COOPERATION BETWEEN HIGHER ACADEMIC ISTITUTIONS AFRICA-CARRIBEAN-PACIFIC

DEADLINE: MAY  6^TH, 2011.

The objective of the programme is to promote sustainable development and poverty alleviation by increasing the availability of trained and qualified high-level professional manpower in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

BENEFICIARIES:

Eligible applicants are Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific that provide courses at the graduate and/or doctoral level of higher education, recognised by the competent authorities in their own country.

Eligible activities

The project will involve the identification of existing high quality master and doctoral programmes, the organisation and implementation of student and staff mobility at these levels of higher education, the provision of education/training and other services to foreign students and teaching/training and research assignments and other services to staff from the country/-ies covered by the project.

AIM OF THE PROGRAMME

•  provide access to higher education for students including those from disadvantaged groups,
• facilitate cooperation on recognition of studies and qualifications,
• contribute to the improvement of the quality of higher education through the promotion of internationalisation, and harmonisation of programmes and curricula within participating institutions,
• enhance the international cooperation capacity of HEIs in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries,
• promote cooperation between sending and hosting institutions,
• enable students, academics and staff to benefit linguistically, culturally and professionally from the experience gained in the context of mobility to another country,
• enhance, in the medium-term, the political, cultural, educational and economical links between the participating countries.

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACROSS EUROPE

DEADLINE: 1^Th APRIL , 2011

Participants must be from the following countries:  Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, UK, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Norway.

   

The programme aims to contribute to the economic modernisation and competitiveness of Europe

Typical tools for exchange of experience are networking activities such as thematic workshops, seminars, conferences, surveys, and study visits.

Project partners cooperate to identify and transfer good practices.

Possible project outcomes include for example case study collections, policy recommendations, strategic guidelines or action plans. This project also allows light implementation or piloting, but only if these complement the exchange of experience activities.

  

Innovation and the knowledge economy

• Innovation, research and technology development
• Entrepreneurship and SMEs
• The information society
• Employment, human capital and education.

 Environment and risk prevention

• Natural and technological risks, climate change
• Water management
• Waste prevention and management
• Biodiversity and preservation of natural heritage; air quality
• Energy and sustainable transport
• Cultural heritage and landscape

CLIMATE-FRIENDLY CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

DEADLINE: 14^th March 2011 for submission of concept notes.

BENEFICIARIES:

At least one organisation from a EU Member State and at least one organisation from an eligible Asian country*

• Not-for-profit intermediary (business) organisations and networks (e.g. chambers of commerce or industry associations)
• Not-for-profit organisations aiming at pursuing sustainable development
• Governmental institutions at the regional and local level

Eligible countries

 Europe: EU Member States + Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway 

*Asia: Afganistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Chinese Taipei), India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, DPR Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam

SECTOR

All industrial sectors (except primary production) are eligible to be targeted in the projects, under the following conditions:

• They are polluting and have sufficient potential for improvement
• They form a substantial share of the economy and have potential for market demand
•  They have sufficient potential for further multiplication in the country and/or region

TYPES OF ACTIONS

The projects should have two dimensions:

1) They should promote one or more sustainable consumption and production (SCP) practices (e.g. cleaner production, environmental management systems, greening supply chain, eco-labelling, etc.)

2) They should employ a replication mechanism in order to actively engage a large number of SMEs in producing and consuming sustainably (e.g. develop/upgrade standards and certification schemes, set voluntary targets, strengthen SCP service providers, create market demand, engage policy-makers/financial institutions)

We have submitted 2 projetcs under this call.

AFRICAN UNION RESEARCH GRANTS

DEADLINE: APRIL  30^TH, 2011.

The overall objectives of this Call for Proposals are to improve science and technology research to contribute to African sustainable development.

BENEFICIARIES:

Applicants must:

• be legal persons  (e.g National or regional science and technology organizations, research institutions, universities, government ministries or public institutions dealing with scientific research  including  regional science and technology institutions)
• be nationals of African Union, ACP, EU Member States, Least Developed Country as defined by the United Nations (LDCs), European Economic Area (EEA) Member States,  one of the official EU candidate countries 
•  have at least a three-year record in the formulation and/or implementation of research activities in Africa and

 Eligible activities:

a) Post-harvest and Agriculture

• Food security and productivity: focusing on processing, improvement of quality of agricultural produce, agro-forestry, cereals, root/tuber crops, food legumes
• Crop-livestock integration: transfer of new innovative technologies on small and large ruminants (sheep, goat and cattle); poultry.
•  Agricultural policy and commercialization, marketing of agricultural produce : Research projects must demonstrate capacity for high economic returns and significant impact on stakeholders groups.

b) Renewable and sustainable energy

•  Sustainable energy at a local and regional level
•  Renewable energy use and its impact on the environment
•  Innovative approach to Renewable and sustainable energy: energy systems technologies (such as solar photovoltaic systems, solar hot water systems, wind energy systems, geothermal systems or biomass energy systems) and advanced energy efficiency, conservation and facilities to energy control. 
• Measures for making sustainable energy more widespread: new sustainable energy products, energy efficiency products technologies and services at local and regional levels that are not already widely available on a commercial basis.

c) Water and sanitation

• Water for livelihood: safe drinking water, Sustainable sanitation, Pollution abatement, and water treatment.
• Water for agriculture: development of the on-site rain-fed  agriculture and rainfall harvesting methods, reducing evaporation from soil and water surfaces through appropriate land management, use of low-quality irrigation water and irrigation technologies
• Social and economic dimensions of water resources management

REFORM OF HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGH INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY COOPERATION

DEADLINE: FEBRUARY  15^TH, 2011.

