Joint Announcement

DECEMBER, 12th 2011

1 Funding purpose and legal basis

1.1 Funding purpose

On the occasion of the joint BMBF and STDF Workshop on “The Role of Science and Technology in the Democratic Reform Process in Egypt” held from 27 - 28 May 2011 in Cairo, it was decided to publish a joint call for Egyptian-German research projects in the fields of the social sciences and the humanities through the “German-Egyptian Research Fund” (GERF).
The general aim of this call is to promote German-Egyptian research cooperation in the fields of social sciences and the humanities. However, against the background of the historical changes in Egypt since February 2011, the grants are especially intended to fund Egyptian-German action-oriented and practical research projects that can support the processes of democratic transformation and socio-economic development in Egypt. Thus, research results generated in these projects are to guide the government, governmental agencies and administration as well as civil society actors in building an all-comprising state-society dialogue. Additionally, the research results are to suggest solutions for urgent problems related to the processes of democratic transformation and socio-economic change.
The implementing agencies are the Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF) on behalf of the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and State for Scientific Research (MHESR) for Egyptian applicants and the International Bureau on behalf of BMBF for German applicants.

1.2. Legal basis

Projects may be awarded grants in the form of funding contracts under private law in accordance with the current funding regulations, the BMBF's standard terms and conditions for grants on expenditure or cost basis and the administrative regulations relating to Sections 23 and 44 of the Federal Budget Code (BHO).
There is no legal entitlement to funding. The funding providers will decide on the award of funding after due assessment of the circumstances and within the limits of the available budget funds.
This announcement is based on the intergovernmental agreement on ‘Bilateral Cooperation in Science, Research and Technology’ (S&T cooperation agreement) of 1979 and the ‘Declaration Concerning the Establishment of a Joint Fund in the Field of Applied Research' of 2007.
Funding will be awarded in accordance with the respective national project funding regulations applicable in Egypt and Germany [cf. Section 5 of this announcement].

2 Object of funding

The aim of this first joint interim announcement in the fields of social science and humanities is to fund German-Egyptian research projects whose results promise to give related practical support to the processes of democratization and economic development in Egypt. Hence, it is requested to involve public institutions, non-governmental organizations and private sector actors in the project cooperation in order to ensure practical relevance. Furthermore, applicants are particularly encouraged to submit proposals emphasizing empirical and interdisciplinary research. Thirdly, the submitted proposals should conclude with concrete descriptions of the following:

• Recommendations for measures to build up a sustainable research infrastructure (e.g. TWINNING) as well as for lasting partnerships that exceed the period of funding and is either connected to the GERF, to European or to other/new national/joint funding programmes, 
• Recommendations for measures to build up national and international research networks, 
• Prospects for future cooperation in the fields of social science and humanities.

An important additional asset for research proposals is the participation of young researchers in the project.
The research project should be aimed at the practical support of the processes of democratic transformation and socio-economic development. In particular, applicants are encouraged to take into consideration the research topics listed below. The topics are neither binding nor are the lists meant to be exhaustive.

SOCIETAL CHALLENGE 1: THE MODERNIZATION AND DEMOCRATIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Research on the relationship between science, politics and society, especially with a focus on economic change, technology transfer and innovation processes, inter alia

• Improve communication between science, the business sector and the general public; 
• Encourage a reflective discourse within the scientific community on the prerequisites for and the modalities of knowledge generation and dissemination as well as on the management of research and higher education institutions; 
• Strengthen the advisory competence of social scientists in public policy-making, risk-assessments and science policy; 
• Identify and assess internationally successful science governance models so that they can be put to productive use in national research policy; 
• Assess the impact of change processes on science policy and identify approaches for necessary science policy measures; 
• Improve the transfer of research findings to industry for the development of new products and services and the improvement of products; 
• Strategies and concepts for the establishment of national and transnational scientific networks (including private sector researchers); 
• The Arab Diaspora as a potential driver for establishing networks of technology transfer; 
• Innovation concepts of Nordic countries as potential blueprints for Egypt?

