1. Aims
On the basis of an Exchange of Letters, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (EC DG RTD) have agreed to provide joint support to Japanese-EU coordinated research in designated priority fields, in order to strengthen their cooperative relationship and towards resolution of global challenges. Following consultation between JST and EC DG RTD, "Development of New Materials for the Substitution of Critical Metals" was selected as the field of research in which the coordinated funding would be applied.
2. Field of cooperation
"Development of New Materials for the Substitution of Critical Metals".
3. Prospective Applicants
Researchers at universities, research institutes or private companies in Japan and the EU were invited to submit proposals for coordinated research projects in the field described above.
4. Period of Research
Approximately three years.
5. Amount of Funding
A maximum of 200 million yen will be provided by JST to the Japanese researchers of each project, over the research period of three years, inclusive of overhead costs. European consortia may apply for up to 1.8 million Euros in funding from the EU.
6. Funded Expenses
Under this program, JST provides funding to the Japanese teams to support the coordinated research projects, including necessary activities and expenses in carrying out multilateral research. Overhead costs can also be claimed, but they should not exeed 30 percent of direct costs. The EU researchers must adhere to the FP7 rules for participation (OJ L 391/1).
7. Evaluation Process
Based on the results of expert evaluations commissioned separately by JST and EC DG RTD, the two parties negotiated to jointly select the successful projects.
8. Evaluation Criteria
The submitted proposals were evaluated according to criteria decided independently by the two funding agencies.
For the proposals submitted to JST, the following general evaluation criteria were applied:
1) Conformity with the program aims and designated research fields
2) Capability of the research leaders (PIs)
3) Validity of the research plan
4) Effectiveness and synergistic benefit of the joint research activities
5) Effectiveness of exchange activities
The proposals submitted to the European Commission were evaluated according to the criteria published in the rules for proposal submission, evaluation, selection and award procedures (OJ L 75/1).