CFAs: ASEAN-India Collaborative R&D Scheme 2024

ASEAN-India Science, Technology and Innovation cooperation started formally in 1996 with establishment of ASEAN India S&T working Group on Science and Technology (AIWGST). Initially, the collaborative ASEAN-India S&T activities were supported through ASEAN India Fund (AIF) but in 2008, Government of India established a dedicated fund viz ASEAN India S&T Development Fund (AISTDF) to support R&D projects and associated project development activities. The total budget of AISTDF is an equivalent amount of 5 Million USD in INR. This amount of 5 Million USD is jointly shared by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Department of Science & Technology (DST).

The Department of Science & Technology (Govt. of India) is the nodal Department for execution and implementation of ASEAN-India S&T Cooperation program from Indian side.

Objectives

• The main objectives of ASEAN-India Science, Technology and Innovation cooperation are based on following principles:
  • Encourage and promote cooperation in science, technology and innovation, including through joint research activity, and development on cross-sectoral areas such as health, communicable and emerging infectious diseases, environmental management, climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, agricultural technologies, alternative energy, biodiversity, food processing, advanced materials for development of value-added products, and space technology and applications;
  • Undertake activities and develop program/projects under the ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund;

Goals

• To intensify interaction and scientific cooperation between Indian and ASEAN Member States.
• To connect existing research projects/networks in India and ASEAN Member States.
• To enhance human and institutional capacity and research training and development of young scholars.

Priority Areas

• The priority areas for present call is below:
  • AI & HPC
  • Marine Science and Technology
  • Materials Science

Funding Information

• The funds under AISTDF are available only in INR. Therefore, budget/funds must be projected only in Indian rupee in accordance with following guidelines:
  • The funding support is available only to support mobility of project participants/researchers from India to partnering ASEAN MS and vice versa.
  • Some incremental funding ie Rs. 5 lacs per year for accessories or add-ons to existing equipment; chemicals and consumables etc is also available only to the Indian partner Institute.
  • Salary for scientific manpower (One Post-Doc) shall be supported ONLY to Indian partner institute.
  • The over-head charges to the Indian partner Institute/University shall be payable @5% of the total non-travel budget of the project.
  • The entire grant as recommended by the Evaluation Committee and approved by AISTDF shall be released and placed at the disposal of lead Indian Institute in INR.
  • Around 20 projects shall be supported against this Call typically with a grant size of Rs. 35-40 lakh for 2 years duration.
• Project Duration
  • Max 2 years. No cost extension for a max period of 6 months could be considered based on the technical progress of the project.

Cost Covered

• General support for mobility of project participants shall be support as per following financial norms:
  • International airfare by lowest economy class from place of work in sending country to the place of work in receiving country including visa fees, overseas medical insurance, domestic travel connected to international travel etc
  • The local hospitality expenses (lodging, boarding, airport transfers etc) for visiting respective partner country (India to ASEAN MS and vice versa) shall be supported Rs. 7,000/- per day (all inclusive).

Composition of Project team and duration of visits

• The project is necessarily to be developed jointly by the scientists/researchers in India and partners from ASEAN Member States.
• The project team must comprise of a Project Investigator (PI) from India and PI’s from at-least 2 different ASEAN Member States.
• The maximum number of project participants from each country must be only two (a lead PI and one junior researcher ie young faculty/scientist or a post-doc).
• Only one visit per year per participant from each participating country is permitted to visit each participating ASEAN MS by Indian project participants and vice versa by ASEAN project participants to India.
• The duration of each visit can be max 14 days per year for lead PI’s and max of 30 days per year for junior researchers. One visit is defined as a visit by a scientist to the partner country.
• The visit(s) of Indian participants to partner ASEAN MS must not be over-lapping with other Indian partner’s visit and should not be clubbed with other visits.

Eligibility Criteria

• Scientists with an appointment as a regular faculty/researcher at any eligible Indian/ASEAN MS institution, holding a Ph.D. degree (MD in case of medical professionals) can apply as Principal Investigator (PI).
• The maximum age of each project participant must NOT exceed 60 years as on date of submission of the project.
• The PIs who have already completed an ASEAN-India R&D project can apply only after 2 years from date of completion of closure formalities of the already awarded project.
• The appointment of the PI’s and other project participants must be till the end of duration of the project. No request for change of PI/Project participant and/or institution shall be considered in any case after sanction of the project.
• The project may include a junior faculty/scientist or a post-doc. The total number of participants on each participating country should not exceed 2(two).
• Eligible institutions in India:
  • All Universities/Academic Institutions recognised under Indian Laws by UGC, Publicly funded R&D Institutes/Labs are eligible to apply.
  • Private companies/R&D Labs, NGO’s and associations/consortiums are not eligible for funding under the scheme.
• Eligible institutions in ASEAN MS:
  • All Academic/Research Institutions and Universities which are eligible and recoganised to receive funding from ASEAN Secretariate are eligible to apply. The queries regarding eligibility of ASEAN partner institutions may be cross checked/verified from ASEAN Secretariat.

Ineligible

• The following types of proposals shall not be considered:
  • ASEAN and India project proponents who already have an existing ASEAN-India collaborative project
  • Purely individual visits/training programme;
  • Organisation of Seminars/Workshops or participation in a Conference/Congress.

For more information, visit Department of Science & Technology.