Freedom of research in the social sciences and humanities, inter alia

• Defining the significance of research in the humanities for the academic and societal dialogue 
• Advancing the development of new methods in the humanities and intensifying interaction with the natural and engineering sciences, 
• Promoting the internationalization of research in the humanities 
• Strengthening the role and function of the humanities as mediator and translator 
• Coverage of the historical heritage of authoritarianism in Egypt: lessons learned for democracy

SOCIETAL CHALLENGE 2: ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL MODERNIZATION, REGIONAL INTEGRATION, SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHANGE AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF INCREASING GLOBAL COMPETITION

Inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth, inter alia

• Identifying regional and societal (e.g. inter-generational, gender and income) inequalities 
• Developing sustainable systems of social security 
• Investigating national poverty lines 
• Enhancing and strengthening labour governance 
• Greening brown economies (Strategies for building an sustainable Egyptian ecosystem) 
• Establishing functional and sustainable urban economies

Drivers for job creation for youth and entrepreneurship development, inter alia

• Investigating drivers for formal employment growth in the Egyptian private sector 
• Investigate potentials of local community-driven and / or regional development approaches for entrepreneurship development; 
• Early career researchers and women as entrepreneurs; 
• Training and active employment strategies; 
• Potential of cooperation between entrepreneurship and educational institutions (e.g. at the local level); 
• Strategies to combat illiteracy and to update qualifications.

Reporting on socio-economic developments: Work and life in a changing political and economic context, inter alia

• The situation and perspectives of youth and women in education, training and employment; 
• Women in micro and small enterprises and the social consequences; 
• Young people between modern urban lifestyles and traditional ways of life; 
• Migration of young people.

Potentials for increasing intra-Arab and Mediterranean cooperation and integration, inter alia

• Investigate potential for intra- and trans-regional cooperation and integration with regard to: 
• A region-wide system of knowledge sharing, production, and dissemination, 
• A region-wide employment and poverty reduction strategy, 
• Economic and non-economic consequences of intra- and extra-Arab migration.

SOCIETAL CHALLENGE 3: STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY AND EMPOWERING CIVIL SOCIETY

Strengthening and broadening democracy, inter alia

• Supporting sector reforms (e.g. the justice sector, the security sector, the media sector); 
• Strengthening democratic institutions (e.g. the legislative and oversight capacities of the parliament) and transparency in decision-making processes; 
• Rethinking the role of the Egyptian state for social, economic and political development; 
• Building responsive local governance for development; 
• Developing an understanding of democracy among the population; 
• Concepts of governance for cohesion and diversity in urban contexts.

Supporting the improvement of the quality of the public services, inter alia

• Measures for fighting corruption; 
• Enhancing e-governance for better service delivery, participation and access to information; 
• Enhancing the accessibility to public facilities, services and infrastructure; 
• Investigating regulatory reforms in public utilities; 
• Increasing qualifications of civil servants through training programmes.

Empowering the civil society and strengthening social integration, inter alia

• Enhancing the political role of civil society; 
• Identifying causes and consequences of solidarity erosion, social disenfranchisement and social violence; 
• Investigating approaches for civil conflict resolution (e.g. “social justice” approach); 
• Enhancing and strengthening political participation capacities; 
• Investigating the nexus of democratic transformation, national identity and changes of societal values (especially among the youth); 
• Mapping social forces in the democratic reform process; 
• Identifying problems of citizenship as a mode of integration and political participation.

3 Eligibility for funding / prerequisites for funding / type, scope and rates of funding

3.1 Funding mechanism

Funds will be awarded in the form of non-repayable grants, which will be calculated on the basis of the substantiated expected research expenditure and financing plans.
Funding will be provided 

• for research projects; 
• for measures for the development of joint research concepts (including organizational model, research planning, acquisition of third party funding). 
  • These measures include preparatory missions, meetings of experts, thematic workshops and short-term feasibility studies (of up to 8 months) [cf. Section 3.2].

On the Egyptian side, the following items are eligible for funding: 

•  Cost of equipment (up to 25% of the total budget provided by STDF) 
• Salaries 
• Outreach activities 
• Travel cost 
• Indirect costs¹.

On the German side the total funding applied for can amount to € 40,000 / € 20,000 per 18-month / 8-month project, respectively [cf. Section 3.2].

For state universities, an additional project allowance of 20% of the total expenditure (excluding travel costs) is granted.

