Austria/Vietnam: Scientific & Technical Cooperation // Call for Applications

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The Programme for Scientific & Technological Cooperation (S&T Cooperation/german: Wissenschaftlich-Technische Zusammenarbeit/WTZ) is carried out in the frame of the bilateral “MoU between the Federal Minister of Education, Science and Research of the Republic of Austria and the Minister of Science and Technology of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam concerning cooperation in the areas of Science and Research” and funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) and the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).

Aims of the programme

  • To stimulate international research cooperation by promoting the mobility of researchers to carry out joint research projects;
  • To provide an opportunity for researchers to cooperate in an international setting to develop their international network and experience, especially for early-stage1, mid-career2 as well as female researchers.

Areas of cooperation

  • Industry 4.0 Technology
  • Space Engineering
  • Agriculture
  • Health and Medicine
  • Environment and Climate Change

Max. 8 research projects will be funded.

Who may apply?

AUSTRIA: Researchers at universities, universities of applied sciences and non-university research institutions in the areas of basic research are eligible for application. Minimum requirement for the Austrian Principal Investigator is a PhD/Dr. degree. Minimum requirement for project members is a Master degree or equivalent.

Project applications submitted by early-stage1 or mid-career researchers2 as well as project applications with involvement of PhD/doctoral students, early-stage1 and/or female researchers will receive additional points during the evaluation process and hence a better overall score.

The focus of the programme lies on new international partnerships. (Follow-up-) Applications of bilateral partnerships whose Principal Investigators already received funding from this programme to carry out a joint project are not eligible.

VIETNAM: The Call is open to public and/or private research institutions, enterprises engaged in advanced research and/or technological development in one of the areas listed above, located in Vietnam and regulated by the Vietnamese law.

How to apply?

It is up to the applicants to find suitable partners in the respective country. Applications must be submitted both in Austria to OeAD GmbH and in Vietnam to Department of International Cooperation (MOST). Applications which have not been received in time in both countries are not eligible for funding. The call process is highly competitive therefore application does not guarantee funding.

AUSTRIA: The entire application for the research project must be submitted in English via the Online-Application Form. The application must include the following documents (in PDF format):

  • Brief academic CV for each Austrian project member
  • List of relevant publications of the last 2 years on the Austrian side
  • Project description including methodology (about 3 to 5 A4 pages)
  • Brief description of the partner institutions
  • Brief description of the project tasks of ALL project members (Austrian and Vietnamese)
  • Further cooperation perspective

VIETNAM: A full proposal shall consist at least of:

  • detailed description of PIs, working teams and host organizations.
  • detailed description of the research activities that the teams intend to carry out within the project timeframe.
  • detailed description of costs involved
  • share of work between the Vietnamese and Austrian project partners (complementarities etc.)
  • a proposal application form in Vietnamese filled in and signed by all relating organisations.
  • Cooperation Agreement between Vietnamese project participating institutions.
  • Cooperation Agreement between Vietnamese and Austrian institutions (in English with Vietnamese translations).
  • a letter of proposal signed and sealed by the responsible authority.

More detailed information about requirements of full proposals submission are available on the website of the MOST. Completed applications with all required documents must be submitted by post to the MOST.

Which activities may I apply for?

The purpose of this call is to support the mobility of researchers between the participating countries to carry out joint research projects. In this regard, funding will be provided for visits and the exchange of scientists conducting joint research within the above-mentioned thematic areas of cooperation.

Research stays in both countries are obligatory.

The sending side will cover the travel expenses as well as the accommodation costs of its own researchers.

In Austria up to EUR 2,000.- per project of the granted funding may be applied for project-related material costs.

Funding Modalities

Collaborative research projects will be supported for a period of max. two years from January 2020 until December 2021.
Funding will be provided for activities within the scope of these guidelines only.

AUSTRIA: Maximum funding: EUR 15,000.- per project

Eligible Costs:

  • Travel expenses: Travel costs (economy class) will be reimbursed for Austrian researchers travelling to Vietnam based on submitted invoices.
  • Accommodation expenses: EUR 100.- per working day for Austrian researchers travelling to Vietnam for up to 14 days OR EUR 1,400.- per month for long-term visits between 14 days and 3 months maximum.
  • Project related material costs: max. EUR 2,000.- per project as part of the granted maximum budget based on submitted invoices.