The purpose of this call for proposals is to promote multilateral cooperation among higher education institutions, authorities and organisations from EU Member States and partner countries with the focus on the reform and modernisation of higher education.

BENEFICIARIES:

• Applicants must be legal persons (‘legal entities’), legally established for more than five years in partner countries.

• Applicants for Joint Projects must be State-recognised, public or private higher education institutions or associations, organisations or networks of higher education institutions dedicated to the promotion, improvement and reform of higher education.

• Applicants for Structural Measures must be legal entities or national or international rector, teacher or student organisations.

• Institutions and organisations which may participate as partners/co-beneficiaries in the Programme range from higher education institutions and organisations through to non-academic institutions and organisations such as non-governmental organisations, companies, industries and public authorities.

These institutions and organisations have to be based in the following four groups of eligible countries:

•  27 Member States of the European Union,
• 4 countries of the Western Balkan region: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia as well as Kosovo
•  17 countries in the Southern and Eastern neighbouring area of the European Union: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, Tunisia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, the Russian Federation and Ukraine,
•  5 Central Asian Republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Eligible activities and duration

• Joint Projects:projects with a ‘bottom-up’ approach aiming at modernisation and reform on an institutional (university) level. Joint Projects aim at transferring knowledge between universities, organisations and institutions from the EU and from the partner countries as well as between partner country entities as appropriate
• Structural Measures: projects seeking to contribute to the development and reform of higher education systems in partner countries, as well as to enhance their quality and relevance and to increase their voluntary convergence with EU developments. Structural Measures will be interventions designed to support structural reform of higher education systems and the strategic framework development at national level.

NANOSCIENCES, NANOTECHNOLOGIES, MATERIALS AND NEW PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES – COORDINATED CALL EU-RUSSIA

DEADLINE: 31^st March 2011

Topic called:

Multiscale Modelling as a tool for Virtual Nanotechnology Experimentation:

• Theoretical analysis, design and functional virtual testing of hetero or hybrid nanostructured elements for use in smart systems, integrated systems, OLEDs, photo-voltaics or energy saving applications
• Theoretical analysis, design and functional virtual testing of organic matrix nanocomposites for industrial applications (including optical electrical and mechanical properties).
• Theoretical analysis, design and functional virtual testing of behavioural features (e.g. biocompatibility and mechanical properties) of biocompatible, metallic nanomaterials

BENEFICIARIES:

At least three independent legal entities, established in a Member State or Associated Country,

Proposals which do not include coordination with a Russian project will be considered ineligible. Therefore, each EU project proposal must include reference and description of the proposal submitted for funding to the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. Proposals will only be evaluated on the condition that the corresponding coordinated Russian project proposal(s) also is presented for funding to the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.

For further information: infonetwork@igcsas.it

FUNDS FOR COOPERATION IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DEADLINE: Continuos open call for proposals.

  

SCIENTIFIC DOMAINS:

• Biomedicine and Molecular Biosciences
• Food and Agriculture
• Forests, their Products and Services
• Materials, Physical and Nanosciences
• Chemistry and Molecular Sciences and Technologies
• Earth System Science and Environmental Management
• Information and Communication Technologies
• Transport and Urban Development
• Individuals, Societies, Cultures and Health

In addition, Trans-Domain Proposals allow for broad, multidisciplinary proposals to strike across the nine scientific domains.

ACTIVITIES:

The support will cover the costs of networking activities such as:

• meetings
• conferences
• workshops
• short-term scientific exchanges
• dissemination activities     

BENEFICIARIES:

Researchers from the following countries :

35 member states: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Serbia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and
Other states: Israel, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.  

SUSTAINABLE SURFACE TRANSPORT

DEADLINE: 12^th April 2011

 Topics called: 

ENSURING SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY

• Design, implement and test innovative strategies for sustainable urban transport
• Support action for coordination, dissemination and evaluation, CIVITAS Plus

European Research Council Grants

The film portrays seven young and bright researchers that have received a European Research Council (ERC) Starting grant. This documentary film reveals their personalities uncovering their research universe and ambitions. The research they strive for can be carried out with the financial support of ERC grants. The European Research Council (ERC) is the first European funding body set up to support investigator-driven and excellent frontier research. Every year the ERC selects and supports the very best, truly creative scientists, scholars and engineers, both Europeans and non Europeans, by the means of calls for proposals funded by the Seventh EU Research Framework Programme (FP7). Since its setting up in 2007, the ERC has supported more than 800 research projects, led either by top scientists ("ERC Advanced grants") or by younger, emerging research leaders ("ERC Starting grants").

NUCLEAR FISSION AND RADIATION PROTECTION

DEADLINE: APRIL 7^Th, 2011.

ACTIVITIES:

1) Management of Radioactive Waste:

- Geological disposal:

• Research activities in support of implementation of geological disposal
• Support for regulatory functions in the area of geological disposal

- Partitioning and transmutation

2) Reactor Systems:

- Safety and competitiveness of existing and future nuclear installations

- Advanced nuclear systems for increased sustainability

• Support for ESNII

- Cross-cutting aspects for nuclear systems:

• R&D activities in support of the implementation fo the Strategic Agenda of SNE-TP

- Advanced systems for nonelectrical uses of nuclear energy

3) Radiation Protection:

- Quantification of risks for low and protracted exposures:

•  Contribution to low-dose risk research in Europe

- Medical uses of radiation

- Networking and coordination in biodosimetry

- Supporting infrastructures

- Access to infrastructures:

• Transnational access to large infrastructures

4) Human Resources, Mobility and Training:

- Training and mobility of research workers

BENEFICIARIES:

Any legal entities established in different EU Member States or Associated countries.