Africa-UniNet
With Africa-UniNet an instrument has been created to enable and strengthen existing and new interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research cooperation between Austria and African countries.
Africa-UniNet was initiated by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) and launched by Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation (OeAD-GmbH) and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) in order to create a long-term, stable basis for cooperation between Austrian and African universities and research institutions. Africa-UniNet intends to promote new contacts and deepen existing scientific cooperation.
Africa-UniNet promotes excellent research based on mutual knowledge exchange. It creates a space for international cooperation between researchers and with other actors by financing cooperative research projects. While the thematic scope of the projects is not restricted, they set out to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the same time they enhance the scientific foundation of the involved institutions and reinforce the formation of the network itself by promoting new partnerships between Austrian and African universities and research institutions and by strengthening existing ties. Overall, they form the basis of a strong and profound Austrian-African Research Network – the Africa-UniNet.
Africa-UniNet endeavours to provide infrastructural and administrative structures that promote partnership-based cooperation between actors on a personal and institutional level. Projects can be submitted and coordinated by non-Austrian and Austrian partners alike. The General Assembly – in which all member institutions have equal voting rights – co-determined the orientation of the following financing measures within the Africa-UniNet statutes and in accordance with the special guideline of the Federal Ministry of Finance GZ 41.906/0003-V/7/2018 "Measures for Internationalisation".
Who can apply?
- Only active members of Africa-UniNet are eligible to participate. Please refer to Contact List of Africa-UniNet Representatives for the 2nd Call 2021. Further information on the respective member institutions can be found in the member section of the website.
- Maximum of 2 applications per coordinating institution.
- Submission of the completed project proposals only via the Africa-UniNet representative of the coordinating institution (bundled so that the maximum number of 2 submissions will not be exceeded).
- International research cooperation projects with at least one Austrian and at least one African university / university of applied sciences / research institution.
- Both the African institution and the Austrian institution may assume the coordination of the project.
- Minimum qualification for the project coordinator is a PhD. Contact persons and team members need to be at least PhD students (MA students are not eligible)
Aims of the projects
The international research cooperation projects have to:
- promote excellent research
- contribute to the SDGs
- reinforce the formation of the network itself by creating new cooperation and strengthening existing partnerships between Austrian and African universities and research institutions
- enhance the partnership between Africa-UniNet members and put the network on a profound scientific basis.
Which activities can be funded?
In view of the current COVID-19 situation, activities have to be planned accordingly in order to ensure a safe-guarding of the project results, even if travel restrictions apply.
Different types of project activities can be submitted for funding:
- Joint work on research questions
- Joint development and implementation of research-based teaching and training
- Joint development and implementation of trainings, workshops, seminars, conferences, alumni meetings
- Joint work on publications
- Joint supervision of students
Eligible costs and duration
Funding can be only be provided for mobility costs, i.e. travel expenses and subsistence and accommodation costs during project-related travels. Exception: up to 3,000 euros per project can be allocated to equipment and materials – specific requirements apply.
The following maximum amounts apply:
- Maximum of 10.000 euros in case of two partner institutions per year
- maximum of 20.000 euros for 2 years
- Further 5.000 euros per additional partner institution per year, with a maximum of 6 partner institutions and a total of maximum of 30.000 euros per year
- maximum of 60.000 euros for 2 years
- Project duration: up to 2 years
- Earliest possible start of the projects: March 2022
For detailed information on the eligible costs, please refer to the document Funding Framework and Eligible Costs 2nd Call.
