Call for Joint Proposals: The German-Israeli Water Technology Cooperation Program

Deadline: 3-Nov-22

Within the framework of the German-Israeli cooperation in Water Technology Research, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Israeli Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) invite proposals for bilateral R&D projects.

The research shall focus on solutions to the water problems in Israel and its surrounding area and/or Germany. The research should be multidisciplinary and be applicable to the needs of the water sector. In addition to scientific partners, projects should preferably include industrial partners as well as related stakeholders.

Priority will be given to projects based on novel ideas and potential industrial applicability. It is recommended that working groups include academic partners, industrial partners and end users.

Objectives

• The objectives of the German-Israeli Water Technology Cooperation Program are as follows:
  • To improve the water situation in Israel and the surrounding area 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.

​Research Areas

• ​Research projects will be carried out in the following research areas:
  • New approaches for asset management of water infrastructure
  • Water re use and industrial waste water treatment each submitted research propos al needs to indicate specifically to which of the above research areas it is related.

Funding Information

• The overall BMBF/MOST budget for the Israeli participation in this call for proposals is up to EURO 1,000,000 of which MOST will contribute up to EURO 250,000 (equivalent to 950,000 NIS), subject to the approval of the State budget and the availability of funds.
• Within each call of the German-Israeli water technology research cooperation, typically 3-5 projects are funded.
• In Israel: The maximum budget size for the Israeli team for each project proposal is limited to 250,000 Euro (equivalent to 950,000 NIS) for a duration of 3 years.
• In Germany: Funds for German partners will be awarded as non-repayable project grants. The grants can be spent to cover the cost of staff, materials, and equipment. No funding can be provided for building investments

Eligibility Criteria

• Israel
  • Grants can be awarded to applicants from academic institutions, namely:
    • An accredited institution of higher education in Israel, according to the Council for Higher Education Act, 1958.
    • A Research Institute which is a non-profit organization.
    • A Research Institute which is a government company or a governmental unit. For the purposes of this call, a “Research Institute” means a research institute which a significant portion of its activity is the advancement of cutting-edge scientific knowledge, which possesses appropriate infrastructure and equipment, and which employs researchers who, inter alia, publish articles related to their research in leading scientific journals in the world, and who present their research at international symposia. A researcher who intends a sabbatical leave in the first year of the project cannot be approved as a principal investigator (PI) of the research proposal. A PI who intends a vacation or absence of more than three months should request permission from MOST in advance (through the relevant R&D Authority).th first year.
• “Special eligibility provisions for Israeli Researchers:
  • In compliance with MOST’s Procedures Regarding Scientific Projects Funded by MOST (“MOST Regulations”), an Israeli PI that has or will have an active grant from any of MOST’s international cooperation programs, whose funding will be concurrent to the funding of this program, is not eligible to apply. No parallel funding is allowed in the bilateral program. A researcher who is not eligible to submit a proposal as PI due to an active grant may submit one additional proposal in the international cooperation program as co-PI, if he does not have an active grant in the international program in which he acts as co -PI.
  • A researcher having submitted a proposal for any MOST international cooperation call during the current calendar year, may not submit another proposal for any other MOST international cooperation call.”
• Germany
  • Research proposals may be submitted by German-based commercial companies, institutions of higher education, non-university research establishments as well as public institutions at municipal, state or federal level. The participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is expressly welcome.
• For Both German and Israeli Applicants:
  • The application must include a research plan in one of the areas of research specified in this call, which will be carried out in Israel by at least one senior researcher who is a permanent employee of the applying institution or on track for tenure in the applying institution . 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.

For more information, visit https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/rfp/rfp20220811/he/ISR-GER%20-%20Call%20for%20Proposals%20WaterTechnology%202022.pdf