As part of its efforts to promote and support research activities calling for collaboration between its own project teams or researchers from other specialist fields or organisations, INRIA is launching a new call for proposals, aimed at scientists both in France and abroad.
1. Principle
2. Awarding
3. Functioning and result follow up
4. Further information
1. Principle
IINRIA is setting up Collaborative Research Initiatives (ARC) as part of its strategic plan. Through this programme, the Institute seeks to foster synergy between teams with different, but complementary, skills and support areas of research which require contributions from researchers from several fields or organisations.
In this way, it intends to strengthen or develop new research partnerships between one or more of its own project teams and external researchers or research groups, both in France and abroad.
The collaborative research programme sets out to support scientific activities already underway which are not necessarily related to a short-term transfer project. There is no need to set up industrial partnerships or development initiatives within this context, although this could be done at a later stage. However, research activities will be assessed largely on the basis of their potential applications.
The aim of the programme is to launch research initiatives that do not fall within the scope of activities of a particular research centre or existing ANR or international programmes. For example, there is a need for innovative partnerships on topics not covered by such programmes and contributing to the Institute's strategic priorities. Each proposal will, however, be examined on the basis of its specific merits and researchers are asked to adopt a creative approach. Depending on results, some initiatives could grow into projects of national importance.
Resources allocated to research initiatives are intended to cover a period of two years and may be reviewed at the half-way stage. The budget is chiefly dedicated to scientific coordination.(For information, an initiative may be allocated an average annual budget of €25,000, which covers running costs, equipment and internships).A post-doctoral researcher may be allocated on top of this amount.A total budget of some €1.5 million (including these contractual positions) could be devoted to this programme. An INRIA project team may also apply for a doctoral student for an ongoing initiative as part of the CORDI programme.
2. Awarding
2.1 Deadline
2.1. The application deadline is November 10, 2007.
2.2 Application file
An electronic file (.pdf and .text source code or .doc format) is required. It must be based on the following model:
- Title, abbreviated name and summary of the proposal,
- Perfectly clear description of the goals of the collaboration,
- Description of planned scientific activities,
- Expected results,
- Identity and role of participants,
-
Name of the person in charge (member of an INRIA project-team),
- Amount requested and planned use of funds.
The completed file must not be too long, yet contain enough information to allow the proposal to be properly assessed in terms of its interest, the relevance of the collaboration and the scientific quality of the partners. For information, the scientific part could be between three and eight pages long.
If an international partnership is justified, the initiative may also be supported as an Associate Team by the International Relations Department, on the same basis as those teams that have responded to the call for Associate Teams.
In order to apply for this additional support, the person in charge of the collaboration must simply include an explicit request in the ARC file. The Research Department will then coordinate the procedure with the International Relations Department.
The file must be sent to Laura Norcy at the Research
Institute secretary's office Laura
Norcy.
2.3 Decision-making procedure
Applications will be supervised by the Research Department. Proposals will be examined by an Incentive Initiatives Committee, which will submit a list of initiatives to be supported, in order of priority. On the basis of this list, INRIA Management will reach a decision by the end of 2007, thus allowing selected initiatives to be ready to start in January 2008.
2.4 Expenses covered
Theoretically, the following expenses may be covered: equipment, assignments, internships, workshops, invitations and seminars. The application must be broken down into the three items: equipment, assignments/meetings and internships. Any applications for a post-doctoral position must also be stipulated for the first or second year. Post-doctoral researchers (French or foreign) may carry out their research with the most appropriate initiative partner from the scientific point of view, as long as it is not the team with which they prepared their PhD. They may also share their time among several partners.
However, as this funding is not of a contractual nature, expert engineers may not be hired.
Regarding research groups outside INRIA, it should be noted that although INRIA may cover certain expenses, there are no plans to set up financial transfers between organisations.
Furthermore, once the Collaborative Research Initiative has been selected, one of the INRIA teams concerned may apply to the Research Department for additional funding under the CORDI programme.
3.Procedure and result follow-up
When an initiative is accepted, a web page is created and maintained. Results must be submitted at the end of the initiative to show the progress made. Results will be presented every year at a special, very open forum called the "Journées
Nationales des ARC".
All partners involved in the initiative must agree to publish their results in this way.
A half-way progress review with the Research Department will provide another opportunity to update applications for support for the following year.
4. Further information
Information on Collaborative Research Initiatives underway can be
found on the web at: http://www.inria.fr/recherche/arc/index.en.html
Any questions relating to this call for proposals should be sent to Hélène
Kirchner, Deputy scientific director.
