The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) is accepting proposals for collaborative research projects under the framework of EIG CONCERT-Japan with 13 funding partners participating from 12 European countries under the theme of Digital Transformations and Robotics in Sustainable Agriculture.
EIG CONCERT-Japan website:
Call Theme
Digital Transformations and Robotics in Sustainable Agriculture
Research Scope
This call for proposals invites Japan and Europe-based researchers to submit proposals on digital technologies and robotics which will play a part in the sustainable agriculture sector of tomorrow. We welcome not only traditional research approaches, but also research taking inter- and transdisciplinary approaches incorporating both natural and social sciences, as well as the active involvement of stake-holders such as practitioners, industry and other groups relevant to the research.
As a part of this theme, researchers are envisioned to explore areas of research including, but not limited to:
- Robotics for precision phenotyping in crop management
- IoT solutions for smart monitoring in livestock management with reduced waste
- UAV-supported systems for data-based sustainable land use
- Smart greenhouses with energy efficient humidity and light management
- Sensor probe networks for real-time soil monitoring
Participating Countries and Organizations
Bulgaria: Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF)
Cyprus: Research Promotion Foundation (RIF)
Czech Republic: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS)
Czech Republic: Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS)
Estonia: Estonian Research Council (ETAg)
France: French National Research Agency (ANR)
Germany: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Hungary: National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH)
Italy: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)
Poland: National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR)
Slovakia: Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS)
Spain: Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI)
Türkiye: The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)
Details of Support
Projects selected for funding in this call will each receive support for a period of three years and totaling no more than approximately 18,200,000 JPY of which 30% represents indirect costs. Awarded projects will be required to have a contract concluded between the awarded research institution and JST, in the following format:
https://www.jst.go.jp/inter/research/contract/contract.html
It is expected that six projects will be funded in this EIG CONCERT-Japan Joint Call.
Full details of support can be found in the Japanese guidance information documents below and "Part 2: National and Regional Funding Regulations" in the Call Text.
Call for Proposals Period and Deadlines
Tuesday 14th May 2024 until Tuesday 23rd July 2024, 17:00 (Japan Standard Time)
Tuesday 14th May 2024 until Tuesday 23rd July 2024, 10:00 (Central European Summer Time )
Program Officer
Dr. NAKAGAWA Junichi
(Director, Research Center for Agricultural Robotics (RCAR), NARO)
Eligibility
Researcher Eligibility
Any independent researcher currently affiliated with and actively conducting research at a domestic Japanese research institution, or who will fulfil this requirement by the commencement of the research project if not currently affiliated with a research institution in Japan), regardless of nationality, is eligible to apply.
Research Consortium Eligibility
In addition to the Japanese team, the project consortium must include members from a minimum of two different European countries listed as participating in the call.
For further details please see "Part 2: National and Regional Funding Regulations" in the Call Text.
Application Procedure
1. PT-Outline Consortium Proposal Submission (for the entire consortium)
All call documents, application forms and guidance can be downloaded from the PT-Outline website, which also serves as the online submission portal:
https://ptoutline.eu/app/eigjapan_jc2024
Proposals should be jointly drafted by the consortium and jointly submitted electronically via the PT-Outline portal. Only the project consortium's Principal Project Leader is required to submit the proposal.
Information about the PT-Outline submission process:
https://concert-japan.eu/
2. e-Rad Proposal Application (for the Japanese team of the consortium only)
In addition to the PT-Outline submission, the Project Leader from the Japanese team will have to register their application information, "application form" (with legal compliance checklist and compliance agreement) and "Application summary" on the Cross Ministerial R&D Management System (e-Rad) platform:
https://www.e-rad.go.jp/
An e-Rad guide for applicants (in Japanese) is available on "Application instructions and guidance" (available only in Japanese) below.
For further application instructions and guidance, please refer to the following information.
Application Form (Japanese side)
| Document/Form | Links |
|---|---|
| Call Text | |
| Application instructions and guidance (Japanese) | |
| Application Form (Japanese) | WORD |
| Application Summary (Japanese) | PPTX |
Enquiries
Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
Department of International Affairs
Mr. KODANI Hideaki, Mr. Oscar A. Rudenstam, Ms. ODAWARA Mikiko, Ms. KATAYAMA Junko
E-mail: concert(at)jst.go.jp
(replace (at) by @ before sending.)
Tel: 03-5214-7375 Fax: 03-5214-7379
(Contact by e-mail is recommended.)