Funding programs for national, regional, and international projects

The goal of the PHCs is to foster scientific and technological exchanges of excellence between research laboratories in two scientific communities by promoting new collaborations. They are established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education, and Research.

Research projects must be developed jointly by two research teams—one French and one from another country. The PHC funds international mobility for researchers involved in the partnership.

Application deadlines vary by destination:

• May: Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Switzerland, Latvia, Brazil, Italy, Algeria, Slovenia, Hungary.
• June: Germany, Belgium, Palestine, Brazil, Hong Kong, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Iran, and the Netherlands.
• July: New Zealand, Serbia, Thailand.
• August: Taiwan.
• September: Iceland

The amount of financial aid awarded depends on the destination and the length of stay. You can find the average costs and application deadlines by destination on the Campus France website.

The Engineering and Project Support Department within the Innovation and Partnerships Division is available to assist you in putting together your proposal.

COFECUB (the French Committee for the Evaluation of Academic and Scientific Cooperation with Brazil) was established in 1979 to evaluate and oversee research and training exchanges with Brazil.

This program comprises a total of 134 projects and approximately 530 research assignments per year. They span a wide range of disciplines, and the projects supported by COFECUB have resulted in numerous scientific publications.

There are currently two agreements in place:

• The CAPES-COFECUB agreement aims to ensure the long-term continuity of high-level exchanges. It provides equal co-funding for short-term research visits and fully funds Brazilian scholarship recipients.
• The USP-COFECUB agreement aims to establish an academic exchange program through which Professors and French Professors can conduct high-level joint research.

The Scientific Cooperation Assessment and Guidance (ECOS) program is designed to support outstanding scientific collaboration projects with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. It funds exchanges among researchers in the form of short-term missions, professional development internships, and doctoral fellowships. This program is open to all fields of knowledge. Its approach is based on two fundamental principles: partnership and transparency.

The partnership begins at the institutional level, with teams of academics and researchers who jointly develop a scientific project in which their intellectual contributions must be equal.

The Postgraduate Cooperation Programs (PCP) aim to promote the training and professional development of all stakeholders in higher education and research. The PCPs facilitate the dissemination of the results of joint research and the implementation of international training and research initiatives. The system of jointly supervised or co-supervised dissertations is the main component of this program, which thus provides doctoral training for students from France and the participating countries.

The France-Latin America–Caribbean Regional Program (PREFALC) is a French program for academic and scientific cooperation with countries in Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Program Objectives:

• to develop academic and scientific exchanges through networks between French universities and their partners in Latin American and Caribbean countries;
• promote the creation of joint master's programs and/or introduce French-language course modules into existing master's programs at partner universities;
• promote the establishment of dual Master’s and doctoral degrees under joint supervision;
• contribute to the emergence of a “European Union–Latin America–Caribbean higher education area.”

Eligibility requirements and program guidelines: Projects must involve Master’s/Maestria-level students at partner institutions and outline the structure of the training modules. Inter-university partnerships, which last two years and are renewable, may be established between at least one higher education institution in France and one in a country in Latin America or the Caribbean.

Each project is the subject of an annual report as well as scientific and educational monitoring.

The PUF program promotes Franco-American exchanges in higher education and research. This program is sponsored by the French American Cultural Exchange Foundation.

PUF funding is available to all U.S. and French higher education and research institutions. All types of projects are eligible for funding (collaborative research, student andProfessors exchanges, the establishment of joint transatlantic degree programs, etc.). All disciplines are eligible.

The FFCR supports Franco-Canadian research projects and fosters scientific exchanges in all fields of knowledge, from the “hard” sciences to the humanities and social sciences. It operates through an annual call for proposals, and applications are evaluated by a committee of Canadian experts and the French ministry responsible for research.

For more information, visit the website of the French Embassy in Canada

The Samuel de Champlain Program is aimed at academics and research professionals at research centers and institutes in France and Quebec. In particular, it supports the international mobility of researchers and students participating in Franco-Quebec research projects.

Horizon 2020 brings together, for the first time under a single program, European research and innovation projects such as the Framework Program for Research, Technological Development, and Demonstration (P.C.R.D.T.), Euratom, innovation actions under the Framework Program for Innovation and Competitiveness, and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.

This new program refocuses funding on three priorities that align with the expectations of French stakeholders:

• Scientific Excellence
• Industrial Leadership
• Societal Challenges

International cooperation is an integral part of the Horizon 2020 program.

Erasmus+ 2021–2027 is the European Commission’s program for education and training.

