Call for submission of proposals for common scientific and technological projects on cooperations between institutions of Slovak Republic and People`s Republic of China in years  2008 and 2009 

1. LEGAL FRAME
Based on the Agreement between the Government of the Slovak Republic and the Government of the People´s Republic of China on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, signed on February 17, 1997 in Beijing, the Slovak Research and Development Agency (SRDA) in cooperation with the Division of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic, opens the Call for submitting proposals for common scientific and technological projects between collaborating organizations in Slovak Republic and the People`s Republic of China.
2. THEMATIC FIELDS 

This Call does not define any priority resarch areas. On the basis of common RTD activities the proposals from any RTD field can be submitted with duration of two years.
Cooperating partners from RTD organizations with common objectives and complementary skills are invited to submit joint proposal. The projects will be implemented by means of exchange of
scientists and information. 

3. ELIGIBLE PROPOSERS  

Project proposals can be submitted by any legal or physical body in science and technology in the Slovak Republic within all research and development sectors (universities, enterpreneurs, governmental, non-profit) that is involved in an agreed research program by means of existing supported projects. At least one partner within the proposal must be from China.

4. CALL DURATION AND SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL     

The Call was opened on February 5, 2007, the deadline being April 5, 2007. Applications must be submitted in electronic form using enclosed forms. An original copy of signed form should be delivered to the Agency at the latest  by 18.00 on April 5, 2007, or sent by mail to the address APVV, Mýtna 23, 81107 Bratislava with post stamp date latest April 5. 
After this deadline it is impossible to submit proposals. The proposal must be signed by all participating organizations (signatures of responsible project leaders, statutaries and stamps). Signatures of Chinese partners sent by fax will be accepted.

5. START AND TERMINATION OF THE PROJECT           

The projects submitted in the frame of this Call can start at the earliest on January 1, 2008, and must be completed on December 31, 2009.

6. FINANCING   

The financial support offered within this call is strictly limited to mobility (travelling costs and daily subsistence allowances). The involved organizations must be able to demonstrate that they have the other necessary resources to carry out the project (a grant, institutional resources, commercial funding, etc.). The numbers of grants and the way of financing should be declared in box „Actual ensured financial resources in Slovakia“.
The Slovak party provides:
•	travel cost for two return trips to Peoples Republic of China  for Slovak experts once a year
•	health insurance of Slovak experts during their stay in China
•	daily allowances (maximum 28 per year) for Cinese experts in Slovakia in accord with the Slovak law on reimbursement of travel expenses (Art. 283/2002) 
•	accommodation for Chinese experts maximum 28 nigths/year
•	visa costs

Similarly, the Chinese party will cover travel and visa costs and insurance for Chinese experts coming to Slovakia. Further, daily allowances for Slovak experts during their stay in the People`s Republic of China will be provided.
 
The resarch activities within the projects will be financed according to internal rules in each country. Finances will be provided in accordance with the approved budget of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic by the Agency (APVV) for project duration. The expenses in Slovak Republic will be provided in accord with approved budget for bilateral scientific and technological cooperation for years 2008 an 2009.  

7. EVALUATION

The selection of projects has two stages. In the first stage the proposals will be treated separately by national committees, the second round will be done by a Joint Committee.

At national level the proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:
I.	Scientific and application targets (60 points)
-	Added value in given RD sector 10 points)
-	Originality at national and international level (10 points)
-	Quality of presentation and targets (10 points)
-	Reasons for cooperation (10 points)
-	Appropriateness and emergency of proposed methods (10 points)
-	Potential socio-economic and scientific contribution (10 points)

II.	 Expertise of proposer and organization (20 points)
-	Professionality (15 points)
-	Infrastructure (5 points)

Maximum points: 80

NOTE: Priority will be given to proposals involving (or showing interest of) industrial organizations
              planning project implementation

The evaluation in Joint Committee will be done under these conditions:
•	Single party proposal will be not evaluated
•	Proposal with high ranking from both parties will have priority as compared to contraversial ones
•	Discrepances will be discussed having in mind mutual interest

Evaluation results and final list of financed projects will be announced after Joint Committee meeting.

8. RULES FOR PROPOSERS                    

Each project must have one responsible person from each Slovak and each Chinese participating organisation. The proposal must be submitted parallel by the leading Slovak partner in Slovakia and the leading Chinese partner in the People`s Republic of China. The responsible persons submit forms filled in Slovak and English or Chinese and English, respectively. The proposals must involve the title, list of all participants, duration and specific goals. Further, the timetable and finacial requirements distributed in chapters and years, brief CV`s of Slovak participants and clear arguments for international cooperation should be present. If the projects is linked to already existing cooperation, the responsible proposer should mention the anticipated results and their added value for Slovakia.

9. OBLIGATIONS OF THE PROPOSER       

The statutary of the Slovak organization will sign a contract for financial support with the Agency (APVV). At the end of each year the responsible person reports to the Agency. The report must include a statement of progress with the project and cost statements relating to the claimed travel and subsistence expenses for the period in question. After the project is terminated the responsible person must provide a final report to the Agency.
 
Contact:

Slovak Republic        

RNDr. Soňa Ftáčniková, CSc.
Head of multilateral and bilateral cooperation
Slovak Research and Development Agency
Mýtna 23                                                         
811 07 Bratislava
tel:  02/57204502
fax: 02/57204599 
e-mail: ftacnik@apvv.sk
http://www.apvv.sk

The Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic     
Stromová 1
813 30 Bratislava
Science and Technology Division
Mgr. Lucia Pawliková, CSc. 
Head of Unit of Bilateral Cooperation and  International Organizations
Tel.: +4212/69 202 212
Fax: +4212/69 202 203
e-mail: lucia.pawlikova@minedu.sk

Ing. Soňa Straková
Science and Technology Division
Unit of Bilateral Cooperation and  International Organizations 
Coordinator of Slovakian-Chinese scientific and technological cooperation
Tel.: +4212/69 202 212
Fax: +421 2/69 202 203
e-mail: sona.strakova@minedu.sk

People´s Republic of China 
Ma Leju
Coordinator of Chinese-Slovakian scientific and technological cooperation 
Department of International Cooperation
Ministry of Science and Technology  
Beijing
People´s Republic of China
tel: +86 10 588813 17
fax: + 86 10 588813 04
e-mail: maleju@gmail.com