German project partners can receive funding for the following project-related measures:

• Travel expenses for scientists/experts visiting project partners in Egypt, including transfers and subsistence costs:
  • Air tickets: economy class 
  • Per diem for scientists/experts of € 82 for accommodation and meals 
• Staff costs 
• With regard to the organization of bilateral, project-related workshops in Germany, grants can be provided towards expenses such as the preparation of the workshop, rental of the venue, transfers within Germany, and the realization of events in the context of the workshop. The exact amount of the grant depends on the size of the workshop and the number of participants. 
• Other costs (project-related equipment and consumables) can be funded to a limited extent, but not costs related to a research institution’s basic equipment (office supplies, communication, laboratory and IT equipment)

In general, n o f u n d i n g will be provided for the following expenses:

• Costs for the translation of documents, interpreting, etc.

3.2 Eligibility Criteria

• With regard to research proposals: 
  • The maximum allowed total budget is € 80,000 per joint project 
  • The maximum duration of a project is 18 months. 
• With regard to measures for the development of joint research concepts: 
  • The maximum total allowance is € 40,000 per joint project. 
  • The maximum duration of a project is 8 months. 
• On the Egyptian side, the Principal Investigator (PI) must be affiliated to an institution which is an Egyptian legal entity.

3.3 Recipients of funding

Teams of researchers consisting of at least one Egyptian and one German researcher are eligible for funding.
The teams have to be based at public or non-public Egyptian or German research organizations, public or non-public institutions of higher education, non-university research institutions or commercial companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and non-governmental and civil society organizations [cf. Section 5.1 of this announcement]. These institutions / organizations are required to confirm the submitted application by officially stamping and signing the declaration form.
The project partners on both sides must structure their cooperation in the following way: One of the partners acts as the Principal Investigator (PI); the other partners participate in the joint research project by concluding a cooperation agreement with the PI.

Project proposals that reveal differences in content between the two sides will not be considered.

Before the beginning of the project, the project partners must conclude legally binding cooperation agreements and agree on appropriate measures for the protection of intellectual property in accordance with the laws of both countries and the regulations of the funding organizations on both sides.

4 Procedure

4.1 Request for documents

The MHESR and the BMBF have commissioned the following agencies to carry out this call for proposals and implement the funding measures: the STDF for Egyptian applicants and the International Bureau of the BMBF (IB) for German applicants.
When preparing their applications, Egyptian and German applicants are advised to get in touch with the members of staff at the above-mentioned institutions and with the Cairo office of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) at an early stage [cf. Section 6 of this announcement].

4.2 Submission of funding applications

• Complete, signed and stamped funding applications must be submitted to the German and the Egyptian side by 16 February 2012 at the latest. 
• The cover page of the submitted proposals must be signed by both the Egyptian PI and the German PI. 
• On the German side, the signature and stamp of the Egyptian partner will be accepted in the form of a fax copy. 
• On the Egyptian side, all required documents must be scanned and attached to the submitted proposal.

To submit a research proposal please follow the application procedure given below.
In order to successfully submit a proposal, the applicants initially have to obtain a GERF number. This number is generated automatically when one of the two PIs (on the Egyptian or the German side) electronically uploads the finalized joint proposal (in English). Please upload to the joint website:
http://www.gerf.de/gerf/proposals/add  

In a next step, the applicants on both the Egyptian and the German sides will receive detailed information via e-mail from the relevant web-based application system about the process of electronically drafting separate, formal funding applications on both sides including administrative and financial data.
The submission of a proposal will not be completed unless all the above steps are carried out. Proposals submitted following any other procedure will not be considered.
On the Egyptian Side, first register to the STDF website, then upload all Application Documents. Before leaving the website, check the "Application Status" link to review the uploaded documents. In case that any of the document is not given the “green tick mark”, reload it. Upon successful uploading of all documents and completion of the application, the system sends an email verifying the completion of the application process.

On the German side, the application must be submitted via the electronic application system "Easy of the BMBF" that has been online since 1 January 2011 and can be accessed at the following web address:
https://foerderportal.bund.de/easy/easy_index.php?auswahl=easy_formulare&formularschrank=bmbf&menue=block

Additionally, a hard copy of the final version of the application (finalized in the electronic application system), signed and stamped by both the German and the Egyptian partners, should be sent by post to the
International Bureau at the following address by February 16th 2012 at the latest:

Lydia Bartuli
and
Susanne Ruppert-Elias
International Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research at the Project Management Agency c/o German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Heinrich-Konen-Str. 1
53227 Bonn, Germany

Any other required application documents [partnership agreement, legally binding declarations from the institutions] must be scanned and submitted as part of the proposal and sent at the same time by express registered mail to the IB of the BMBF no later than February, 23rd 2012 (as evidenced by the date on the postmark). Please indicate the project ID number, which will be provided to you after pre-registration, in all documents and annexes.
Note: The digital application form provided is to be used exclusively. Any applications received that do not use the form provided will be excluded from the selection process.