VIETNAM: Each project will be financially supported with a total amount of 2-5 billion VND. The final applicants will be invited to submit a full estimation of expenditure for a session of financial evaluation. Final decision of the amount of funding will be made at the session.

Eligible costs:

  • Travel costs
  • Personnel costs for Vietnamese research teams
  • Expenses of material, energy, equipment, machinery
  • other costs

Financing will be granted within the limits of the available annual resources of the MOST.

How are applications evaluated?

AUSTRIA: In Austria eligible project applications will be evaluated by recognized experts in the various fields of research represented by the applications received.

Evaluation criteria:

  • Scientific quality of the intended research project (max. 25 points) incl.
    • Feasibility of the joint research plan
    • Adequacy of the scientific method
    • Competence and expertise of the scientists/research teams involved
  • Plausibility of the descibed further cooperation perspective (max. 15 points)
  • Project applications submitted by early-stage or mid-career researchers (10 points) OR project applications with the involvement of doctoral students, early-stage (5 points) or female researchers (5 points) will receive up to 10 points additionally. (max. 10 points)

Maximum score: 50 points

VIETNAM: The eligible proposals will be assessed under the supervision of MOST and through a two-step evaluation process which is defined in the Circular No. 12/2014/TT-BKHCN dated 30 May 2014 which standardizes procedure for management of joint research projects with foreign partners.

The following criteria will be taken into consideration for selection of proposals:

  • Relevance and feasibility with national funding policy
  • Scientific and technological excellence
  • Competence and skill of the research teams
  • Methodology and documentation
  • Added value of the bilateral science and technology cooperation
  • Added value in addressing industrial challenges/social demands
  • Exploitation and joint dissemination of results
  • Appropriateness of the size and structure of the project, quality and stringency of the schedule, work and budget plans and distribution of work among the partners
  • PIs of selected projects will be directly informed.

Based on the results of national evaluations carried out in parallel in Austria and in Vietnam a joint shortlist of projects to be funded will be constituted through consultations between the OeAD GmbH and the MOST. The project selection will be carried out by the Austrian-Vietnamese Selection Committee. The results of the project selection meeting will be announced as soon as the evaluation as well as the selection are concluded (presumably at the beginning of 2020).

Reporting and Publications

Scientific and financial reporting on the project is obligatory:

  • A brief project progress report has to be submitted after one year via the OeAD GmbH online tool. Its approval is the precondition for further funding.
  • A final scientific and financial report has to be submitted no more than 3 months after the end of the project.
  • The report has to mention outputs of the projects compared with the objectives and aims of the application.
  • The final report must include a short, concise summary comprehensible to lay persons. The final report will be made available to researchers within OeAD’s WTZ-funding programme in similar disciplines.

Joint publications by researchers have to mention the support from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology.

Intellectual property

The project partners must take adequate steps to ensure protection and sharing of the intellectual property that could result from the joint projects.

Closing date for applications

Applications must be submitted by 07 June 2019. Applications received after this date are not eligible for funding.
Please note that the OeAD GmbH and the MOST cannot be held responsible for applications that were not received. Principal Investigators have to ensure that their research partners submit their applications in time.

Further information & Contact

In AUSTRIA:

OeAD-GmbH (Austrian Agency for international Cooperation in Education and Research)
ICM – Centre for International Cooperation & Mobility
Mr. Michael Glatzl-Poss
Ebendorferstraße 7
1010 Vienna
Tel. +43 (0)1/ 53408-472
Email: wtz@oead.at, Website: www.oead.at/wtz

In VIETNAM:

Department of International Cooperation, The Ministry of Science and Technology
Mr. Tran Van Hung
113 Tran Duy Hung
Cau Giay, Hanoi
Tel: +84 (024)39435376
Email: tv.hung@most.gov.vn Website: www.most.gov.vn

Download & Links

Call Guidelines

 

(1) Researchers with an experience up to 5 years after their PhD/Doctoral degree; recognized career breaks will be taken into account (e.g. due to family reasons, health reasons or occupation outside the academic sector).
(2) Researchers with an experience of 5 to 15 years after their PhD/Doctoral degree; recognized career breaks will be taken into account (e.g. due to family reasons, health reasons or occupation outside the academic sector).