Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Israel
The German-Israeli Water Technology Cooperation Program
CALL FOR JOINT PROPOSALS for 2012
1. Objectives of funding and legal framework
1.1 Objectives of funding
Within the framework of the German-Israeli cooperation in Water Technology Research, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Israeli Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), and the Israeli Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor (MOITAL) Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS), invite proposals for bilateral R&D projects.
The research shall focus on solutions to the water problems in Israel and its direct neighbourhood and/or Germany. The research should be multidisciplinary and be potentially applicable to the needs of the water sector. In addition to scientific partners, projects should preferably include industrial partners as well as related stakeholders.
Qualifying participants in this framework may receive R&D grants, respectively, from BMBF and MOST and/or MOITAL-OCS, represented by MATIMOP (Israeli Industry Center for R&D), according to the applicable national funding procedures and regulations.
1.2 Legal framework
Projects can be funded under the terms of this call and of the agreements concluded between BMBF and MOST and/or MOITAL-OCS (for R&D performing companies). In this respect, the general regulations for funding, including the consideration of intellectual property rights formulated by both ministries for all BMBF-MOST research co-operations, will be applied also to this field. In addition, for the German partners to be funded under this Call, the standard BMBF-guidelines for grant applications on expenditure or cost basis, respectively, must be followed in addition to the general regulations. Submitting a proposal does not automatically entitle applicants to a grant. Rather, grants will be awarded to proposals selected after the parties to this Call have assessed the proposals according to the criteria set out in paragraph 9 of this Call.
It is the intention of the parties to this Call to fund research proposals selected hereunder for the three-year duration of the project. However MOST-funding must be approved on an annual basis, with the funding for the second and third years to be approved in accordance with the provisions of the research contract. The parties to this Call reserve the right not to fund a second or third year of work for scientific-professional, administrative or budgetary reasons.
This Call is subject to cancellation in the event of unforeseen budgetary constraints.
2. Subject of research
Research projects will be carried out in the following fields:
- Energy optimization in treatment processes
- Water infrastructure
- Water recycling and reuse
- Disinfection and re-growth control
The objectives of the German-Israeli Water Technology Cooperation Program are as follows: - To improve the water situation in Israel and its direct neighbourhood and/or Germany. Transferability of the results to comparable regions should preferably be ensured.
- To facilitate access to new markets for Israeli and German enterprises in the water and environmental sector.
- To support and strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the water sector as well as cooperation between science and industry. Thus the integration of Israeli partners in BMBF’s relevant international projects is also desired.
BMBF and MOST further agreed that future projects may also deal with water problems in third countries particularly in the arid, semi-arid, and tropical regions, enabling both countries to make a joint contribution to the goals defined by the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. For that purpose, both countries want to pool their water technology expertise for developing appropriate technologies and know-how, for example, in the areas of sea water desalination, reuse of waste water, drinking water and waste water technology, irrigation, and river basin management.
Priority will be given to projects based on novel ideas. It is recommended that working groups include multiple academic and industrial partners.
3. Eligibility
Grants can be awarded to applicants from academic institutions or public research institutes with experience in the relevant fields. Industrial partners are encouraged to participate in research teams.
According to the procedures of the Water Technology Cooperation Program, Israeli scientists who serve as Principal Investigators (PI’s) in ongoing projects within this program, are excluded from submitting a new proposal within the frame of this Call, except if their projects are in their last year. In such a case, the results achieved in their ongoing projects shall be attached to the new proposals and will be used to evaluate their abilities to accomplish the tasks and achieve the goals of their new proposals.
The project proposals must include a detailed description of the joint work-plan as well as a calculation and justification of the budget, for both the Israeli and German teams.
Joint German-Israeli Cooperation is Obligatory
The proposed project must be prepared and carried out jointly by the Israeli and the German project partners. For this purpose, BMBF and MOST will consider providing a grant that covers the travel expenses for one short visit of one of the potential research partners to either Israel or Germany, for the purpose of preparing the joint proposal. Such grants will not exceed 1,500 Euro.
Potential research partners interested in such a travel grant may submit their informal request by e-mail to the relevant contacts in Germany or Israel (see paragraph 11).
4. Regional Cooperation
Israeli partners may include researchers from neighbouring states and areas in their proposed research teams if the relevance of the expected project results may be increased thereby.
5. Duration of Project
The research should be planned for a period not exceeding three years.
6. Budget
The total BMBF/MOST budget for the Israeli partners in this program is up to EURO 1,000,000 of which MOST will contribute up to EURO 250,000.
Academic institutions and public research institutes may receive grants covering up to 100% of the additional, eligible, research-oriented expenses incurred by the project (e.g. travel personnel, equipment, expendable materials, not including salaries for permanent staff and principal investigators).
Profit-making institutions (industrial enterprises) may receive a grant, covering no more than 50 % of direct costs of their part of the project
An Additional Fund for Industrial Participation in the R&D projects
The Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor (MOITAL) will provide grants for Israeli industrial enterprises in accordance with the OCS procedures, rules and regulations.
