Kenya-France PAMOJA PHC Call for Applications (2015/2016)

Kenya and France have for a long time had scientific cooperation, formalized since 2009 through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the three French Research Institutes based in Kenya, namely: the French Research Institute for Development (IRD), the International Cooperation Center for Agronomic Research Applied to Development (CIRAD) and the French Institute of Research in Africa (IFRA Nairobi).

Kenya and France wish to strengthen those co-operation activities in Higher Education, Science, and Technology as expressed in the bilateral scientific cooperation agreement signed on 5^th May 2015 known as “PAMOJA PHC” (Hubert Curien Partnership). The PAMOJA PHC opens the doors of 400 French Research Laboratories to Kenyan Research Institutions and Researchers.

Kenya becomes the second Sub-Saharan country to sign a PHC with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, besides South Africa.

PAMOJA PHC will be implemented in Kenya by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology through the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), and in France by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development (MAEDI) and the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR). The general objectives of the programme are to:

§  Promote and support scientific and technological cooperation between Kenyan and French Researchers working in the public institutions;

§  Develop new collaborative linkages that will result in innovative ideas;

§  Build the capacities of junior researchers; and

§  Encourage exchange and synergy between researchers, by supporting their mobility between the two countries, thus establishing a sustainable network.

Type of funded projects:

All research topics are eligible. Priority, however, will be given to projects carried out in the following areas:

§  Space Science and Technology;

§  Biotechnologies and Biosciences (includes Health, Agriculture, Biomathematics);

§  Energy Science and Technology;

§  Computer Science;

§  Environmental Science;

§  Humanities and Social Sciences; and

§  Engineering and the built environment.   

Criteria for the constitution of the teams:

§  Kenya: this call is open to scientists working and living in Kenya and attached to any public institution operating in the higher education and research sector and officially recognized by state.

§  France: this call is open to research laboratories attached to higher education institutions, research organizations or to private companies.

§  Consideration will only be given to applications formally validated by the institutions responsible for the partner teams.

§  Each project will be managed by two scientific coordinators, one in Kenya, one in France. They will be in charge of the scientific, technical and administrative coordination of the project, as well as of the scientific and financial reporting.

Criteria for the projects:

• Applications that are jointly submitted by the partners and their relevant authorities in their respective countries will be eligible.
• Selection will be made considering the following criteria:
• Scientific quality
• Quality and competence of the Kenyan and French teams
• Relevance of the cooperation and complementarity
• Participation to the project of Junior Researchers and/or PhD students as a capacity building strategy
• Perspectives

• Emphasis will be in research training of PhD students and Junior Researchers. For that purpose, integration of PhD students and Junior Researchers, as well as exchange of post PhD students will be encouraged.

Projects selection committees:

• Eligible projects will be assessed by two scientific committees, one Kenya and the other in France. The committees will be made of experts recognized in the different research areas prioritized by the PHC. For the Kenyan part, NACOSTI will be responsible for the scientific assessment of the applications. For the French part, the Mission for Europe and International for Research, Innovation and Higher Education, from the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research will be responsible for the scientific assessment of the applications.
• The final decision for funding is jointly made by Kenyan and French authorities, on the basis of the scientific assessments.

Modalities of implementation:

Funds are meant to support researchers’ mobility (including doctoral, post-doctoral students and Junior Researchers) between the two countries, i.e.: international flights, accommodation and allowances (including social insurance).

• Each approved project will be funded by both parties, Kenyan and French. Partners of both countries are encouraged to raise other sources of funding to complete the support.
• Funds provided by France will cater for:
• Transport expenses of French Junior and Senior Researchers going to Kenya: reimbursement in the limit of 1 000 € for one return ticket France/Kenya.
• Allowances of Kenyan Junior Researchers (PhD and post PhD students) going to France: 70 €/day, for a maximum duration of 60 days per stay.
• Allowances of Kenyan Senior Researchers going to France: 120 €/day, for a maximum duration of 30 days per stay.  

