-riented jint prjects in areas that crrespnd t the specific research pririties f the MHESR and the BMBF. The thematic pririties f the German-Egyptian Science Year 2 will cntinue t be imprtant fr the research and develpment plicies f bth cuntries in the future. Jint prpsals in all fields f science and technlgy are slicited, hwever, the fllwing fields are encuraged: Bitechnlgy and agricultural research, in particular fd prductin under envirnmental stress and in relatin t climate change Energy savings, and renewable energy, in particular wind turbine technlgies. Special emphasis will be put n cperatin between different partners in the area f R&D, n special scientific skills, and n industry participatin. If pssible, the netwrks shuld include basic research institutins, R&D institutins, and cmpanies respnsible fr cmmercial applicatin. Measures fr the prmtin f exprt activities will nt be funded under this call. 1 Prject grants will cver the necessary perating csts (persnnel csts, physical resurces, investments relevant t the prject in exceptinal cases). Egyptian applicants will be awarded in accrdance with this call, STDF s standard terms and cnditins fr grants shall apply. German applicants will be awarded in accrdance with this call, the BMBF's standard terms and cnditins fr grants n an expenditure basis and the administrative regulatins under sectin 44 f the Federal Budget Cde (BHO) shall apply. 2 The thematic pririties f the GESY are bitechnlgy, materials sciences, medicine, renewable energy, scial sciences and water. Available at 2

3 3. Eligibility fr funding 3 Teams f researchers cnsisting f at least ne Egyptian and ne German researcher are eligible fr funding. The teams have t be based at Egyptian r German research rganizatins, state and nnstate institutins f higher educatin, nn-university research institutins r cmmercial enterprises, particularly SMEs. These institutins have t sign and stamp a declaratin frm (template attached t the applicatin frm). The prject partners n each side are bund t set up their cperatin in the fllwing way: One f the partners acts as the authrized applicant; the ther partners shuld participate in the jint applicatin by cncluding a cperatin agreement with the authrized applicant. In additin, the prject partners amng each ther and between bth sides are bliged t cnclude legally binding agreements and agree n apprpriate measures fr the prtectin f Intellectual Prperty Rights (IPR) accrding t the laws f bth cuntries and the rules and regulatins f the funding agencies n bth sides. 4. Type, scpe and level f funding Funds will be awarded in the frm f nn-repayable grants accrding t justified expected activity expenditure and financing plans. Grants can reach a maximum f up t 200,000 per prject. The maximum duratin f a prject is up t a perid f 24 mnths. Egyptian applicants will be paid by the STDF in Egyptian Punds and German applicants will be paid by the IB in Eurs. 5. Prcedure 5.1 Submissin f applicatins Applicatins must be drafted in English with the guidance f the Guidelines fr Applicants. The applicatin frm must be submitted electrnically, tgether with a prject descriptin f preferably 10, and up t a maximum f 15 A4 pages (Arial, 11 character, 1.5-spaced, 2 cm margin). 3 The fllwing special regulatins apply fr German applicants: Grants fr universities, research establishments and similar institutins are calculated n the basis f the eligible prject-related expenditure (r, in the case f the Helmhltz centres and the Fraunhfer Gesellschaft (FhG), n the basis f the eligible prject-related csts). The Eurpean Cmmissin's Cmmunity Framewrk fr State Aid fr Research and Develpment must be taken int accunt when fixing the rates f funding. 3

