05.08.2008 - 03.11.2008

Announcement

Call for Proposals for 2009-2011 Supporting the intensification of scientific and technological cooperation with the People's Republic of China

1. Background and objectives

On the basis of the agreement on scientific and technological cooperation (STC) that was concluded on 9 October 1978 between the Federal Republic of Germany and the People's Republic of China, bilateral cooperation in science and technology between Germany and China has seen very positive developments. In the joint projects, special emphasis is put on the scientific excellence of the Chinese and German partners. The participation of companies is welcomed, particularly that of innovative small and medium-sized enterprises.

The aim of these funding measures is to further intensify scientific and technological cooperation and, in particular, to attract outstanding young scientists from China to Germany on a long-term basis and to encourage young German scientists to go to China on research visits, especially long-term visits. With the help of mobility support, existing collaborations are to be extended, new contacts established, and new project collaborations initiated. The aim is to prepare the ground for intensive and long-term collaborations between German and Chinese partners. The funding should be used to prepare larger projects and particularly to put together extensive project proposals to be submitted to funding organizations such as the BMBF, the DFG or the EU.

Preparatory measures for R&D collaborations between outstanding German and Chinese research institutions, universities and SMEs in the following fields are eligible for funding:

Priority areas:

• Climate, global climate change, climate protection, consequences of climate change
• Resource efficiency, efficient use of energy and other resources
• Environmental protection, sustainability, environmental technology, particularly water technology and water management
• Geosciences, marine research and polar research, including remote sensing

Measures in other areas can also receive funding, including biotechnology, information and communication technologies, microsystems technology, laser and optical technologies, materials research, nanotechnology, health research, biodiversity research, engineering sciences, physical and chemical technologies, mathematics, the protection of historic monuments, the humanities and cultural sciences.

2. What is funded?

With a view to intensifying existing and initiating new collaborations within the framework of STC, funding will be provided for preparatory projects with a duration of at least one year and up to two years. In well-justified exceptions, the duration of a project can be extended by up to one year to a total of three years.

A simplified procedure is available for smaller preparatory projects with a small funding volume that are only expected to run for short periods of time. Applications under this simplified procedure can be submitted at any time, regardless of the deadline of this call.

Various funding measures are available, which can be combined in a single funding application:

1. Exchanges of experts and highly qualified young scientists
   
   Highly qualified young scientists and experts from China can receive fixed grants of €82 per day or €1840 per month for stays of up to 3 months in Germany (contributions for health insurance and, if applicable, other types of insurance must be paid from these grants by the scientists themselves).
   
   In well-justified exceptions, if the German side can provide evidence of special scientific interest, funding can be provided for longer stays (up to 6 months).
   
   In order to receive funding, the young Chinese scientist must have a scientific supervisor for the planned project both in Germany and in China and must be integrated in a bilateral working group. In addition, the German host institution must describe its long-term strategic plans for the future integration of the Chinese young scientist or the Chinese partner organization in a research collaboration.
   
   As a rule, all visits from young Chinese scientists to Germany must be matched by corresponding visits from young German scientists to China. The latter's subsistence expenses must be borne by the Chinese side. The German side will cover travel expenses for the German participants (economy class flights).
2. Workshops
   
   Workshops with existing partners or workshops aimed at opening up new cooperation potential can receive the following support:
   
   For the organization of bilateral workshops in Germany, grants of up to €8,000 per workshop will be awarded to cover the subsistence costs for the Chinese guests, transfers within Germany, and the venue of the workshop. The exact amount of the grant depends on the size of the workshop and the number of Chinese guests.
   
   For the participation in bilateral workshops in China, German participants can receive funding to cover travel expenses (up to 8 economy class flights per application). Workshops in China must be organized and financed by the Chinese partner.
   
   The workshops must make a contribution to the intensification and continuation of German-Chinese cooperation in the relevant field, for example by enabling the preparation of a more extensive proposal to be submitted to the BMBF, the DFG or the EU.
3. Equipment
   
   Funding for equipment (for example for laboratory materials, data records, licences, necessary fieldwork in Germany, etc) can only be provided to a limited extent.
4. Staff
   
   Grants for student or graduate assistants required for the preparation of a large-scale activity (e.g. a large workshop) to be carried out as part of a preparatory project can be provided for a duration of up to 3 months in exceptional cases. Other personnel costs will not be covered (see section e).
   
   The following expenses will NOT be covered in whole or in part
5. • Personnel costs (exception: see section d)
   • Expenses for office supplies, communication, etc.
   • The translation of documents, interpreting, etc.
   • Computers (e.g. laptops for fieldwork, servers)

3. Who can receive funding?

Research proposals may be submitted by state and non-state institutions of higher education and by non-university research institutions that are headquartered in Germany. Small and medium-sized commercial enterprises based in Germany are also eligible for funding.