• Funds provided by Kenya will cater for:
• Transport expenses of Kenyan Junior and Senior Researchers going to France: reimbursement in the limit of 100 000 KES[1] for one return ticket Kenya/France.
• Allowances of French Junior Researchers (PhD and post PhD students) going to Kenya: 5 000 KES/day, for a maximum duration of 60 days per stay.
• Allowances of French Senior Researchers going to Kenya: 10 000 KES/day, for a maximum duration of 30 days per stay.

• Funding is given for a total maximum duration of 2 years.
• In Kenya, funds will be given for two consecutive financial years: money must be disbursed between August 1^st of year 1 and July 31^st of year 2 (it cannot be spent after July 31^st of year 2). The second year of financing will be disbursed after submission of short mid-term scientific and financial reports, jointly written and submitted in English by the two coordinators (Kenyan and French). For the Kenyan Party, this mid-term report must be sent in June, at the end of the first year, to the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (see the contact below).
• In France, funds will be given on an annual basis for two consecutive financial years: money must be disbursed between January 1^st and December 31^st of the same given year and cannot be spent the year after. The second year of financing will be disbursed after submission of a short mid-term scientific and financial report, jointly written and submitted in English by the two coordinators (French and Kenyan). For the French Party, this mid-term report must be sent in October, at the end of the first year, to the Department for Co-operation and Cultural Affairs of the French Embassy to Kenya (see the contact below).

Researchers from each country, especially the scientific coordinators, must take all necessary measures to ensure the protection and sharing of intellectual property, resulting from joint research projects. They need to read carefully the attached document related to good practices in terms of intellectual property rights management. The submission of the project includes de facto the adhesion of all parties to these rules.

Monitoring of the projects:

• A final scientific and financial report will be written in English Language by the two scientific coordinators, Kenyan and French, latest three months after the end of the projects.
• The Kenyan scientific coordinator must use the template available on NACOSTI website.
• The French scientific coordinator must use the template available on Campus France website and download it onto their online file within the deadline.
• The French scientific coordinator will send both hard and soft copies of the final report to the Co-operation Attaché for Higher Education and Research at the French Embassy in Kenya (see below the contacts for the programme).
• The Kenyan scientific coordinator will send both hard and soft copies of the final report to NACOSTI (see below the contacts for the programme).

Submission of applications:

In Kenya, application forms can be downloaded on NACOSTI’s website, before being submitted both in soft and hard copies to NACOSTI (see below the contacts for the programme).

In France, the scientific coordinator is invited to submit his application on Campus France’s website in anticipation, to make sure that no unexpected technical problem will prevent him from submitting the application within the given deadline.

Consult the modalities of online submission of applications. 

Calendar:

• Deadline for the joint submission of applications: 15^th September 2015
• Diffusion of results: January 2016
• Beginning of the projects: February 2016

Contacts for the programme:

Kenya: Director General,

National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation,

8^th floor, Utalii House

Utalii Lane #, Nairobi

P.O. Box 30623 – 00100 Nairobi, Kenya

Tel. (Land line): 020310571/0202241349

Wireless: 020 267 3550

Mobile: 0713 788 787/0735 404 245

Fax. 020 221 3215

Email: dg@nacosti.go.ke

Website: www.nacosti.go.ke

France: Co-operation Attaché for Higher Education and Research

French Embassy to Kenya

Barclays Plaza 15^th floor, Loita Street

PO Box 41 784 – 00 100 Nairobi, Kenya

Tel. +254 (0)20 277 8720

Fax. +254 (0)20 277 8780

Mél. cooperation.nairobi@diplomatie.gouv.fr

Site internet : www.ambafrance-ke.org

N.B. The following are the required documents to participate in this call:

1. Application Form
2. Guidelines of Good practices

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[1] Estimate exchange rate : 100 KES = 1 €.