4.3 Research proposal

A project description in English (in pdf format) should have a length of between 10 and a maximum of 15 DIN A4 pages (Arial 11, 1.5 line spacing, 2-cm margin, excluding publication list and other annexes).

There is no specific template for the project description. However, the applicant must describe the project objectives and the actions necessary for implementing the project as clearly as possible, addressing the following subjects in the order given below: 

• Cover page with project title in Arabic, German, and English
• Abstract in Arabic, German, and English 
• Background 
• Project description and methodology 
  • Description of the current state of the art of the chosen research topic 
  • Scientific goal 
  • Nature and extent of the proposed cooperation and methodology to be used 
  • Activities that will be undertaken 
  • Envisaged results
• Project partners 
  • Qualifications and experience of the project partners 
  • Added value of cooperation between the partners 
  • If applicable: previous cooperation activities 
• Structured financing plan 
  • A detailed budget plan (in €) with a breakdown of the expected expenditure, which should be justified and relevant to the proposed activities. (For Egyptian applicants: use STDF budget format available at: http://www.stdf.org.eg/. The sum of Egyptian pounds equivalent to the value of euros on the date of contract signing will be the basis of the contract for the Egyptian team.) 
  • Detailed information on the applicants' own funding contributions and the total volume and funding volume of the proposed project 
• Work plan 
  • Time schedule and milestones (on the Egyptian side: include GANTT chart, available at: http://www.stdf.org.eg/) 
  • Distribution of the work load between the partners 
• Dissemination and sustainability of the results 
• Prerequisites, risks and contingency plans 
• Annexes (including reference list, the most recent relevant publications in the relevant field including the most important relevant publications/patents of the project partners and biographies) 
• On the Egyptian side: include Logical Framework Matrix (LFM), available at: http://www.stdf.org.eg/

4.4 Selection and decision-making procedure

The submission of an application does not establish a legal claim for funding.
The applications will be evaluated by both the German and the Egyptian sides.
The deadline for submission of an application is a cut-off deadline. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
Funding will be provided for projects that have high potential for realization and success in line with the objectives of this call. The evaluation process consists of two phases:

Phase I:
Administrative check: The submitted proposal is checked against the eligibility criteria. Proposals which do not comply with all the formal requirements will be considered “ineligible” and will not be considered for technical evaluation.

Phase II:
Applications will be considered according to the following criteria: 

• Quality and originality of the envisaged research approach; 
• Qualifications and previous experience of the project team; 
• Quality of the planned collaboration and recognizable value added for the partner institutions; 
• Project participation of young researchers; 
• Practical relevance, interdisciplinary and empirical research outline; 
• Success prospects and sustainability of the project; 
• Expected impact of the project on the process of democratization and the socio-economic development in Egypt; 
• Quality of the budget plan and justification; 
• Cost effectiveness in relation to the envisaged results; 
• Relevance of the research topic to the societal challenges identified in Section 2.

The final selection of proposals that have received a positive evaluation will be undertaken by an Egyptian-German Steering Committee. Only applications that are approved by both sides will receive funding.

4.5 Contracting and reporting

The STDF and the IB of the BMBF will conclude grant agreements with the selected applicants in accordance with the prevailing laws and regulations [cf. Sections 5.1 and 5.2 of this announcement].

The agreements are to be signed before July 2012. The projects should start within 3 months after the signing of the agreements.

The following reports must be submitted to the STDF by the Egyptian PI and to the IB by the German PI. Submitted reports must be signed by both PIs of a research team: 

• Three-month report: to be submitted three months after the project’s official start date. 
• Annual report: to be submitted on February of each year. 
• A final report: to be submitted at the latest three months after conclusion of the project.

