PROTEA Franco-South African Grants 2024 for South African Researchers

PROTEA is the Franco-South African Hubert Curien Partnership. It is implemented in France by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) and the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research (MESRI), and in the partner country by the National Research Foundation.

When is the Application Deadline:

30th May 2023

Tell Me About PROTEA Franco-South African Grants:

Launched in 1997 within the framework of an intergovernmental agreement between France and South Africa, the Partenariat Hubert Curien (PHC) PROTEA is a programme supporting the mobility of researchers from both scientific communities.

It is implemented in France by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) and the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research (MESRI), and in South Africa by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

A true cornerstone of bilateral scientific cooperation, the PHC PROTEA is open to all scientists and academics from France and South Africa and aims to develop, through equal financial support, joint research and research training capacities. Calls for applications for this programme are launched on an annual basis.

The projects, proposed jointly by a French and South African project leader, are evaluated separately in France and South Africa and then selected by a joint Franco-South African committee. The selected projects are funded for a period of two years.

Since its creation, the PHC PROTEA has supported more than 200 research projects between the two countries. Project funding mainly allows for the mobility of researchers, as well as access to research-related equipment.

Which Fields are Eligible?

The objective of this program is to develop scientific and technological exchanges of excellence between laboratories of the two countries, by promoting new cooperation and the participation of young researchers and doctoral students.

All scientific fields, including the humanities and social sciences,  are concerned by this program.

What Type of Scholarship is this?

Grants

Who can apply for PROTEA Franco-South African Grants?

The call for applications is open to tenured researchers in research laboratories attached to higher education establishments or research organisations.

For the French part , companies can participate in the project, as long as they are associated with an academic partner.

For the South African part , companies are not eligible.

Projects that have already received support under this program  will not be given priority.

Only  application files co-submitted  by the partner researchers to the bodies responsible for the program in their respective countries are declared admissible.

French researchers must check with their partner.

How are Applicants Selected?

• Scientific quality of the project and the teams;
• Active participation of young researchers (doctoral students, post-doctoral students, statutory researchers);
• Active participation of women;
• In South Africa, applications from scholars from historically disadvantaged institutions will be favorably considered;
• Benefit of cooperation and complementarity of French and foreign teams;
• Prospects for structuring or valuing the project. Network projects with a European opening in particular will be considered as priorities. Researchers thus have the possibility of submitting an application within the framework of another PHC, on the same research theme.

Which Countries are Eligible?

South Africa

How Many Grants will be Given?

8 max.

What is the Benefit of PROTEA Franco-South African Grants?

• South Africa  : Funding requested from the NRF must not exceed ZAR 300,000 distributed on an annual basis of ZAR 150,000. Funding is subject to the beneficiary’s commitment to provide a scientific and financial report on the progress of the project in accordance with the rules of the NRF;
• France: funding requests from France must not exceed €20,000 for the entire program, ie €10,000 per year.

Funding is granted on an annual basis, for two consecutive years.

It must be consumed between January 1 and December 31 of the year in question and cannot be carried over to the following year.

It relates solely to payment for the mobility between the two countries of researchers involved in the programme.

Any other financing necessary for the implementation of joint projects must be provided by the partner laboratories’ own means or by other sources.

The renewal of credits for a second year is subject to:

• Optimal use of the funding granted for the 1st year;
• The submission of a progress report mentioning the scientific results obtained (1 page in free format) and the mobility carried out or planned before the end of the current year;
• The drafting of a financial report of the actions carried out or programmed before the end of the calendar year.

The progress report and the financial statement must be sent before November 15 of the 1st year to the French Embassy (see contact for the program below).

How Long will the Program Last?

The duration of the projects is two years.

How to Apply for PROTEA Franco-South African Grants:

It is important to go through all application requirements before applying.

Goodluck!

Visit Award Webpage for Details