2TH CALL FOR PROPOSALS REGIONAL PROGRAM BIO-ASIA

1. THE REGIONAL PROGRAM BIO-ASIA

The regional program Bio-Asia is an initiative of the French cooperation launched toward Asia aiming at

creating and reinforcing high-level collaborations and networks in the region involved in research

and development in the field of natural substances, from the study of biodiversity to the development by sustainable uses of natural substances in health, pharmacy, nutrition, agronomy, cosmetics or renewable energies, which are a major issue for life sciences.

The program is implemented by the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MAEE), in liaison with:

 The scientific and technology services of the Embassies of France in Asia;

 The French higher education and research organizations related to the program, including CNRS

and its institutes, CIRAD, IFREMER, IRD, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, MNHN, INRA;

 The French Ministry for Higher Education and Research (MESR);

 The French Ministry of Health and Sports, the French Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable

Development, the French Ministry of Alimentation, Agriculture and Fisheries, the French Ministry of Economy, Industry and Employment.

In partnership with France, the program involves the ten member countries of the Association of South-

East Asian Nations (ASEAN: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,

Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam), Far East (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan) and South Asia (India and

Pakistan).

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the program is to support the internationalization of French research, to reinforce on a mutual benefit basis high-level collaborations with emerging and developed Asian countries and to

contribute to the integration of less advanced countries in the area in the field of natural substances, through the promotion of research excellence and scientific support to Asian communities.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

The program aims at:

 Presenting the offer of French partnership in the field of natural substances and develop information and exchange mechanisms;

 Selecting and funding basic and applied research projects fostering technological innovation and

technological transfer with a regional focus between France and at least two partnering Asian countries, including at least one of the following countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam;

 Encouraging future participation in other regional and multilateral programs in this field and in

this region (Europe-Asia Meeting, Asian Development

Bank, Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie...).

2. TIMELINE OF THE 2ND CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Launch of the call for proposals*: 20 May 2010

Submission of proposals deadline: 20 September 2010

Projects evaluation/selection: October/November 2010

Announcement of the results: December 2010

*Publication of the forms in English and French on the website of the Bio-Asia program: www.bioasiafrance.org.

3. FORMULATION AND SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS GUIDELINES

THEMES

All subjects in the fields of research and innovation linked to natural substances are eligible. However,

the following subjects, presented and discussed during the last regional seminar of the Bio-Asia program in Keelung – Taiwan on 26 and 27 November 2009, are particularly encouraged for this call:

 Biodiversity, ecology and conservation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (effect of

climate change and human intervention, fight against invasive species, the role of local communities, inventory of marine biodiversity, marine ecology, coastal ecology, taxonomy, payment environmental services -PES-, legal issues, sustainable development in projects)

 Natural substances from terrestrial and aquatic origins (new sources of natural products, micro-organisms associated with marine invertebrates, Asian bank of natural products, biomimicry, analogues of natural products).

 Valorisation in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, nutrition, agricultural and renewable energies. In addition, projects involving a social dimension will be encouraged.

NATURE AND DURATION OF THE PROJECT

Each project must include a research component and may include innovation and/or doctoral or postdoctoral

components. The duration of a project is two years.

Funding is allocated on an annual basis. The payment of a recurrence early in the second year (whose amount could be reevaluated) is subject to the submission of a progress report by the project manager and its approval by the MAEE.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

 Public or private research laboratories and units attached to higher education institutions, research organizations or companies are eligible partners. The participation from the private sector is encouraged.

 Each project must include at least one French team associated to at least two teams from two different Asian countries, with at least one team from one of the following countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam.

FINANCIAL MODALITIES

 The total amount awarded by the MAEE and the French research organizations partners of the program Bio-Asia, will not exceed a total of € 40,000 for the two years of the project, that is € 20,000 per year.

The consolidated budget presented must include planned income (sources and amount) and expenditure planned for each year of the project. Funds are granted on an annual basis.

 The French project leaders will contact the Department of International Relations of their

research institute or the university hosting their research laboratory prior to the submission of the

project and the Selection Committee in order to present their projects.

 This measure is to anticipate a possible cofinancing during the Selection Committee where it will be an eliminatory criterion.

 Financial contributions from Asian or French partners must be announced in the project drafting.

