International call for projects AUF COVID-19.2 for young researchers
The AUF has just published a call for projects for young researchers wishing to support projects related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Context and issues
The AUF, attentive and sensitive to the evolution of this situation, launches a new international call "AUF-COVID-19.2" by widening the typology of the eligible projects.
This new call will also be able to finance research actions, surveys and/or studies devoted to the analysis of the consequences of the health crisis and which propose innovative solutions that it is in the fields of health, sciences and technologies but also of humanities, economic and social sciences.
The call prioritizes :
Teams of young researchers carrying out projects for the benefit of Southern countries
Consortia proposing projects with national, regional or international impact. The involvement of the Ministries concerned is encouraged and valued.
Objectives
General objective: to enhance the contribution of higher education and research institutions members of the AUF to the development of solutions with technological and/or social impact to face the difficulties caused by the prolongation of the pandemic COVID-19.
Specific objective: to develop innovative, frugal initiatives adapted to the ecosystem in order to support societies weakened by the consequences of a long-term health crisis.
Beneficiaries
Final beneficiaries: educational structures, health structures, structures taking care of sick, vulnerable or isolated people, structures fighting against violence or discrimination based on gender, disability or belonging to marginalized environments.
Direct beneficiaries of the funding: higher education institutions members of the AUF for the benefit of students, associations or clubs of students, engineering students, young researchers, laboratories or research centers integrating young researchers, animators of Fablabs or incubators.
Eligibility criteria
Higher education institutions or research structures that are members of the AUF, alone or in consortia, as well as university networks that are members of the AUF, may submit projects. (List of AUF members available here)
The call focuses on the investment of student communities in the fight against the pandemic. However, the project coordinator must be a teacher or a researcher, permanent of one of these institutions.
Please note that projects from higher education institutions in high-income countries are eligible if and only if
They involve institutions from low- or middle-income countries
They are deployed for the benefit of low- or middle-income countries
The call aims to support:
New projects to be conducted within 12 months.
The deployment of regional or international projects, already mature, to promote local adaptation or scientific / technological transfer.
The deployment of projects or synergies between projects supported by the international call "COVID 19.1" of the AUF at national, regional or international level.
Civil society organizations (CSOs) may apply as part of a consortium led by an AUF member institution.
Projects that rely on public-private collaborations, particularly companies that wish to invest in the university system, will also be valued, always for the benefit of the ecosystem.
Fields
Only projects that integrate an inclusive and responsible dimension in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030 will be considered. Any initiative with a technological, economic and/or social impact that can be evaluated in the short or medium term is eligible.
It can be:
An aid or support system (non-exhaustive list):
Production of materials essential to care, protection or prevention of health risks
Public health actions
Development of applications
Development of decision-making, communication and health risk awareness tools
Actions to help vulnerable or isolated people
Actions to prevent the psychological or socio-economic consequences of health crises
Fight against violence against women and children
The call may also finance research actions, surveys and/or studies dedicated to the consequences of the health crisis and proposing innovative solutions in the following fields (non-exhaustive list):
Governance of education systems in times of crisis and post-crisis
University governance in times of crisis and post-crisis
Educational continuity
Training offer and pedagogical innovation
Hybridization of courses
Distance assessment and certification
Psycho-social and economic consequences of the pandemic on student and campus life, or more broadly on target social groups
Alternatives to international mobility
Consequences of the pandemic on the formal and informal labor market of the ecosystem
Expected results
The results of the projects should have an impact for the beneficiaries in the short or medium term in response to the prolongation of the health crisis and its consequences.
Budget
In view of the needs, the AUF is devoting to this new international call "AUF-COVID-19.2" an exceptional fund of 1,000,000 euros.
Budgetarily, the projects to be submitted are divided into 2 categories:
Category A projects (projects with a rapid technological, economic and/or social impact):
The AUF grant is a maximum of 20,000 euros and can cover up to 90% of the global budget.
Category B projects (exceptional project with high impact or particularly innovative, with a national, inter-regional or international dimension):
The AUF grant is a maximum of 50,000 euros and can cover up to 80% of the overall project budget.
The co-financing, public or private, must be specified in the submitted budget. The valorization of work time (research, production or management) is eligible for co-financing.
Eligible expenses :
Purchase of raw materials and transport costs
Purchase or rental of equipment, consumables and shipping costs
Costs of conformity or certification tests or possible homologation
Communication, Internet and telecommunications costs
Development costs for applications or digital tools (service provision)
Missions and travel (national or between countries of the consortium), subject to health regulations in force by the governments concerned
Allowances calculated on the basis of local parametric costs for trainers from outside the institution or for data collection and surveys (students)
Schedule
Date of publication of the call: Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Deadline for submission of forms on the platform: Thursday, July 15, 2021 at 6:00 pm (Paris time)
Date of publication of the results: from October 20, 2021
Project duration: 12 months from the date of signature of the agreement
Contacts
Requests for clarification can be sent to the AUF until July 1, 2021 at 12:00 (Paris time): appel-covid19@auf.org
No individual answer will be sent to the applicant.
A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page accessible HERE will be regularly updated until July 5, 2021 at 12:00 pm (Paris time).
An information webinar in French will be held on July 7, 2021 from 3:00 to 4:00 PM (Paris time).