24.09.2012
1 Zuwendungszweck, Rechtsgrundlage
1.1 Funding purposeIn recent years, Turkey has generated considerable growth in the areas of science and research. This dynamism is strengthening research at Turkish universities in particular. Germany has an outstanding position in science and research compared to other countries in Europe and across the world. Use should therefore be made of the considerable potential for scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries.
The idea is to promote German-Turkish partnerships in especially innovative fields of research, thus improving R&D relations between partners, particularly for the benefit of young researchers.
The funding is intended to enable interested universities and research establishments to develop and implement viable cooperation models for R&D activities between German and Turkish universities. The funding will be provided jointly by the BMBF and TÜBITAK over a period of three years. It will enable partners to lay the foundations for long-term R&D partnerships.
The IntenC programme supports innovative approaches in areas that are currently of high technological interest or are particularly relevant to German-Turkish relations. The approaches should open up prospects for future cooperation, build up networks and lay the foundations for partnerships that will last beyond the period of funding.
Preference will be given to the funding of new concepts and measures in the following areas:
• Development of joint graduate programmes and/or project-related exchanges of young researchers
• Development of joint research strategies and establishment of joint working groups
• Expert events / workshops with the aim of establishing lasting networks and partnerships
• Integration of bilateral partnerships in European networks through joint project proposals under European Research Framework Programmes
1.2 Legal basis
Project grants will be awarded in accordance with this call, 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). There is no legal entitlement to funding. A decision on the award of funding will be made after due assessment of the circumstances and within the limits of the budget funds available.
2 Object of Funding
The purpose of this call is to develop or enhance bilateral scientific cooperation between German and Turkish institutions. The idea is to promote German-Turkish cooperation in scientific research and technological development by supporting the exchange of scientists involved in joint research projects. In addition, the call supports the preparation of joint project proposals that are to be submitted under European research programmes.
The priority areas of this call are:
- Health research
- Biotechnology
- Food and agricultural research
Examples of measures that are eligible for support:
- Mobility measures in the context of a joint research project
- Feasibility and pilot studies
- Bilateral workshops in the context of a joint research project
- Preparation of joint research projects under national or European research programmes
3 Funding Recipients
Research proposals may be submitted by German research institutions, universities, and commercial companies, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs)*. Research institutions which receive joint basic funding from the Federal Government and the Länder can only be granted project funding on top of their basic funding to cover additional expenditure under certain conditions.
4 Prerequisites for funding / type, scope and rates of funding
Funds will be awarded in the form of non-repayable project grants. The duration of the project should not exceed 3 years. German and Turkish partners can each receive up to €150,000 (plus the fixed project grant for German universities) for a period of up to three years. All costs and expenses necessary for establishing the partnership are eligible for funding. Funding will be provided in accordance with the existing legislation and regulations in both countries. Further information is available at the websites or in the documents stated below (http://www.internationales-buero.de/_media/Merkblatt.doc). For further information, please contact TÜBITAK or IB, using the contact details given below.
In their own interest, applicants should familiarize themselves with the EU's Research Framework Programme in the context of the planned national project. They should check whether the intended project includes specific European components which make it eligible for exclusive EU funding. Furthermore, they should check whether an application for supplementary funding can be submitted to the EU in the context of the proposed national project. The result of such checks should be described briefly in the national project application.
Grants for commercial companies are calculated on the basis of the eligible project-related costs, up to 50% of which can as a rule be covered by government grants, depending on the project's relevance to application. The BMBF’s policy requires an appropriate own contribution towards the eligible costs incurred – as a rule of 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 determining the rates of funding. The Community Framework allows differentiated bonus arrangements for collaborative projects and for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which may result in a higher rate of funding.
Each project must have one project manager on the German side and one on the Turkish side, even if more than two researcher groups or SMEs from one country are taking part.
The following types of expenses are eligible for funding:
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Exchanges of experts and young researchers
Trips to Turkey
- Travel to and from the project partner's location (if by air: economy class) are covered by the country in which the researcher is normally based
Stays in Turkey
- German project scientists who wish to spend some time in Turkey can receive fixed grants of €94 per day or €2,116 per month for up to 3 months per year. A per diem of €70 per day will be provided for individual additional days in a subsequent month. Contributions towards health insurance and, if applicable, other types of insurance must be paid from these allowances by the scientists themselves. -
Workshops
- Workshops with existing partners or aimed at opening up new potential for cooperation may receive the following support: For the organization of bilateral workshops in Germany, grants can be provided towards expenses such as accommodation of guests, transfers within Germany, entertainment and rental of the venue. The exact amount of the grant depends on the size of the event and the number of foreign guests. In such cases, no per diem allowances will be provided. For bilateral workshops in Turkey, grants can be provided to cover the travel expenses of the German participants (economy-class flights). Workshops in Turkey must be organized and financed by the Turkish partner and should therefore form part of the Turkish application. -
Equipment and other costs/expenditure
- Grants can be provided to cover project-related equipment costs (consumables, apparatus, transport, publications, rent, contracts, etc.)Personalkosten -
Staff costs
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Fixed project grant (20%) for universities and teaching hospitals
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As a rule, no funding will be provided to cover normal basic equipment, such as:
- Expenses for office supplies, communication, etc.
- Laboratory and IT equipment
5 Verfahren
5.1 Involvement of the International Bureau and request for documents
The BMBF has entrusted the International Bureau (IB) with the implementation of the funding measure:
Internationales Büro des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung (IB)
im Projektträger beim Deutschen Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR)
Heinrich-Konen-Str. 1
53227 Bonn, Germany
Internet: http://www.internationales-buero.de
For information related to the research topic, please contact:
Dr. Akin Akkoyun
E-mail: akin.akkoyun@dlr.de
Phone: +49 (0)2 -38 21-1470
Fax: +49 (0)2 28 -3821-1490
For administrative information, please contact:
Silva Luthin-Geier
E-Mail: silva.luthin-geier@dlr.de
Phone: +49 (0)2 -38 21-1863
Fax: +49 (0)2 28 -3821-1490
5.2 Presentation of formal applications for funding and decision-making procedure
The funding procedure consists of two phases.