5 National project funding regulations in Egypt and Germany 

•  The approval and payment of, and accounting for the funds, as well as proof and examination of proper use and, if necessary, revocation of the award and reclaiming of the funds awarded are governed, on the German side, by the administrative regulations pertaining to Section 44 of the Federal Budget Code (BHO), unless deviation is allowed under the present funding regulations, and, on the Egyptian side, by the administrative regulations of the STDF. 
• Egyptian applicants will receive funding in Egyptian pounds and German applicants will receive funding in euros. 
• Each side must cover its own travel and accommodation costs. 5.1 Special rules for applicants in Germany
• Project grants can be awarded on the basis of private-law funding contracts in accordance with the present announcement, the BMBF's standard terms and conditions for grants on expenditure or cost basis and the administrative regulations under Sections 23 and 44 of the Federal Budget Code (BHO). 
• EU definition of SMEs² 
• Grants for commercial companies are calculated on the basis of the project-related costs eligible for funding, up to 50% of which can, as a rule, be covered by government grants, depending on how close the project is to application. The BMBF’s policy requires an appropriate own contribution towards the eligible costs incurred – as a rule, at least 50%. 
• Grants for universities, research and science institutions and similar establishments will be calculated on the basis of the eligible project-related expenditure (grants for Helmholtz Centres and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG) will be calculated on the basis of the project-related costs eligible for funding), up to 100% of which can be covered in individual cases. 
• The European Commission's Community Framework for State Aid for Research and Development must be taken into account when setting the rates of funding. The Community Framework allows a differentiated bonus arrangement for collaborative projects involving applicants from the new German Länder and for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which may result in a higher rate of funding. 
• Research establishments which receive joint basic funding from the Federal Government and the Länder can be granted project funding for additional expenditures above and beyond their basic funding under certain conditions only.

5.2 Special rules for applicants in Egypt 

• Grants for Egyptian applicants will be awarded in accordance with this announcement and all relevant Egyptian laws and financial rules. The STDF’s standard terms and conditions for grants apply.

6 Further information

Dr Reem El-Khodary

Cooperation and Communications Dept., Manager
& Humanities Project Officer
Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF)
101 Kasr El Aini Street, 12th floor
Cairo/ Egypt
Tel.: +20 (2) 27 92 45 19
Fax: +20 (2) 27 92 50 80
E-mail: reem.elkhodary@stdf.org.eg

Susanne Ruppert-Elias
Senior Scientific Officer
International Bureau (IB) of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR)
Heinrich Konen Straße 1
53227 Bonn/ Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)228 3821 1487
Fax: +49 (0) 228 3821 1490
E-mail: Susanne.Ruppert-Elias@dlr.de

Christina Stahlbock

Program Coordinator
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
11 Saleh Ayoub Street, Zamalek, Cairo/ Egypt
Tel.: +20 (2) 27 35 27 26 or
(2) 27 38 41 27 Ext 108
E-mail: Christina.Stahlbock@daadcairo.org

For administrative questions at the Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF):

Ghada Ghaleb
Operations Officer
Phone: +20(2) 27 92 50 81
Fax: +20(2) 27 92 50 80

For administrative questions at the International Bureau (IB) of the BMBF:

Lydia Bartuli
Phone: +49 (0)228 3821-1828
Fax: +49(0)228 3821-1444
E-mail: Lydia.Bartuli@dlr.de

For IT-related questions at the Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF):

Naglaa Mohamed
Science and Technology Development Fund
101 El Kasr El Eini Str., Cairo/ Egypt
E-mail: Naglaa.Mohamed@stdf.org.eg

For IT-related questions at the International Bureau (IB) of the BMBF:

Maik Brattan
Phone: +49 (0)228 3821-1651
Fax: +49(0)228 3821-1444
E-mail: Maik.Brattan@dlr.de

7 Entry into force

These funding regulations will enter into force on the day of their publication³.

Cairo, Bonn, December 2012

Executive Director, Science and Technology Development Fund	Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Arab Republic of Egypt	Federal Republic of Germany

 

 

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According to the EU’s definition of SMEs: The category of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises consists of enterprises which employ fewer than 250 people and which have either an annual turnover not exceeding € 50 million, or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding € 43 millionSmall enterprises are defined as enterprises which employ fewer than 50 persons and whose annual turnover or annual balance sheet total does not exceed € 10 million. Micro enterprises are defined as enterprises which employ fewer than 10 persons and whose annual turnover or annual balance sheet total does not exceed € 2 million. In general, most SMEs are autonomous since they are either completely independent or have one or more minority partnerships (each less than 25%) with other enterprises. If that holding rises to no more than 50%, the relationship is deemed to be between partner enterprises.Above that ceiling, the enterprises are linked.
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³In Germany: From the day this announcement will be published in the Bundesanzeiger (Federal Gazette).