Funds will be awarded in the form of non-repayable project grants.

Grants for commercial companies are calculated on the basis of the eligible project-related costs, up to 50% of which can usually be covered by government grants. Commercial companies are expected to provide a contribution of at least 50% towards the eligible costs incurred.

Grants for universities, research and science institutions and similar institutions are calculated on the basis of the eligible project-related expenditure (in the case of the Helmholtz centres and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG) the eligible project-related costs), which can be funded up to a maximum of 100% in individual cases.

The European Commission's Community Framework for State Aid for Research and Development must be taken into account when determining the rates of funding. The Community Framework allows a differentiated bonus arrangement for collaborative projects proposed by applicants in the new German Länder and for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which may result in a higher rate of funding.

4. Conditions for funding

The prerequisites for funding are the proposals' chances for success in accordance with the objectives of this announcement and the expertise of the applicants and their partners as shown by their previous work.

All proposed measures must start in the year 2009. It is expected that funding will be provided starting from the second quarter of 2009.

Complementary funding must be provided by the Chinese side. Alternatively, the Chinese partners themselves must make a substantial financial contribution. In principle, the German side will cover the travel expenses of German participants travelling to China and the subsistence expenses of Chinese guests in Germany, while the Chinese side will cover the travel expenses of Chinese participants travelling to Germany and the subsistence expenses of German scientists in China. As part of the application procedure, the applicants must describe the financial contribution of the Chinese partner or identify the Chinese funding organization to which the Chinese partner has submitted a proposal. The application must include a written document from the Chinese partner (letter or fax) confirming that the German partners are invited to China as part of the joint project and that the accommodation costs and other expenses (e.g. workshop, laboratory work, field surveys) will be borne by the Chinese partner.

In the case of projects in which special procedures or technologies for practical application will be used or developed, the strategy for the use and protection of intellectual property should be clearly described in the proposal.

5. Procedure

a) Involvement of the International Bureau of the BMBF

The following project management organization has been entrusted with the implementation of this call aimed at intensifying scientific and technological cooperation with the People's Republic of China:

Internationales Büro
des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung
im Projektträger
beim Deutschen Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
Heinrich-Konen-Str. 1
53227 Bonn
Internet http://www.internationales-buero.de

For subject-related information, please contact:

Dr. Frank Stiller
E-mail: frank.stiller@dlr.de
Tel: +49 (0)228-3821-408

For administrative information, please contact:

Ms. Petra Bauer
E-mail: petra.bauer@dlr.de
Tel: +49 (0)228-3821-404

b) Forms and deadlines for application

The funding procedure consists of a single step. Applicants should use the Internet-based form that is provided under the following URL:  http://www.ewa.internationales-buero.de/?project_cat=3

In addition to the electronic application, applicants should send

• one printed copy of the final proposal (written using the electronic application system), signed by both the German and the Chinese partners, together with any required additional documents (e.g. invitation and confirmation of the financial contribution from the Chinese partner, see above) by post and
• one PDF file of the complete proposal by e-mail

by 3 November 2008 to the following address:

Internationales Büro des BMBF
im Projektträger beim DLR e.V.
Dr. Frank Stiller
Heinrich-Konen-Str. 1
53227 Bonn
E-mail: frank.stiller@dlr.de

The deadline for submission is not a cut-off deadline. However, proposals received after this date will not be evaluated until after the conclusion of the competitive procedure under this call, so it may prove impossible to consider them.

If you have any questions on the online application process, please contact:

Internationales Büro des BMBF
im Projektträger beim DLR e.V.
Mr. Hans-Dieter Hufermann
Heinrich-Konen-Str. 1
53227 Bonn
Germany
E-mail: hans-dieter.hufermann@dlr.de
Tel: +49 (0)228-3821-456

c) Selection and decision-making procedure

The evaluation of the submitted project proposals will include external experts and will be based on the following criteria:

• Relevance to the specified thematic priorities and conformance with the specified formal requirements
• Expertise and excellence of the applicant and the participating partners
• Quality and originality of the project
• Relevance to the BMBF's funding programmes or the EU Research Framework Programme
• Initiation of new partnerships
• Support of young scientists
• Scientific benefits of cooperation and, if applicable, prospects for commercialization of the expected results

Applicants can expect to receive written notification of the result of the competitive selection process in March 2009. The International Bureau of the BMBF will conclude a grant agreement under private law with the successful applicants.