In the first phase, a project outline must be submitted in German or English via the electronic outline tool PT-Outline (https://www.pt-it.de/ptoutline/application/TUR_IntenC) by 14 December at the very latest. If submitting a project outline in English, please note that it must be accompanied by a summary in German. A duly signed hard copy of the project outline must be sent to the International Bureau without delay.
The project outline should describe the objectives and the measures necessary in preparation for the project in as much detail as possible and should be structured as follows:
Structure of the project outline:
Part A.) Information required for administrative purposes. This is a fixed part of any call for proposals; the information is entered via an online form.
Part B.) An individual project description that is tailored to the call. It is drafted by the applicant using the structure specified by the IB and then uploaded as a PDF file.
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Objectives, excellence and originality of the project
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State of the art; previous work
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Detailed description of the methodology and work plan
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Usefulness and relevance of the results
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Cooperation with third parties
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Reason for funding requirement
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Annexes
In the second phase, applicants whose project outlines have received a positive evaluation will be invited – if necessary following consultations with the proposed project coordinator – to present a formal application for funding, which will be decided on after a final evaluation. Formal applications must be drafted using the Federal Government's electronic application system "easy". Application forms, guidelines, information for applicants and the auxiliary terms and conditions for the award of grants are available at https://foerderportal.bund.de/easy/easy_index.php?auswahl=easy_software or can be obtained directly from the International Bureau of the BMBF.
Please send your application to the following address:
Internationales Büro des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung (IB)
im Projektträger beim Deutschen Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR)
Heinrich-Konen-Str. 1
53227 Bonn
For information related to the research topic, please contact:
Dr. Akin Akkoyun
Phone: +49 (0)2 -38 21-1470
Fax: +49 (0)2 28 -3821-1490
E-mail: akin.akkoyun@dlr.de
For administrative information, please contact:
Silva Luthin-Geier
Phone: +49 (0)2 -38 21-1863
Fax: +49 (0)2 28 -3821-1490
E-mail: silva.luthin-geier@dlr.de
If you have technical questions (unrelated to the content of the call) on the application process, please contact:
Martina Lauterbach
Phone: +49 (0)2 28 38 21-1734
Fax: +49 (0)2 28 38 21-1444
E-mail: martina.lauterbach@dlr.de
5.3 Evaluation criteria
Proposals will be evaluated independently by the German and the Turkish side, with each side using its own procedures. Only proposals approved by both partners will be funded. The proposals will be evaluated according to the criteria listed below:
- Scientific excellence and aptitude of the applicant (assessment by external experts or expert committee)
- Originality and viability of the approach
- Human resources development (assessment based on the involvement of graduate or PhD students and scientists in the early stages of their careers, among other factors)
- Prospects for success (assessment based on availability of human resources and infrastructure, quality of project management)
- Relevance for the EU integration process (assessment will be based on association with multilateral networks, experience with EU Framework Programmes)
- Sustainability of the project: long-term strategy of the partners
A funding decision will be taken after a final evaluation according to the above criteria. The applicants will be informed in writing about the results of the evaluation.
6 Other terms and conditions of funding
The Allgemeine Nebenbestimmungen für Zuwendungen zur Projektförderung (ANBest-P; General Auxiliary Conditions for Grants for the Promotion of Projects) and the Besondere Nebenbestimmungen für Zuwendungen des BMBF zur Projektförderung auf Ausgabenbasis (BNBest-BMBF98; Special Auxiliary Terms and Conditions for Funds Provided by the BMBF for the Promotion of Projects on an Expenditure Basis) will be part of the notification of award for grants on an expenditure basis. The Nebenbestimmungen für Zuwendungen auf Kostenbasis (NKBF98; Auxiliary Terms and Conditions for Funds Provided on a Cost Basis) will be part of the notification of award for grants on a cost basis. In individual cases, the BMBF reserves the right to include agreements in the funding contract regarding the transfer of the right of use or utilization of research results which deviate from sections 7 and 8 of BNBest-BMBF 98 or sections 12 and 13 of NKBF 98.
7 Procedure in the partner country
The Turkish partners must secure funding and ensure the project's viability on the Turkish side. To this end, an application must be submitted to the Scientific and Technical Research Council (TÜBITAK):
The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey
- TÜBİTAK -
International Cooperation Department Bilateral and Multilateral Relations Division
Tunus Cad. No. 80
Kavaklidere
TR-06100 Ankara, Turkey
url: http://www.tubitak.gov.tr/
Asli Akcayoz
Scientific Programs Assistant Expert
Phone: +90 - (0)312 - 468 53 00 / + 90 - (0)312 - 468 36 36
Fax: +90 - (0)312 - 427 74 83
E-mail: uidb@tubitak.gov.tr
8 Entry into force
This call will enter into force on the day of its publication in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger).
Bonn, den 24. September 2012
Peter Webers
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
*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 million. Within this category, the following definitions apply: Small 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 (see 2.3.1, p. 16). If the holding is higher but is no more than 50%, the relationship is deemed to be between partner enterprises (see 2.3.2, p. 20). Above that ceiling, the enterprises are linked (see 2.3.3, p. 23).
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/enterprise_policy/sme_definition/sme_user_guide.pdf and http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/facts-figures-analysis/sme-definition/index_en.htm
