CFPs: France-Malaysia Collaboration Programme for Joint Research

MyTIGER is an initiative by the Embassy of France to Malaysia in order to continue supporting bilateral cooperation in research, 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.

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);
  • 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.

Focus Areas

• 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

• Funding for the French teams (€5000/year for two consecutive years) is provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in France (MEAE) and the Ministry for Research and Higher Education (MESR).
• Teams in Malaysia are supported by a matching grant (11,500 – 23,000 MYR/year for two consecutive years) provided by the Malaysian institution in which the PI holds a permanent or fixed-term (2 years minimum) position.

Eligibility Criteria

• Researchers may only submit one application to this scheme as Principal Investigators (PI), but they may be involved in more applications.
• 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 (2025-2026) and, if the project is successful and budgetary constraints allow for it, in year 2 (2026-2027) and they agree to administer the matching grant. Applicants in Malaysia will also need to adhere to the co-funding Malaysian institution’s progress and outcomes monitoring requirements.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Applicants with active MyTIGER projects will not be considered for this call.

Evaluation Criteria

• Scientific quality and innovative character of the project;
• Design and feasibility of the project plan;
• Competence and complementarity of the research teams;
• Involvement and training of young researchers;
• Perspectives for valorisation of the project and structuration of the partnership.

For more information, visit Embassy of France in Malaysia.