4 The applicatin frm and guidelines fr applicants are available at the fllwing websites: and The deadline fr receiving the nline applicatins is September 25, The Internatinal Bureau will nly accept applicatins that have been finalized in the electrnic versin and that have been printed and send by pst with all the necessary signatures. The German partners have t send a German translatin f the applicatin (als with the necessary signatures) t the Internatinal Bureau via pst. In additin, the supprting dcuments (Partnership agreement, declaratin and IPR agreement) have t be sent by express registered mail t the Internatinal Bureau (IB) f the BMBF r the Science & Technlgy Develpment Fund (STDF) n later than Octber 7, 2008 (as evidenced by the date f pstmark). There is n specific template fr the prject descriptin. Hwever, the applicant has t describe the bjectives and the actins necessary fr implementing the prject as clearly as pssible, addressing the fllwing headings in the same sequence: Cver Page with prject title in Arabic and English n Egyptian side and in German and English n German side Abstract in Arabic and English n Egyptian side and in German and English n German side Backgrund Prject descriptin & methdlgy Descriptin f the scientific bjectives (and f the prject s relevance t any natinal and/r reginal funding prgrammes under which funding is t be applied fr) Nature and extent f the prpsed cllabratin Activities that will be undertaken Expected results and prspects f cmmercializing/prfiting frm the envisaged prject results Prject Partners Qualificatins and experience f the prject partners Mst imprtant relevant publicatins/patents Added value f cperatin f partners Previus cperatin 4

5 Structured financing plan A detailed budget (in Eurs) with break dwn f expected expenditure which shuld be justified and relevant t the prpsed activities Details f the applicants wn funding cntributins and f the ttal vlume and funding vlume f the prpsed prject Wrk plan Time schedule and milestnes Break dwn f the wrk lad between the partners Disseminatin and sustainability f results Assumptins, risks and cntingency planning List f References (n Egyptian side) Bibligraphy (latest relevant publicatins fr the field f the prpsal) Appendices Other infrmatin 5.2 Selectin and decisin-making prcedure Funding will be prvided fr prjects that have high ptential fr realizatin and success in line with the bjectives f this call. The submissin f an applicatin des nt establish a legal claim t funding. The applicatins will be evaluated by bth the German and the Egyptian sides. Only applicatins that are apprved by bth sides will receive funding. Applicatins will be cnsidered n the basis f the fllwing criteria: Quality and riginality f the envisaged research apprach Qualificatins and previus experience f the prject team Quality f the planned cllabratin and recgnizable value added fr the partner institutins Prspects f success and sustainability f the prject Prspects f cmmercializing the envisaged prject results Quality f the budget plan and its justificatin Cst effectiveness in view f the requested grant amunt Relevance f the research tpic t the research plicy bjectives and pririties f BMBF and MHESR and the bjectives f the call The applicants will be infrmed in writing abut the results f the evaluatin. 5

6 5.3 Cntracting and Reprting The STDF and the IB will cnclude the grant agreements under the relevant gverning laws 4 with the selected applicants. Cntracts signature is envisaged befre the end f The prjects starting date shall be within 3 mnths after the cntract signature. Mid term and final reprts must be submitted n the dates indicated in the cntracts. 6. Further infrmatin Fr further infrmatin, applicants may refer t the fllwing cntact pints: Science and Technlgy Develpment Fund (STDF) Abeer Shakweer, Ph.D. 101, Kasr El Ainy St., 7 th flr Dwntwn Cair, Egypt Tel: +20 (2) Fax: +20 (2) abeer.shakweer@stdf.rg.eg Susanne Ruppert-Elias Internatinal Bureau (IB) f the Federal Ministry f Educatin and Research (BMBF) at the German Aerspace Center (DLR) Heinrich-Knen-Straße 1 D Bnn, Germany Tel: / Fax: susanne.ruppert-elias@dlr.de Mna Ayub German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Cair ffice 11, sh. Saleh Ayub Zamalek Cair, Egypt Tel: Fax: mna.ayub@daadcair.rg 4 The apprval, payment and accunting fr the funds as well as the prf and examinatin f the prper use and, if necessary, the revcatin f the award and the reclaiming f the funds awarded are gverned: n the German side by the administrative regulatins pertaining t sectin 44 f the Federal Budget Cde (BHO), unless deviatin is allwed under the present funding regulatins and n the Egyptian side by the administrative regulatins f STDF. 6

7 7. Entry int frce These funding regulatins will enter int frce n the day f their publicatin 5 Cair, Bnn, 8 th f August, 2008 Ministry f Higher Educatin and Scientific Research Arab Republic f Egypt Federal Ministry f Educatin and Research Germany 5 In Germany, this annuncement will be published in the Bundesanzeiger. 7