 The contribution requested from the MAEE under the Bio-Asia regional program can only be used to partially cover the additional costs of the internationalization of the project, i.e. researcher, post-doctoral or doctoral student mobility (travel and mission expenses) or the organization of international workshops and seminars (mobility and logistics). The estimated average cost of mission allowances and travel must be indicated. Any other financial support required for the implementation of the projects, particularly regarding equipment (except

for minor equipment) and scholarships for long duration study must originate from the own funds of the partners or from any other sources.

SELECTION CRITERIA AND MODALITIES

After a verification of its compliance with the eligibility criteria, each proposal will be subjected to a scientific evaluation coordinated by the MAEE and the MESR.

A selection committee will then meet to select the projects based on the conclusions of the evaluation, as well as opportunity and budgetary availability criteria. This committee includes representatives from the MAEE, MESR as well as representatives from the French co-financing organizations and institutes.

In addition to scientific excellence, the main evaluation criteria are:

 Aptitude of the teams involved;

 Infrastructures quality;

 Innovative character of the project;

 Novelty aspect of the cooperation;

 Interest of building the partnership for the implementation of the project;

 Teams complementarity;

 Mutual transfer of competencies;

 Qualitative level of integration of countries with an heterogeneous development of their R&D capacity;

 Foreseeable scientific, societal or industrial outcomes of the project;

 Participation of post-doctoral students or young researchers in the mobility;

 Cofinancing quality and effectiveness whether from France or abroad;

 Cofinancing by one of the research organizations partners of the Bio-Asia program.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

 The selection of a project is notified to the lead applicant by a letter from the MAEE;

 Modalities and schedule of contributions disbursement of other funding parties with the

exception of the MAEE are defined by those funding parties and the lead applicant;

 Modalities and schedule of disbursement of funds from the MAEE are as follows:

o A financing convention will be signed between the French Agency for development (AFD), mandated by the MAEE for the implementation of its financial support and the lead applicant;

o The disbursement by the AFD of the MAEE contribution for the first year of the project

will ensue after the signing of the convention as indicated above;

o The disbursement by the AFD of the MAEE contribution for the second year of the project will occur after the production by the lead applicant of an interim report including a technical and financial report for the first year of the project, as well as a financial and

technical implementation plan for the second year;

 The lead applicant will produce a final activity report, which is to be transmitted to the MAEE

and other funding parties not later than three months after the completion of the project.

Attention: if the project leader is attached to an institution in Asia, a co-project leader attached to

a French institution must be indicated so that an administrative institution based in France, cosignatory of the tripartite agreement with the MAEE and AFD is well identified.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

 Please read attentively the guidelines for good practices, included in the application form, particularly on the modalities regarding intellectual property. The submission of a project proposal implies de facto the acceptance by all partners of those modalities.

 It is the responsibility of project managers to enter into a formal partnership agreement including

the modalities regarding intellectual property. The Directorate for European and International Relations of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research MESR-DREIC/DGRI will be at the disposal of all teams to assist them to establish the partnership agreement.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

 The application forms both in French and English languages are available on the website of the

Bio-Asia program: www.bioasiafrance.org.

 Application forms must be completed and sent by e-mail attachment to Mr. Olivier Dréan (olivierdrean@ait.asia) and Ms. Peggy Scremin (peggy.scremin@diplomatie.gouv.fr), and to the

Direction of International Relations of the related research organization. Non-exhaustive contacts list of partner organizations, subject to amendment:

 CEA: Mr. Bruno REMIAT: bruno.remiat@cea.fr / +33 (0)1 64 50 26 46 ou +33 (0)1 64 50 27 66

 CNRS and its institutes: Mr. Guillaume KERVIEL: guillaume.kerviel@cnrs-dir.fr / +33 (0)1 44

96 46 92

 IFREMER: Mr. Emmanuel THOUARD: Emmanuel.Thouard@ifremer.fr / +33 (0)2 40 37 41 44

 INRA: Ms. Isabelle BORDIER: isabelle.bordier@paris.inra.fr / +33 (0)1 42 75 90 00

 INSERM: Ms. Agnes KERGUS: agnes.kergus@inserm.fr / +33 (0)1 44 23 61 93

 Institut Pasteur: Ms. Eliane COEFFIER: coeffier@pasteur.fr / +33(0)1 40 61 38 29

 IRD: Mr. Daniel LEFORT: daniel.lefort@ird.fr / +33 (0)4 91 99 92 00

 MNHN: Ms. Myriam NECHAD: nechad@mnhn.fr / +33 (0)1 40 79 38 66 / 54 16

To ensure an efficient reception of proposals, project leaders are requested to send only the form in PDF

format and less than 2MB.