Call for Proposals: The France-Malaysia Collaboration Programme for Joint Research 2024 (MyTIGER)

The France-Malaysia collaboration programme for joint research (MyTIGER) is a joint funding programme which aims at structuring and stimulating research cooperation between France and Malaysia.

MyTIGER is an initiative by the Embassy of France to Malaysia in order to continue supporting bilateral cooperation in research after the successful implementation of the PHC-Hibiscus (2019 and 2020) and MATCH programme (2021) conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE). MyTIGER is based on a call for projects, an independent evaluation process, the selection of projects guided by common interests and ambition for excellence, and a mechanism between Malaysia and France. The first edition of MyTIGER was successfully launched in 2022.

Objectives

• MyTIGER aims at:
  • Strengthening scientific and technological exchanges between France and Malaysia on the basis of mutual benefit;
  • Supporting existing cooperation and encouraging new collaborations through innovative joint research projects;
  • Contributing towards the training of young researchers (MSc students, PhD students) in joint projects through bilateral cooperation;
  • Fostering the promotion and enhancement of joint research activities (scientific co-publications, seminars, workshops, joint patent registration, joint diploma); and
  • Developing synergies between the scientific communities of the two countries in order to create high-level, structured and sustainable research networks, recognized at European and international levels.

Areas of Priority Cooperation

• The development of multi, inter and transdisciplinary collaborations and projects, especially those including social sciences and humanities, and addressing the areas listed below will be particularly welcomed:
  • Oceans, environment, climate change, renewable energies
  • Sustainable cities and transportation
  • Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security
  • Health (Infectious Diseases, Non-Communicable Diseases and Epidemiology)
  • Information and Communications Technology (AI and Multimedia, Big Data and Cybersecurity, ICT for Ageing)
  • Advanced Manufacturing and Frontier Technology

Funding Information

• Each proposal must include a financial engagement form signed by an official representative of the Malaysian institution indicating that a matching grant (minimum of 2500 euros/year) will be awarded to the PI in charge of the submitted project in Malaysia, provided the project is funded by France:

Coordination of the programme

• The organizing committee (hereafter called “the Committee”) is composed of representatives from the French Embassy in Malaysia, in connection with the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR).
• The missions of the Committee are as follows:
  • Organization of the call for projects;
  • Definition of priority research areas;
  • Coordination of the selection of the projects to be funded;
  • Technical and financial monitoring of the programme; and
  • Coherence of the pProgramme with other actions carried out within the framework of France-Malaysian cooperation.

Eligibility Criteria

• Researchers may only submit one application to this scheme as Principal Investigators (PI), but may be involved in more applications.
• Applicants with active MyTIGER projects will not be considered for this call.
• Each project is carried by two PIs, one from France and one from Malaysia. Each PI:
  • Must have been awarded a doctorate at the time of application;
  • Ought to hold a permanent or fixed-term contract (2 years minimum term) in an eligible institution. Applicants with fixed terms contracts finishing before their grant end-date must secure confirmation from their Head of Department, stating that their contract will be extended to cover the duration of the award if their application is successful;
  • Should be competent in oral and written English.
• Research organisations eligible to apply are:
  • For France: all French research laboratories attached to higher education establishments or research organizations. Companies can participate in the project, as long as they are associated with an academic partner.
  • For Malaysia: Public Universities, Private Universities or other research institutions, provided they commit to financing the project through a matching grant for year 1 (2024-2025) and, if the project is successful and budgetary constraints allow for it, in year 2 (2025-2026) and they agree to administer the matching grant. Applicants in Malaysia will need to adhere to the co-funding Malaysian institution’s progress and outcomes monitoring requirements.

For more information, visit Embassy of France in Kuala Lumpur.