Cooperation in science, technology and innovation with countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus as well as with Moldova and Belarus

There are a wide range of scientific collaborations with partners from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, both at individual and at institutional level.

The countries in Central Asia in particular (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) are becoming increasingly important in European and international politics. Against this backdrop, the Federal Government initiated an EU Strategy for Central Asia during Germany’s EU Council Presidency in the first half of 2007. It provides the first political guidelines for an increased European commitment in Central Asia. Scientific and technological cooperation with Central Asian countries plays a particularly important role. Some countries, such as Kazakhstan, have a high level of economic growth and will start investing more in the development of their national research systems. The BMBF would like to take advantage of this opportunity to increase its scientific cooperation with the region. The BMBF is also very interested in intensifying its scientific cooperation with CIS members that are Eastern target countries of the European neighbourhood policy (particularly Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova).

The aims of the funding measure are to explore and initiate collaborations in the area of applied research and development. Preference is given to application-oriented projects and projects that include the participation of industry partners (particularly small and medium-sized businesses). This has the aim of preparing the ground for further submissions under current BMBF funding programmes, thematic priorities of the European Union’s 7th Research Framework Programme and other EU programmes that are relevant to research.

 The main areas to receive funding are:

• Measures for the preparation and initiation of project-related or institutional collaborations
• Measures for the initiation and planning of projects and collaborations whose funding is to be applied for under a BMBF specialist programme or an EU programme.

Applications in the following subject areas are especially likely to receive funding:

The environment and sustainability

• Water resources management
• Environmental technologies
• Desertification
• Biodiversity

Geotechnology

• Resource exploration
• CO2 storage
• Natural hazards

Health research and biosciences

• Infectious diseases: monitoring, detection, prevention
• Phytochemistry (pharmaceutical products)
• Biotechnology: particularly green biotechnology / renewable raw materials

Chemical technologies

• Catalysis research

Applications from other areas can also receive support, provided that they relate to the thematic priorities of a) BMBF specialist programmes or b) EU research programmes.

Funding can be provided to cover expenses for preparatory fact-finding visits, project-related scientific exchanges, expert meetings and subject-specific project planning workshops. In well-founded exceptions, expenses for further material costs (e.g. costs of events, special small-scale equipment for feasibility studies that are not part of a laboratory's basic equipment) and grants towards personnel costs can also be covered.

German universities, non-university research institutions, clinics which are active in the field of research and companies that are headquartered in Germany, in collaboration with institutions from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, are eligible for funding. If it is necessary to choose between applications of equal quality, preference will be given to those involving small and medium-sized enterprises.

On the German side, the funding is awarded in the form of non-repayable grants, for example for

• Travel expenses for German experts travelling to the partner countries (primarily the provision of plane tickets)
• Cost of visits by foreign experts to Germany (currently at a rate of €82 per day; monthly rate starting on the 23rd day: €1,840; per diem for additional days in a subsequent month: €61)

In reasonable and justified exceptions, funding can also be provided for

• Staff for the German side, for example for the organization of events and the preparation of applications
• Cost of events (e.g. rental of venue, logistics)
• Material costs that are not part of a laboratory's basic equipment (no PC equipment or basic consumables) 

As a rule, projects can receive up to €25,000 in funding.

Application procedure

Application

Applications should be written using the electronic application form available under http://www.ewa.internationales-buero.de/?project_cat=3 and sent to the International Bureau. Applications should describe the objectives and the measures necessary for preparing the project in as much detail as possible and should be structured as follows:

• Topic
• Coordinator
• Partners involved
• Summary (and optionally the name of the BMBF specialist programme or the EU funding programme that the project preparation is aimed at)
• Structured financing plan with details of the applicants’ own funding contributions and of the total volume and funding volume of the proposed project
• Project description
  
  
  • Description of the scientific objectives (and optionally an account of how the project relates to the BMBF specialist programme or the EU funding programme that the project preparation is aimed at)
  • Nature and extent of the proposed cooperation
• Work plan
  
  
  • Planned preparatory measures and proposed procedural steps
  • Division of the work packages between the partners
  • Time planning
• Reasons for cooperation
  
  
  • Previous work together
  • Quality of the proposed collaboration and recognizable value added of the collaboration for both partners
  • Possibilities for commercialization of the envisaged project results
• Qualifications of the project coordinator and the project partners
  
  
  • Key areas of relevant work to date
  • Most important relevant publications / patents
• Participation of young scientists

The submission of an application does not establish a legal claim to funding.

Selection criteria

Applications will be considered on the basis of the following criteria:

• The relevance of the research subject to the BMBF’s research policy objectives, particularly its contribution to the implementation of the BMBF’s specialist programmes and, if applicable, the EU’s funding programmes
• Quality and originality of the envisaged research approach
• Qualifications of the project partners
• Quality of the planned collaboration and recognizable value added for the German partner(s)
• Prospects of success and sustainability of the project initiation / pilot measures
• Chances of commercializing the envisaged project results
• Participation of young scientists
• Profitability / efficiency of the measure

Application deadlines

Applications are accepted and processed continually.

Contact information for the International Bureau of the BMBF

Internationales Büro des BMBF
beim Deutschen Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR)
Heinrich-Konen-Straße 1, 53227 Bonn
Internet: http://www.internationales-buero.de
Contact partner:
Dr. Anja Köhler
Phone:  +49-228-3821 458
Fax:  +49-228-3821 444
E-mail: anja.koehler@dlr.de

The project management agencies can offer advice on the BMBF’s funding programmes. Information, addresses and contacts at:

BMBF Funding Advice Service
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
Projektträger Jülich (PtJ)
Zimmerstraße 26-27
10969 Berlin
E-mail: foerderinfo@bmbf.bund.de
Internet: http://www.foerderinfo.bmbf.de/

Free hotlines:
Research funding: 0800-2623 008
Support for SMEs: 0800-2623 009

The Federal Government’s national contact points offer information and advice on the EU’s funding programmes. The German internet portal on the 7th Research Framework Programme (http://www.forschungsrahmenprogramm.de) offers initial information as well as addresses and contact information for the national contact points. Applicants are advised to contact the responsible national contact point before submitting an application to the International Bureau.