German Egyptian Research Fund (GERF)

This funding announcement is for cooperation between Egypt and Germany in the field of research and innovation. The aim is to develop long-term innovation partnerships between universities, research institutions, and companies that closely coordinate their respective research work to optimize the transfer of technology and knowledge. The partnerships to be established are based on a concept of innovation that encompasses not only technological but also social innovations and includes society as a central player. Funding will be provided for collaborative projects in applied research which jointly address the following priority topics:- One Health: Human, animal, and environmental health, including medical and veterinary research issues, environmental sciences, food-water-energy nexus, applied biotechnology, and the health sector - Green Transition: Resource-efficient economy in the context of ecological change, including smart cities / (digital) urban development, circular economy, green mobility / sustainable transportation Joint project proposals are expected to make innovative contributions to solving regional and/or transregional challenges and to the further development of scientific and technological research. Funding will take place in two successive phases based on a (two-stage) application procedure: In Phase 1 (usually up to 24 months), a research-performing company partner (an SME in particular) must be involved on the German side and is highly recommended to be included on the Egyptian side. - In Phase 2 (usually up to 18 months), the involvement of research-performing company partners (preferably SMEs) is mandatory on both the German and the Egyptian sides.