Asia

Programme ICT-ASIA

The regional programme ICT-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 information and communication technology (ICT).

The programme 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 programme, including CEA, CNRS, Inria, Institut Télécom and IRD, the French Ministry for Higher Education and Research (MESR). In partnership with France, the programme 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).

Goals

The ICT-Asia programme supports 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 into the information society, through the promotion of research excellence and scientific support to France-Asia communities. The programme aims at:

  • Presenting the offer of French partnership in the field of ICT and develop information and exchange mechanisms;
  • Selecting and funding integrated 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, India, 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...).

Submission of proposals

  • The application forms both in French and English languages are available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs website.
  • Application forms must be completed and sent by e-mail attachment to Mr. Olivier Dréan and Ms. Emmanuelle Platzgummer, and to the International Affairs Department of the related research organization.
  • The French project leaders will contact the International Affairs Department of their research institute or the university hosting their research laboratory prior to the submission of the project 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. For Inria : Mr. Christian Laugier and Mrs Angélica Biard (Tel: +33 (0)1 39 63 57 68).

Selection 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.

Financial modalities

  • The total amount awarded by the MAEE and the French research organizations partners of the programme ICT-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.
  • Financial contributions from Asian or French partners must be announced in the project drafting.
  • The contribution requested from the MAEE under the ICT-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 and scholarships for long duration study must originate from the own funds of the partners or from any other sources.

Application guidelines

Nature and duration of the project
  • All themes in the field of ICT are eligible to this call. In addition, projects involving a social dimension will be encouraged. (Examples: food security, natural resource management, energy, health, risk monitoring,...).
  • 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 (the amount of which is subject 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.
Selection criteria

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 research organizations partners of the ICT-Asia programme.
Intellectual property
  • It is the responsibility of project managers to take all measures necessary for the protection of intellectual property.
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:
    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;
  • 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;
  • 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 a financial and technical 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.

Keywords: ICT-Asia programme MAEE International relations

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