Support for International Mobility – PEI [CLOSED]

As part of the I-SITE Excellence Program, the University of Montpellier is launching a call for proposals titled “Support for International Mobility – EXPLORE #4” to promote international exchanges and collaborations, enhance the campus’s appeal and visibility, and help establish new initiatives. [This call is now closed.]

The “EXPLORE#4 2022” call for proposals is the first to be launched following the University of Montpellier’s confirmation of its I-SITE designation, and as part of the I-SITE Excellence Program (P.E.I.). This call for projects has two components: (1) support for incoming or outgoing individual mobility and (2) support for outgoing group mobility.

Objective

This call for proposals aims to promote international exchanges and collaborations, enhance the site’s appeal and visibility, and contribute to the development of new initiatives. The program is part of a broader initiative to build the university of tomorrow, which will remain open and inclusive. Therefore, any project exploring new international collaborations that meets the general conditions and objectives of this call and offers significant added value to the P.E.I. may be considered for funding, including for projects whose themes do not directly correspond to the three pillars of Nourish, Heal, and Protect.

Planned collaborations with universities or key partners

As in previous editions, the EXPLORE#4 international mobility program gives clear, though not exclusive, preference to collaborations with the P.E.I.’s preferred universities or partners—including non-academic ones—as well as theUM partnersUM CHARM-EU project. Applications may also draw upon existing programs offered by P.E.I. members active internationally (see list below).

FUNDED ACTIVITIES

This fourth edition of the EXPLORE program features two separate initiatives designed for teachers, Professors, researchers, doctoral students, engineers, technicians, and administrative staff.

1 Incoming or outgoing individual mobility

  • to explore new international collaboration projects through:
  • Ph.D. students, with a view to planning their career path after completing their dissertation
  • Teachers, faculty members, and researchers (tenured or on contract at the time of the mobility period)
  • Engineers, technicians, or administrative staff (permanent or contract employees at the time of the mobility period)

2 Outgoing group mobility programs

To develop new international collaborations (educational, academic, and/or scientific) for a group (maximum of 5 people) from research and/or educational institutions within the P.E.I. region (teachers, Professors, researchers, doctoral students, engineers, technicians, or administrative staff). These group mobility initiatives aim to establish a training program, build an international institutional partnership, and/or develop a foundational research project.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submit applications and send the application package, in PDF format, named as follows: LastName_FirstName_EXPLORE4, by email no later than December 2, 2022 (12:00 p.m. Paris time).

  • Completed application form
  • Letter of support bearing the approval signature of the director of the candidate’s assigned educational or research institution, or of the candidate’s supervisor for administrative staff
  • Letter of invitation from the director of the host educational and/or research institution

Any incomplete application will not be considered.

Allocated resources

The budget allocated to the EXPLORE#4 program is €420,000.

Environmental Responsibility

With a focus on global climate issues, the APP EXPLORE#4 encourages users to reduce their environmental impact and, whenever possible, choose less polluting modes of transportation (train over plane).

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Financial support covers mobility periods ranging from a minimum of 5 days (excluding travel days) to a maximum of 30 days.

As in previous editions, the EXPLORE#4 international mobility program shows a strong, though not exclusive, preference for collaborations with the P.E.I.’s preferred universities and partners—including non-academic ones—as well as partners from the European CHARMEU alliance.

The target regions and countries are listed here: Strategic Partnerships – Montpellier University of Excellence (umontpellier.fr).

NORTH AMERICA
, Université Laval, Quebec City (Canada), University of California, Davis (United States)

CENTRAL AND LATIN AMERICA
INTA (Argentina), University of São Paulo (Brazil), Embrapa (Brazil), CATIE (Costa Rica)

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
, Gamal Abdel Nasser University, Conakry (Guinea), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar (Senegal), University of Pretoria (South Africa)

ASIA – SOUTHEAST ASIA
, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing (China)

EUROPE & THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN
, American University of Beirut (Lebanon), Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary), Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute, Rabat (Morocco), Trinity College,
, Dublin (Ireland), University of Barcelona (Spain), University of Porto (Portugal), Utrecht University (Netherlands), Wageningen University (Netherlands), Abo Akademy (Finland), University of Würzburg (Germany), and Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences (Germany).

The EXPLORE#4 Call for Proposals provides funding for grants, consisting of:

  • a daily allowance, which varies depending on the country of destination (see the Order of July 3, 2006, setting the rates for mission allowances), and is capped at 30 daily allowances,
  • coverage of travel expenses (based on actual costs and limited to one round trip per beneficiary), subject to the following caps (see below):
    Distance… Maximum (distance between the start and end points calculated using the )tool developed by the European Commission.
    • From 0 to 999 km … €600
    • From 1,000 to 7,999 km… €1,300
    • Over 8,000 km €2,000

Evaluation Criteria

  • Alignment with the scientific vision of “ Nourish – Care – Protect,” and open to all topics and disciplines that can contribute to it;
  • The exploratory and structuring nature of the application, which provides added value for the P.E.I. (enhancing excellence, acquiring new skills, innovation), including for mobility requests involving staff members not directly involved in these areas;
  • Stimulating the openness of Montpellier's communities to international collaboration by enhancing the partnership networks of institutions dedicated to the international stage and by developing collaborations with public or private stakeholders in the fields of training, research and development, or for pedagogical and organizational innovation;
  • Collaborative effects are fostered within the P.E.I. through group mobility initiatives that may involve multiple P.E.I. training and/or research institutions. Host and sending institutions are expected to commit to the exchange, particularly in terms of the human and financial resources they allocate. Collaborations between training and research institutions involved in the P.E.I. will be particularly encouraged.

Funding for mobility for the sole purpose of attending a symposium or conference is excluded from the EXPLORE call for projects.

Evaluation

Following an administrative review of the applications by the Office of International Relations, the applications will be forwarded for evaluation to the EXPLORE Evaluation Committee, chaired by theUM Vice President for International RelationsUM composed of members of theUM Academic Council (CAC) and th
, the directors of the five Research Clusters, representatives of the LabEx programs, and representatives of the P.E.I.’s partner institutions. The committee will evaluate the eligible applications and propose a ranking to be submitted to theUM Strategic Investment CommitteeUM COMIS).

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submit applications and send the application package, in PDF format, named as follows: LastName_FirstName_EXPLORE4, by email no later than December 2, 2022 (12:00 p.m. Paris time).

  • Completed application form
  • Letter of support bearing the approval signature of the director of the candidate’s assigned educational or research institution, or of the candidate’s supervisor for administrative staff
  • Letter of invitation from the director of the host educational and/or research institution Any incomplete application will not be considered.

Calendar

  • Date the call for applications opens: October 28, 2022
  • Application deadline: Friday, December 2, 2022 (12:00 p.m. Paris time)
  • Results announcement: sometime in January 2023
  • Mobility commitments: from February 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, at the latest