Israeli companies should contact MATIMOP in advance in order to submit funding application to the OCS under this Call.
Funding of German academic and industrial partners in the projects under this Call
The German partner(s) may apply for direct funding from BMBF for their part of the work-plan in the joint projects subject to the approval of the mutual Israeli-German research proposal by both Ministries. Use of the electronic application system “easy” is obligatory.
7. Key Dates
Final date for submission of the proposals – July 31st, 2011
Intended project initiation date – until Midyear 2012
8. Guidelines for the Submission of Joint Research Proposals
Proposals should be submitted simultaneously by both the German and Israeli principal investigators, to MOST and BMBF, in English, on the appropriate forms. To MOST - 4 copies including one signed original, and the electronic version as e-mail attachment to the following address:
The Israeli partner should submit the joint full proposal to:
Mrs. Nurit Topaz
Director, Department of International Relations with Germany
and International Organizations
Ministry of Science and Technology
P.O. Box 49100
(Bldg. 3, HaKiriya HaMizrahit)
Jerusalem 91490
E-mail: nurit@most.gov.il
Israeli companies should also submit the electronic version of the proposal to:
Mrs. Ilana Gross
Program Manager, Matimop-Israeli Industry Center for R&D
E-mail: ilana@matimop.org.il
The German partner should send only the electronic version of the joint proposal to:
Dr. Hans Joachim Metzger
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Project Management Agency Karlsruhe
Water Technology and Waste Management (PTKA-WTE)
Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1
76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen
Tel.: ++49-721-608-22355
Fax: ++49-721-608-922355
E-mail: hans-joachim.metzger(at)kit.edu
Internet: www.ptka.kit.edu/wte
Application forms are obtainable at the MOST website (www.most.gov.il) and from the Research Authorities of the universities in Israel. The use of the recently updated forms is obligatory.
Duly signed proposals may only be submitted via the Research Authorities of the universities or the management of the public research institutions by which the projects are to be carried out. In addition, the full proposal shall be submitted electronically.
9. Evaluation and Selection
Evaluation of the project proposals will be based on the following main criteria:
- Relevance to the topics and objectives as mentioned above;
- The soundness of the proposed approach;
- Originality, novelty, multi-disciplinarity, and scientific quality;
- The adequacy of the facilities;
- The capability of the investigator(s) to carry out the proposed research;
- Added value of the cooperation;
- Priority will be given to projects in which industrial partners, stakeholders, problem owners and end users participate.
The proposals will be pre-evaluated and rated by international external reviewers. In accordance with the procedures of the Cooperation Program, all the proposals will be evaluated for final ranking by the Joint German-Israeli Program Committee.
The number of proposals to be approved by Ministries under this call will be determined after evaluating the project proposals in view of budget requirements and constraints.
Applicants of proposals, which are positively evaluated and which complement one another, may be requested to collaborate and prepare a joint project proposal.
10. Contracts
Upon approval of a research grant by the official authorities in Germany and in Israel, a research contract will be signed between MOST and the institution of the Israeli principal investigator.
11. Contact Information
For additional information contact the following local offices:
in Germany on behalf of BMBF:
Dr. Hans Joachim Metzger
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Project Management Agency Karlsruhe
Water Technology and Waste Management (PTKA-WTE)
Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1
76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen
Tel.: ++49-721-608-22355
Fax: ++49-721-608-922355
E-mail: hans-joachim.metzger(at)kit.edu
Internet: www.ptka.kit.edu/wte
in Israel:
Ministry of Science and Technology
P.O.Box 49100 Jerusalem 91490
on scientific matters:
Dr. Husam Massalha
Division Director,
Environment and Agriculture
Tel: ++972-2-5411133 / 2
Fax: ++972-2-5815595
E-mail: husam(at)most.gov.il
on administrative matters:
Mrs. Nurit Topaz
Director, Department of International Relations with Germany and International Organizations
Tel: ++972-2-5411157
Fax: ++972-2-5825725
E-mail: nurit(at)most.gov.il
on behalf of MOITAL-OCS:
Mrs. Ilana Gross
Program Manager
R&D Cooperation Programs Europe
MATIMOP, Israeli Industry Center for R&D
Tel.: ++972-3-5118184
Fax: ++972-3-5177655
E-mail: ilana(at)matimop.org.il
12. Young Scientists Exchange Program (YSEP)
Young scientists are encouraged to participate in the exchange program that was initiated by BMBF and MOST in the framework of the German-Israeli Water Technology Cooperation Program. This is an open call for young Israeli and German scientists for a training period in the partner country for up to 6 months, but not less than 1 month. Funding will be provided to cover all necessary expenses of the applicant’s visit abroad, according to the provisions of the YSEP.
Applications for YSEP must be submitted in accordance with the terms and information provided on the following websites:
