RFBR and DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) continue to hold on a permanent basis competitions for joint projects of basic research in the following areas of knowledge:

(01) mathematics, mechanics, informatics ;

(02) physics and astronomy;

(03) chemistry and studies of materials;

(04) biology and medical science;

(05) Earth sciences;

(06) humanities and social sciences;

(07) information and telecommunication systems;

(08) fundamentals of engineering sciences.

Following are the competitions held:

• NNIO_a - a competition for initiative-based scientific projects carried out by small (up to 10 persons) scientific collectives (research teams) or individual scientists;
• NNIO_g - a competition for projects to organize Russian-German seminars with the number of participants from each side not more than 10 persons whose duration will be 7 days, within the territory of Russia;
• NNIO_z - a competition for projects to participate in Russian-German seminars with the number of participants from each side not more than 10 persons whose duration will be 7 days, within the territory of Germany.

Applications to take part in the competitions will be accepted all year round without limitation as to when applications are submitted to RFBR.

Application submission procedure

Reviewed will be only those applications that are prepared via the Internet using our interactive Grant-Express system.

Applications to take part in the NNIO_a and NNIO_z competitions will be registered only after the RFBR International Relations Department receives a relevant letter from DFG on the support provided to the relevant application by the German partner.

Printed-out copies of applications should be sent to the address of the Foundation.

Specifics of submitting applications to take part in different kinds of competitions

NNIO_a competition

Prior to submitting an application, the Russian and German managers of a joint project must agree on their research topics, the name of the project, the apportioning of scientific tasks performed by each side and also on the work schedule under the project and a preliminary plan of their mutual travel. It is not allowed that one and the same initiative-based project should be submitted to different RFBR competitions (for example, if a project is submitted to the a competition, it cannot be submitted to an international or regional competition; if a project has already been submitted under a competition, it may not be submitted to take part in any other competition). Thereafter, German project managers shall submit their applications to DFG (applications should be submitted as per forms provided by the German partners). And each such application has to pass through expert review both at the relevant science department of DFG and in the international department of DFG. The German manager of a project will inform the manager of the project from the Russian side on the results of the review of his application by DFG by sending the latter a fax copy of the letter received in this connection from DFG's international department.

If a positive decision is made by DFG, the Russian manager of the project will send his application to RFBR which will have to be drawn up in accordance with the rules and requirements applicable to the main a competition of RFBR. A printed-out copy of the application will have to be accompanied with a facsimile copy of the letter on the support of the project received by the German partner from the international department of DFG. The application must be accompanied with a preliminary plan of mutual travels which should be appended to the application on a separate page.

The duration of the project shall be 1, 2 or 3 years and shall coincide with the duration specified in an application made by the German project manager and approved by decision of DFG.

NNIO_z competition

An application must be submitted by the Russian director of a seminar at least 4 months before the beginning of the event and must be drawn up in accordance with rules and requirements effective with respect to the main g competition of RFBR which will correspond to the year of application submission.

To the printed-out copy of the application must be appended the following documents:

• the scientific program of the seminar;
• the list of Russian and German participants of the seminar;
• topics and key notes of speeches or reports by each participant of the seminar;
• a written consent of the director of the institution at whose base the event is organized;
• a full description of planned financial expenses, taking into account accommodation and subsistence expenses of German participants of the seminar.

If an application is supported by RFBR, the director of the seminar will contact his or her German co-director notifying him or her of the fact that he or she can submit to DFG an application to participate in the joint event.

NNIO_z competition

After the receipt of information (a relevant fax message from DFG's international department) from the German director of a seminar on the positive decision made by DFG, the Russian co-director of the seminar will cause individual applications from Russian participants of the seminar to be sent to RFBR. Individual applications by each participant of the seminar must be prepared in accordance with the rules and requirements applicable to the main z competition of RFBR. Printed-out copies of individual applications collected by the Russian co-director of the seminar must be received by RFBR not later than 60 days before the event begins.

A printed-out copy of each individual application must be accompanied with:

• the scientific program of the seminar;
• topics and key notes of speeches and reports thereat;
• explication of financial expenditures taking into account the fact that accommodation and subsistence will be paid for by the German side.

Specifics of funding under the competitions

NNIO_a competition

The maximum amount of a grant for a year of work shall be RUB 500,000.

A project is considered started on the same date as funding is obtained for the first year of research work thereunder. Funds allocated for project implementation will be sent to the project funding organization specified in the respective application and may be used to conduct research under all items of the budget approved by RFBR. In this respect, expenses (transportation) associated with trips to the project partners should be classed under the Transportation Services section. Amounts required to arrange reception for German partners should be classed under the Other Expenses section

In the event Russian scientists -- participants of a joint project -- are sent to Germany under a joint project, all accommodation and subsistence expenses shall be borne by the German side.

NNIO_z competition

Funds allocated by RFBR to organize and hold joint Russian-German seminars may be used only to compensate expenses provided for by the g competition and may also be used to pay for board and accommodation of German seminar participants.

The maximum amount of the grant shall be RUR 300000.

NNIO_z competition

Funds allocated by RFBR for this kind of competition may be used to cover expenses as provided for by the main z competition of RFBR.

Report submission deadlines

NNIO_a competition

• A report for the 1^st year of research will be submitted within a month following the expiration of year from commencement of funding.
• A report for the 2nd year of research (unless it is a final research year) will be submitted within a month following the expiration of two years from commencement of funding.
• A final project report (for two or three years of research) will be submitted within a month following the expiration of two or three years, respectively, from commencement of funding.

At the same time, taking into account the specifics of funding, a project manager may submit an interim report earlier if he or she feels that planned work under the project has been completed early.

Reports should be submitted using the Grant-Express system with the subsequent submission to RFBR of documents in accordance with rules for submitting reports under the main a competition of RFBR.

NNIO_z competition

Reports under projects supported based on the results of the NNIO_g competition are submitted in accordance with rules for submitting reports under the main g competition of RFBR using the Grant-Express with the subsequent submission to RFBR of documents within the time periods provided for by rules for submitting reports under the main g RFBR competition.

NNIO_z competition

Reports on projects under the NNIO_z competition must be submitted in accordance with rules for submitting reports under the z competition of RFBR.

Contact persons and addresses

RFBR

Kovalev, Vladimir Vasilievich

Department for International Relations

tel: 938 5253

fax: 938 5456

e-mail: [email protected]

DFG Representative Office in Moscow

Dr. Christian Schaich

Head, Representative Office

119017 Moscow

1 Kazachy per. 5/2, bldg. 1

tel: 956 2690

fax: 956 2705/06

e-mail [email protected]