DST – Indo-Australia Fund for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (Indo-AISRF)

DST – Indo-Australia Fund for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (Indo-AISRF)

Joint Research proposals under Round 12 AISRF. Indo-Australia Fund for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (Indo-AISRF) Joint Research Proposals – Applications Invited. Interested and eligible candidates can check out all of the details on the same below:

This call expires in :

 

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Indo-Australia Fund for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (Indo-AISRF)
Round 12

CALL FOR PROPOSALS-2019-2022
LAST DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS: 23 October 2019

The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science &
Technology. Government of India, New Delhi and the Department of Industry, Innovation
and Science (DIIS), Australian Government are providing financial support for joint research activities carried out by Indian and Australian researchers. Indian-Australian research teams are hereby invited to submit joint research proposals under Round 12 of AISRF.

PART 1 – OVERVIEW

1.1 Background and objectives

The Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) is a platform for bilateral
collaboration in science, jointly managed and funded by the governments of India and
Australia.

Since its establishment in 2006, the AISRF has supported collaborative, leading edge research between scientists in India

and Australia across a range of agreed priority
areas. It has also helped to build linkages between premier research institutions in both
countries.

The objectives of the AISRF are to:

• increase the uptake of leading-edge science and technology (S&T) by supporting
  collaboration between Australian and Indian researchers in strategically focused,
  leading-edge scientific research and technology projects, and strengthening strategic
  alliances between Australian and Indian researchers; and
• facilitate Australia’s and India’s access to the global S&T system.

1.2 SUPPORT AVAILABLE UNDER ROUND TWELVE

Applications are sought for proposals in the 12th round of the following AISRF components:

• the Indo-Australian Fund for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (Indo-Australian
  S&T Fund); and
• Support is provided for collaborative research projects involving Indian and Australian
  partners.

We cannot fund your project if it receives funding from another government grant for
the same activities. If you receive Australian government funding for your core
activities, you will need to demonstrate that the activity you are carrying out for the
project is added to your core activities. If you have received AISRF project
funding in a previous round, you cannot receive funding for the same activities in this
round.

1.3 INDO-AUSTRALIAN S&T FUND

The Indo-Australian S&T Fund is jointly managed by the Australian Government’s
Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and the Government of India’s Department
of Science and Technology (DST).

The priority areas for collaborative research projects in Round Eleven of the Indo-Australian S&T Fund are:

• Climate change mitigation and adaptation
• Food processing, storage and distribution
• Mining safety and efficiency

All applications for the Indo-Australian S&T Fund must fall within one of this priority area.
Applications not related to this area will not be considered.

1.4 TIMELINE FOR ROUND TWELVE

The call for applications for Round Twelve is open from 28th August 2019 to 23rd October 2019. For online submission of application forms please visit at
https://onlinedst.gov.in/Projectproposalformat.aspx

PART 2 – ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply for funding under the Indo-Australian S&T Fund, the Indian applicant
must:

• Seek support for a bilateral collaborative research project in one of the priority areas of
  research;
• Have obtained the agreement of their proposed Australian research partner to undertake
  the project activities;
• Be one of the following ‘eligible organisations’ (or a consortium of eligible organisations):
• Education institution;
• UGC recognized Universities/ Deemed Universities
• Academic Institutes and National Research & Development Laboratories/Institutes
• public sector research agency; or
• private, not for profit, research organisation (Recognised by the Department of
  Scientific & Industrial Research, Govt. of India organisation as S&T organisation)
• Address each of the Assessment Criteria
• Seek funding for eligible expenses; and
• Not seek funding for activities funded under another Indian Government program.

2.2 Conditions relating to Eligibility Criteria

AISRF grants are not intended to duplicate support available from other Indian Government
sources. Where an applicant already receives Indian Government funding for their core
activities, the applicant will only be eligible if they can demonstrate that the activity for which funding is sought is additional to their core activities.

2.3 Eligible activities and expenses

Under the Indo-Australian S&T Fund, the Indian Government will support the direct costs of
bilateral collaborative research projects in one of the priority areas of research
The Indian side will provide for the following expenses:

• International economy excursion class return airfares for Indian researchers
  travelling to Australia to participate in collaborative research projects (international airfares for Australian researchers travelling to India will be met by the Australian Government);
• Living expenses, including accommodation and meals, for Australian researchers travelling to India to participate in collaborative research projects and workshops. The Indian side will contribute a maximum of Indian Rs. 2,500/ per person per day or Indian Rs. 25,000/- per person per month whichever is the lesser amount and Guest House Accommodation Charges (Living expenses, including accommodation and meals, for Indian researchers travelling to Australia, will be met by the Australian Government, Australian side will contribute a maximum of AUD$300 per person per day, or AUD$4,000 per person per month, whichever is the lesser amount). Manpower-Salaries and on-costs for Indian researchers employed specifically for the project (this includes JRF/RA etc.) as per DST norms.
• Minor Equipment (if specific)
• Consumables up to 2 lakhs per year

Details of cash and in-kind contributions should be disclosed

2.4 Costs not eligible for support

The following activities/costs will not be funded by the Indian Government:

• any cost incurred prior to the execution of a funding agreement with the Indian
  Government;
• costs that duplicate the in-kind support from the applicant or other participants in the
  project;
• capital expenditure for the purchase of assets such as office furniture, motor vehicles,
  computers, printers or photocopiers;
• costs involved in the purchase or upgrade/hire of software (including user licenses) and
  ICT hardware (unless it can be used only for the project);
• administration and infrastructure costs;
• Indian project manager’s salary and salaries for existing staff, including salary-related
  expenses;
• staff recruitment and relocation costs;
• international travel and living expenses for undergraduate and Masters students;
• costs associated with the protection or patenting of intellectual property;
• costs associated with the internal preparation of finance and audit statements; and
• debt financing.

