Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC), established by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Government of Germany facilitates Indo-German R&D&I networking through substantive interactions among government, academia/research system and industry to foster innovation for the overall economic and societal developments of both the countries. The Centre envisions to:

• Advance industrial research partnership with mutuality of interest and respect
• Create a platform for cross fertilisation of ideas
• Develop knowledge networks for industrial sectors to enhance competitiveness
• Establish joint knowledge pools to address global challenges
• Serve as a nodal centre to promote Indo-German technology partnership

IGSTC intends to catalyse innovation centric R&D&I projects by synergising the strength of research/academic institute and public/private industry from India and Germany. This Call for proposals is aimed at supporting joint R&D&I projects of industrial relevance by means of “2+2 Mode of Partnership” in the overall thematic area AI for Sustainability with subtopics:

• AI assisted understanding of extreme weather events
• Climate models informing agriculture production systems and agricultural management practices
• AI based extreme events detection and understanding
• Ethical & Fair AI, e.g., bias free AI (avoiding transfer context, algorithmic focus and emergent bias), privacy compliant AI (e.g. anonymising implicit social structural data)
• Infrastructure planning
• AI across disciplines to model and plan sustainable and climate resilient cities
• Rural/agricultural land use planning

The project proposal should have already reached at least Technology Readiness Level 3.

To apply applicants have to build a consortium consisting of one research/academic institute and one public / private industry from both of the countries. A maximum of three partners from each side is acceptable. Each consortium shall determine one coordinator. All correspondence of IGSTC will be channeled through the coordinator.

Project proposal is expected to provide insights and exploitable research results leading to new technologies, products and/or services. The benefits of partnership should be clearly identifiable.

Project proposal should ensure that all the project partners contribute substantially to and benefit from an equitable and balanced cooperation with adequate protection for intellectual property rights used in and generated during the joint efforts.

IGSTC will execute a two-step evaluation process with the support of a Joint Scientific Committee. Each evaluation step might take up to three months. The projects which are finally selected will be supported by IGSTC initially for a maximum period of three years. An additional funding period of up to two more years may be granted in exceptional cases.

Funding is provided in the form of grants amounting about Euro 500.000 per project to the German partners and INR 350 Lakhs to the Indian partners (this includes INR 150 Lakhs for Indian industry) including overheads / Projektpauschale. The entire project funding will be provided under the umbrella of Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC). Financial support for the Indian partners will be released by IGSTC in India and financial support for the German partners will be released through DLR-PT in Germany.

Indian Partners: 100% of the eligible costs in the form of grant to institutional partner (research/academic) and upto 50% of the eligible costs in the form of grant (with a limit of INR 150 Lakhs) to industrial partner.

German Partners: In principle 100% of the eligible costs in the form of grant to institutional partner (research/academic). Eligible costs for industry partners are funded in the form of a grant based on De-Minimis or AGVO. For the calculation of the funding quote the rules by the AGVO or De-Minimis have to be applied. For details, see German Call text. For the research establishments, which receive basic funding from the Federal or State Governments, project funding to cover additional expenditure can be granted only under certain conditions.

• Costs for personnel involved in the project
• Specific equipment/ demonstration unit/pilot plant including software licensing for the project (equipment that is not part of the applicant’s basic equipment)
• Consumables/materials
• Mobility costs (international/domestic travel and hospitality cost). Long term (up to three months) exchange visits of young researchers are encouraged.
• Networking events (organising project related workshops/brain-storming meetings)
• Outsourcing/subcontract
• Contingency
• Overheads

Indian Partners: Contingency and overhead amounts should be limited to 5% and 10% of eligible cost, respectively. In this case, cost of equipment should not be included in calculating total eligible costs. Industry partner is not eligible for overhead cost.

German Partners: In accordance to German funding procedures, cost based proposals will be able to ask for over heads, whereas German Universities are eligible for 20% “Projekt pauschale” in case it is a non-profit research project.

IGSTC will execute a two-step evaluation process. Initially, the First Stage Proposals will undergo an eligibility check by the project management team,followed by an evaluation by the Joint Scientific Committee.

In the second step, shortlisted consortia will be requested to submit a more detailed Second Stage Proposals. Consortia will be invited to present their project in front of the Joint Scientific Committee. Based on the written proposal and the presentation the Joint Scientific Committee will give a final recommendation for funding.

The evaluation process will consider:

• Compliance to the formal criteria
• Scientific quality and originality of the project idea
• Feasibility of the project
• Scientific credentials and global competitiveness of the partners
• Level of contribution of each partner / collaborative interaction and added value
• Innovative potential for industrial application (prospects for commercial success / commercial exploitability)

Applicants from public and private non-profit research organisations, public and private institutions of higher education, universities and public or private companies having R&D bases are eligible to submit an application. Principal investigators should be holding a regular/permanent position. Applications of SME´s are encouraged.

An Indian company is defined as one which is registered in India with 51% or more ownership held by the citizens of India.

German industry partner needs to have a branch office or a commercial unit in Germany.

Also please note:

• Proprietary firm will not be considered as an eligible Indian industry partner.
• It is preferred to have DSIR recognized Indian industry partner in the consortium. In the absence of DSIR recognition certificate, IGSTC shall perform check for technical competency and financial stability of the Indian industry partner following IGSTC’s own norms.
• Those who are already having an ongoing 2+2 project with IGSTC (on the Call deadline) are not eligible to apply.

German Applicants: German applicants are strongly advised to readthe German call text “RichtliniezurFörderung vonVorhaben der strategischenProjekt för derungmit der RepublikIndienunter der Beteiligung von Wirtschaft und Wissenschaft (2+2-Projekte) zum Thema “KünstlicheIntelligenz für Nachhaltigkeit “imRahmen des Indo-German Science and Technology Centre (IGSTC) which is published in the website of BMBF or in the “Bundesanzeiger“

Indian Applicants: A private company is required to make an appropriate contribution – at least 50%, as a rule – towards the eligible project costs. Remaining funding up to 50% of the projected cost (with a limit of INR 150 Lakhs) can be supported as a grant (on prevailing terms and conditions), depending on the project’s orientation towards application. Grants for universities, research establishments and similar institutions are calculated on the basis of the eligible project related expenditure which can be funded to a maximum of 100%.

It is recommended that applicants contact IGSTC Secretariat in India or Project Office in Germany for any clarifications prior to submitting the application.The contact addresses are:

The project proposal should be submitted online using Apply Online

Applications submitted not following the specified page limit shall be rejected.

Application must be submitted no later than 16 May 2024 / 11:59 PM CET. No legal claims can be derived from the submission of a proposal.

A hard copy of the application with the original signatures of all PIs has to be sent to:

Dr Rupak Bhattacharya
Indo-German Science & Technology Centre
Ground Floor, Block -II (AI Block)
Technology Bhavan, New Mehrauli Road,
New Delhi – 110016, India

These funding regulations will enter into force on the day of their publication in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger) and the IGSTC website.