The program includes two main types of activities:

• Initiatives related to the mobility of students and staff at institutions of higher education, as well as strategies for establishing joint master’s programs.
• Cooperation to promote educational innovation, academic excellence, and closer ties with the business community

KEY ACTION 1: Mobility

Joint Master's Programs

The program supports the establishment of integrated Master’s-level programs of excellence offered by consortia of higher education institutions from at least three European countries and, where applicable, third countries, including funding for mobility grants for students and faculty members.

Programs must include student mobility between consortium institutions and lead to the award of a dual, multiple, or joint degree recognized by the competent authorities of the countries involved. All disciplines are eligible.

The European grant for joint master’s programs covers administrative costs and merit-based scholarships for the world’s top students. The project duration is divided into an initial preparatory year and three cohorts of students, which may be renewed under certain conditions. Thus, the duration of a project can vary between 4 and 5 years, depending on the length of the master’s program (1 or 2 years).

KEY ACTION 2: Cooperation on Innovation and Best Practices

Strategic Partnerships in Higher Education

Strategic partnerships support cooperation among organizations active in the field of higher education through the joint development of study programs, intensive programs, and new pedagogical approaches, as well as the exchange of best practices.

Activities funded under a strategic partnership are grouped into categories:

• Project implementation and management.
• Intellectual works.
• Transnational meetings.
• Study, learning, and teaching mobility activities.
• Actions likely to ensure the program’s wider dissemination and further development (multiplier events), known as “dissemination events.”
• Special events.
• Activities that include the participation of people with special needs are encouraged, and specific financial support is provided.

Student exchange programs may be funded through these partnerships, as well as long-term teaching assignments and short-term training seminars for staff.

Finally, this program encourages so-called “cross-sectoral” cooperation activities that bring together a wide variety of stakeholders—including training organizations, local governments, higher education institutions, businesses, and others—within a single partnership.

For more information on eligibility criteria and participation rules, please visit the “Penelope +” interface.

Knowledge Alliances

Knowledge Alliances promote the establishment of transnational partnerships between businesses and institutions of higher education in order to enhance the quality and expand the innovation potential of European higher education.

The activities funded under this program are as follows:

• New Methods of Learning and Training
• New Training Programs
• Training programs and activities with and within companies
• Methods for Developing Transferable Skills in Collaboration with Businesses
• Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship Awareness
• Exchanges of students, researchers, faculty, and employees

For more information on eligibility criteria and participation rules, please visit the “Penelope +” interface.

Capacity Building

The objectives of “Capacity Building” projects are to promote academic cooperation with the aim of supporting the modernization of higher education systems in partner countries in Europe, Asia, Russia, and Latin America (150 countries involved).

This program funds two types of initiatives:

• Joint projects: These are based on multilateral partnerships between higher education institutions in the EU and partner countries. They help develop, modernize, and disseminate new curricula, teaching materials, and methods; promote a culture of quality assurance; and modernize the management and governance of higher education institutions;
• Structural measures: These contribute to the development and reform of higher education systems and institutions in partner countries, as well as to improving their quality and relevance.

For more information on eligibility criteria and participation rules, please visit the “Penelope +” interface.

The INTERREG program aims to promote regional convergence and competitiveness in order to ensure a more harmonious development of the European Union. Under certain conditions, the University of Montpellier is eligible for four specific INTERREG IV programs:

• ESP-FR-ANDORRA Cooperation Program (INTERREG IV A)
• SUDOE Program (INTERREG IV B)
• MED Program (INTERREG IV B)
• European Interregional Cooperation (INTERREG IV C)

Travel Grants for Jointly Supervised Theses

The Eurocampus aims to promote the exchange of knowledge and the mobility of students, faculty, and researchers within the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion, as well as to enhance the appeal of higher education in the Euroregion. Among other things, Eurocampus provides support to stakeholders in higher education and research through assistance with student mobility (the Eurocampus mobility voucher), research (joint supervision of doctoral dissertations), and the online provision of information and services (the Eurocampus web portal).

This call for applications aims to strengthen academic cooperation through mobility grants for jointly supervised dissertations. This funding is intended to support Eurocampus doctoral students who are writing a dissertation as part of a partnership between Euroregional doctoral schools from different countries; the grant covers the additional costs associated with travel between France and Spain. A bonus is awarded to projects that include collaboration with a company in order to promote professional integration and strengthen the link between the business and academic worlds.

The call for proposals is open to all fields of study, but special attention will be given to applications in the fields of e-Health, sustainable water resource management, agri-food, and tourism.

Support for the creation of Euroregional dual degree programs

Euroregional cooperation between Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Languedoc-Roussillon, and Midi-Pyrénées in the fields of higher education, research, and innovation has been taking shape since 2009 through the implementation of the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Eurocampus, the largest European campus in terms of student enrollment. The Eurocampus aims to promote the exchange of knowledge and the mobility of students, faculty, and researchers within the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion, as well as to enhance the appeal of higher education in the Euroregion. Among other things, it provides support to higher education and research institutions through assistance with student mobility (the Eurocampus mobility voucher), research (joint supervision of doctoral dissertations), and the online provision of information and services (web portal).

