Within the framework of Indo-German bilateral Science and Technology Cooperation (STC), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany, and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), India, have an interest to promote project based application oriented / technology development / R&D proposals involving both scientific and industrial partners.

Proposals should help to stimulate new collaborations, e.g. the preparation of joint project proposals supplementing or complementing under national funding programmes as well as European research programmes, wherever mutual interest exists. Proposals can address the preparation of joint research project proposals, the organization of bilateral (or multilateral) workshops/seminars, exploratory visits of scientists, scientific delegations and composite (scientific and industrial) delegations.

Nodal Implementing Agencies

Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, New Delhi and the International Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (IB), Bonn are the nodal implementing agencies from the Indian and German sides respectively.

Areas of cooperation

Proposals submitted in national priority areas would be preferred:

• Nanotechnologies, intelligent materials and new production technology (new production processes) and other innovative physical and chemical technologies leading to wide technical and commercial utilization
• Information and communication technologies
• Environmental research and sustainability research
• Disaster and security research
• other promising fields (depending on the total number of applications received)

Evaluation and selection criteria

• 2 + 2 principle: Partners from Private Sector and Public Research on both sides prefered!
• Relevance to German and Indian national and/or European funding programmes
• Preparation of new projects in applied fields of mutual benefit
• Quality and originality of research approach
• Qualification of applicant
• Commercial usability or other utilization potential

Who can apply?

Scientists/faculty members working in regular capacity in Universities, National R&D Laboratories/ Institutes can apply under this programme. Participation of Industry is welcome in the research projects.

Project duration

2 years, extendable by one year.

Deadline and Processing

Joint research proposals are required to be submitted to both the nodal agencies not later than 31st July 2007.

Unilaterally submitted proposals shall not be considered. On the Indian side, 10 copies are to be submitted through proper channel to Mr. R K Sharma, Sr Scientific Officer (International Division), DST. One copy may please be e-mailed at Sharma_rk@nic.in on MSWord format.

On the German side, the International Bureau of BMBF requests electronic applications (+ 1 paper version with signatures) in the English or German language, see IB-Website for details ( http://www.internationales-buero.de/ or http://www.ewa.internationales-buero.de/ ) or contact PD Dr. Lothar Mennicken (Lothar.Mennicken@dlr.de). All received proposals are peer reviewed and processed independently by both sides. It is expected that all jointly selected proposals are likely to receive support from the beginning of 2008.

Kind of support available

Financial support is available from the respective nodal agency from the two sides for the exchange visit (max. 2 per year from each side) component only as per the financial terms given below. For details please refer to the “General Information and Guidelines for Proposals for Support”

• For scientists from Universities, National R&D Laboratories/ Institutes
  1. The sending side shall cover the travel expenses of the visiting personnel up to the place of work of the host country and shall bear the cost of overseas medical insurance.
  2. The receiving side shall provide (per-diem) living expenses. In general, visits should not extend 3 months.
• For participation of Private Sector
  The participation of private sector is welcome, but financing is limited to
  1. For Indian scientists from the private sector visiting Germany under the project, only funding of local hospitality (to be provided by IB) is available.
  2. For German scientists from private industry (only for small and medium size enterprises) travelling to India under the project, funding of flight costs is available through IB.

It is expected that participating institutes themselves support in general for equipment, manpower, consumables and other expenses.

Expected proposal outcome

It is expected that the funded cooperation enables the partners to develop applicable scientific results which could be commercialised and may lead to formation of joint ventures. All publications, patents coming out of this joint work, need to be jointly authored by both Indian and German scientists.

Time table:

Deadline for submission of completed applications: July 31, 2007
Short-listing of selected proposals: September 30, 2007
Commencement of joint work: January 1, 2008 (or later)

Contact persons for submission of proposals:

India	Germany
Mr. R K Sharma, Senior Scientific Officer International Division Department of Science & Technology New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi 110016 Email: Sharma_rk@nic.in	PD Dr. Lothar Mennicken Senior Scientific Officer International Bureau (IB) of the BMBF at the DLR Heinrich-Konenstr. 1 53227 Bonn E-mail: Lothar.Mennicken@dlr.de http://www.internationales-buero.de/