2.5 Duration of projects

Projects may range from short bilateral collaborations to more complex projects spanning up to three years

2.6 Cash and in-kind support from other sources

Applicants will be assessed on the level of support that they can procure from both Indian
and Australian organisations (including the applicant’s own organisation) for the collaborative research project.

There is no requirement for applicants to demonstrate that the Indian contribution (cash
and/or in-kind) to the project matches or is more than the funding sought from the Indian
Government.

Indian contributions to the project may be in cash and/or in-kind. The contributions may be
from the applicant’s own organisation, or other Indian sources, for example, collaborative
participants, industry contributions or contributions from other Indian Government funding
sources. Salaries for Project Managers may also be included as an in-kind contribution.

In-kind contributions will be required to be detailed and cost. In-kind costs must be
directly related to costs of delivering the activities of the project and can include salaries of
staff for the time they are involved and other costs incurred for the duration of these
activities.

PART 3 – ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND PROCESS

3.1 Notes on the Assessment Criteria

Applicants should note that, in accordance with the ‘value with public money’ requirements
of the Government of India, they should clearly demonstrate that the intended outcomes
cannot be achieved without grant assistance from the AISRF.

Please note the maximum number of words or pages specified for each criterion, use clear
language, avoid technical jargon wherever possible and spell out acronyms or abbreviations
in the first instance. Include all information and do not refer to other sources, e.g. websites.

Supporting documentation should be provided as listed under each of the criteria.

The information provided in your application must be consistent with that provided by your
Australian partner’s application to the Government of Australia.

3.2 Assessment Criteria

Providing the eligibility criteria set out in the AISRF Guidelines have been met, applicants will be assessed against the following criteria, all of which must be addressed. The assessment criteria must be addressed as a written proposal of no more than ten (10) A4 pages (other than supporting documentation identified below), to be submitted as an attachment with the online application form.

NOTE: Use the same Project title as the one in the Project Details section of the application
form. The Project title must be identical in both the Australian and Indian applications.

This table provides a guide on how to address each of the assessment criteria:

3.5 Eligibility checks and assessment of applications

All Indian applications received by the Department by the advertised closing date will be
assessed in accordance with the AISRF Guidelines and these Application Instructions.

3.6 Discrepancies, ambiguities, inconsistencies, errors or omissions in an application

The Indian and Australian Governments will not accept responsibility for any
misunderstanding arising from the failure by an applicant to comply with the guidelines, or
arising from any ambiguity, discrepancy, error or omission contained in an application.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring the correctness, sufficiency and eligibility of their
submitted application. If an applicant discovers any material discrepancy, ambiguity,
inconsistency, error or omission in their application, they must immediately bring it to the
attention of the Department by email to [email protected].

The Department may request further information from an applicant or referee and allow an
applicant to remedy any errors, omissions etc in an application at any time, including after
the round closing date. The Department reserves the right to consider new information
regarding matters referred to in the original application at any time, including after the round closing date.

The Department reserves the right to allow applicants to correct errors or omissions in
submitted applications. On these matters, the Department’s decision will be final. No
correspondence will be entered into in relation to the decision other than to inform the
applicant of the decision.

Note: Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence.

Please note that on the Indian side applicant already implementing two projects
funded by the International Division of DST is not eligible to submit the project
against this call.

Guidelines for Proposal Submission

• The deadline for the submission of proposals is 23rd October 2019.
• The Indian researchers can download the proposal formats from website
  www.onlinedst.gov.in after registering themselves (if applying for the first time) and
  should submit completed application form and all relevant information. Proposals
  must be submitted to DST through the e-application system provided at
  www.onlinedst.gov.in. Indian Applicants are also requested to send two hard copies
  to DST by 23rd October 2019 through proper channel. It should be ensured that
  application with an identical title has been submitted by his / her Australian
  counterpart to AISRF by the due date.
• Please remember to upload 6 documents before “SUBMIT” the final proposal.
  So make it ready (in the formats given below) before submitting.
  i. Biodata of the PI (in pdf, Max size 800kb)
  ii. Conflict of Interest (in pdf, Max size 800kb)
  iii. Certificate from PI (in pdf, Max size 800kb)
  iv. Endorsement from Head of the Institute (in pdf, Max size 800kb)
  v. Complete proposal (in pdf with max size 5mb)
  vi. Complete proposal (in doc with max size 5mb)
• Proposal submitted only on one side will not be considered.
• Australian Principal Investigators need to submit proposals with a matching joint
  research project plan to AISRF simultaneously. Australian Researchers are
  requested to contact AISRF for their application submission period, documents to be
  submitted etc.
• Soft copies of the proposal should be sent to [email protected] and hard copies of
  the proposal should be submitted to the following address:

Dr (Mrs) Ujjwala Tripti Tirkey,
Scientist ‘F’/Director, Room No. 19-B, S&T Block I,
International Cooperation (Bilateral), Department of Science and Technology,
Technology Bhavan, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi 110016
Tel: +91 (0)11 2659 0377; +91 (0)11 2686 4642 ; Email: [email protected].

For application format, please see
International Cooperation (Bilateral) at
https://onlinedst.gov.in/Projectproposalformat.aspx

View Notification Below

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