This call for applications aims to strengthen academic cooperation within Eurocampus through the creation of binational dual degree programs. It is open to all fields of study, but special attention will be given to applications in the fields of e-Health, sustainable water resource management, agri-food, and tourism.

Call for Culture 2014 Projects

The members of the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion aim to promote the cultural diversity of their territories and make the Euroregion a leading center for artistic creation. They also seek to preserve and highlight their shared natural, historical, and cultural heritage, with a view to sustainable tourism development.

With a view to promoting territorial cohesion, the Euroregion encourages cultural cooperation initiatives that help shape the region and, to that end, has launched a joint call for projects, led for the fifth consecutive year by its EGTC.

The Life+ program funds projects aimed at preserving or enhancing the natural environment of the European Union.

Since 1992, 270 projects have been funded by the LIFE program in France.

For more information, visit the European Commission's website.

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has just launched a new call for applications for the Master’s/Engineering and Doctoral tracks of the Eiffel Excellence Scholarships.

This program is a tool offered to French institutions to help them recruit the best international undergraduate and graduate students, but it is also an excellent way to foster our institution’s interuniversity collaboration agreements.

Faculty members and Professors submit the application materials for the students and doctoral candidates they wish to support tothe Cooperation Office by 12:00 p.m. on December 1, 2023. 

Students interested in applying 

Applications for the Eiffel Excellence Scholarships must be endorsed by a faculty member at the University of Montpellier.

For Master's/engineering program applications, please contactthe program director of the programyou are interested in, explain your reasons for applying, and introduce yourself.

Fordoctoral-level applications, your thesis co-advisor at the University of Montpellier must contact the International Cooperation Office. 

The Cooperation Office of the International Relations Division is available to provide you with information about this program and to assist you in preparing your application materials.

Additional information is also available on theCampus France website.

As part of the national research strategy defined by the Government, the National Research Agency is tasked with:

• To fund and promote the development of basic and applied research, technical innovation, and technology transfer, as well as partnerships between the public and private sectors;
• To implement the program established by the minister responsible for research, who solicits the opinions of the ministers overseeing research organizations or public institutions of higher education;
• To manage major government investment programs in the field of higher education and research, and to monitor their implementation;
• To strengthen scientific cooperation at the European and international levels by aligning its programming with European and international initiatives;
• To analyze trends in research output and measure the impact of the agency’s funding on national scientific output.

UM ContactUM [Innovation and Partnerships Division – Project Engineering Department. Tel: 04 67 14 39 11

A competitiveness cluster brings together companies—both small and large—research laboratories, and educational institutions within a clearly defined region and around a specific theme. A competitiveness cluster is designed to support innovation. It promotes the development of particularly innovative collaborative research and development (R&D) projects.

Research Support in Partnership with Businesses (ARPE)

Through two distinct but combinable funding mechanisms, the Languedoc-Roussillon Region provides funding to public research laboratories in Languedoc-Roussillon that are involved in the research and development project.

Category 1: R&D Projects

Any public laboratory that, in partnership with a regional company, has secured funding in response to a national, European, or international call for research proposals may apply for ARPE assistance, which can be up to 75,000 €.

Option 2: CIFRE Thesis

Your laboratory has established a CIFRE thesis in partnership with a company in the Languedoc-Roussillon region: + €5,000

Call for Proposals: Researchers of the Future

This program is designed to support talented young scientists and their research teams in the regions, helping them establish themselves more quickly in their fields and accelerate the emergence of new, innovative avenues of research that promote the economic exploitation of research results and job creation. This call for proposals has been issued every two years since 2009.

ADEME helps implement public policies related to energy and environmental protection. It is active in the following areas:

• Waste management;
• Soil conservation;
• Energy efficiency;
• Renewable energy;
• Air quality;
• Noise control.

Nonprofit organizations, foundations, and nongovernmental organizations support research through calls for proposals. Here are a few examples:

• Axa Research Fund
• Cancer League
• Sidaction

The Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme and the RFIEA (French Network of Institutes for Advanced Studies) announce the launch of the “Fund it” platform, dedicated to funding research in the social sciences and humanities, in late May 2016.

This platform brings together in one place all calls for applications related to research stays in France and abroad, as well as all calls for proposals to obtain funding for individual or collaborative research.

• Access this platform

The Engineering and Project Support Department of the Innovation and Partnerships Division is available to assist you in preparing your applications via [email | ].