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04/2024
Welcome to our next edition of the Bavaria-Africa Bulletin.
At the Scientific Coordination Office Bavaria-Africa (WKS Bavaria-Africa), which is part of the Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR),
our mission is to foster and deepen collaboration between stakeholders
in Bavaria and Africa within research and innovation. We are dedicated
to offering comprehensive support for identifying suitable funding
sources and preparing project proposals for European or (inter)national
funding programme that encourage the involvement of African and Bavarian
project partners.
The forth edition in 2024 comes with a
variety of interesting events and funding opportunities across different
areas of science and innovation. This edition has the SWITCH project in
the spotlight. So stay curious and enjoy reading!
If you have
any suggestions or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
We encourage you to share our newsletter with your network. Interested
persons can subscribe to our Bavaria-Africa Bulletin here.
Sincerely,
Your team of the Scientific Coordination Office Bavaria-Africa
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Innovative, Community-Integrated
PV systems
HORIZON-CL5-2024-D3-02-06
In
the future, photovoltaic (PV) systems will play a crucial role in
decentralized power generation, essential for developing efficient
energy communities. Projects under this call are expected to enhance the
profitability and adoption of PV systems within renewable energy
communities. Furthermore, projects should actively invole citizens and
communities in the clean energy shift, particularly by promoting energy
cooperatives and decentralized platforms. It is encouraged to cooperate
internationally in the Mediterranean Region. Deadline: 04/02/2025 Read more |
Teaming for Excellence
HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-ACCESS-01-01-two-stage
This
Coordination and Support Action opens on 03/12/2024. It addresses
R&I disparities by supporting the establishment or modernization of
centers of excellence in countries with low R&I performance.
Partnering with leading EU institutions, these centers aim to enhance
R&I capabilities, boost competitiveness, and stimulate economic
growth. Projects should create sustainable centers that act as role
models, contributing to systemic reforms and increased investments in
R&I at the national level. They must also build international
partnerships, develop new research areas, and promote advanced
technologies. 1. Deadline: 10/04/2025 2. Deadline: 20/01/2026 Read more |
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Eureka: Eurogia call for projects November 2024
This
call seeks international collaborations to develop innovative
low-carbon technologies. Focus areas include carbon-free energy, green
mobility, smart cities, sustainable housing, and environmental
monitoring. Key technologies include hydrogen solutions, smart grids,
and AI-based monitoring. Projects must involve at least two entities
from different Eureka countries and target commercialization. Germany
and South Africa are among the eligible countries. Deadline: 15/11/2024 Read more |
Eureka: Xecs call for electronic components and systems projects
Xecs
is a Eureka Cluster aimed at speeding up sustainable industrial
innovation within the electronics components and systems sector. It is
guided by the ECS Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, developed by
industry groups AENEAS, EPoSS, and Inside. Xecs supports projects
covering the entire value chain in electronics, benefiting from the
innovation ecosystem driven by these associations. Germany and South
Africa are among the eligible countries. Deadline: 23/01/2025 Read more |
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Biodiversa+: Biodiversity and Transformative Change (BiodivTransform)
Biodiversa+,
the European Biodiversity Partnership, has announced its 4th call for
transnational R&I projects. Projects funderd under this call should
be interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and/or cross-sectoral. They are
to point out connections between climate change, pollution and the
global loss of biodiversity, and to inverstige transformation processes
to counteract the loss of biodiversity. Finally, projects should aim to
interlink science, society and politics. Germany, South Africa and
Tunisia are among the eligible countries. Deadline: 08/11/2024 Read more |
CET Partnership: Joint Call 2024
The
Clean Energy Transition Partnership is an international and strategic
alliance of national and regional RDI programmes. Its objective is to
enhance the shift towards sustainable energy while supporting the
implementation of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET
Plan).To address various topics and RDI categories, the 2024 call
is structured into Call Modules, each focusing on
specific energy technologies or systems. Examples include: “Data spaces
& interoperability”, “Carbon capture, utilisation & storage” or
“Hydrogen & renewable fuels”. Germany and Tunisia are among the
eligible countries. Deadline: 21/11/2024 Read more |
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ERC: Consolidator Grant
The
Consolidator Grant is for researchers of any nationality with 7 to 12
years of experience since their PhD, a scientific track record proving
their scientific distinction as well as a convincing research proposal.
The grant aims to support researchers in solidifying their independence
by forming a research team and further advancing a successful career
within Europe. Researchers who have recently set up an independent,
high-quality research team and wish to enhance its capabilities are also
eligible. The grants amounts to max. € 2 million for a duration of 5
years. Applications are welcome from any area of research. Deadline: 14/01/2025 Read more |
ERC: Synergy Grant
The
Synergy Grant is desgined for researchers who tackle research
challenges so complex that it cannot be managed by them and their teams
alone. The grant is awarded to a group of two to four Principal
Investigators (PIs), collaborating and combining diverse skill sets, who
can then recruit team members from any nationality. The researchs needs
to be conducted at a Host Insitution (HI), be it the one where the
applicant already works, or at any other HI in an EU Member States or
associated country (among them is Tunisia). The grant amounts to max. €
10 million for a duration of 6 years. Applications are welcome from any
area of research Deadline: 06/11/2025 Read more |
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MSCA: Doctoral Networks 2024
The
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Doctoral Networks implements
doctoral programmes, by partnerships of universities, research
institutions and infrastructures, businesses including SMEs, and other
socio-economic actors from different countries across Europe and beyond.
These doctoral programmes will respond to well-identified needs in
various research and innovation areas, expose the researchers to the
academic and non-academic sectors, offer research training, and
transferable skills and competencies relevant for innovation and
long-term employability. Deadline: 27/11/2024
Read more
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MSCA: Staff Exchanges
The
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Staff Exchanges covers short-term
international and inter-sectoral exchanges of staff members who work in
the R&I-sector of participating organisations. Among the benefits
for the staff on exchange count new skills and career prospects; the
participating organisations enhance their capacities in the field of
R&I. The purpose of this grant is to foster sustainable cooperative
projects between academic as well as non-academic organisations
(including SMEs), located in Europe and beyond.
Deadline: 05/02/2025
Read more
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Supporting At-risk researchers with Fellowships in Europe (SAFE)
In the SAFE project, is a pilot funding scheme offers in two funding lines
Track 1: At-risk researchers currently
outside the EU
Track2: At-risk researchers already within the EU
PhD
candidates and PostDocs a fully-funded fellowship for a duration of up
to 24 months to work at a research institution in an EU-country. The
application needs to be submitted by an EU-based host institution, on
behalf of a researcher at risk. Soon, there will available a matchmaking
service by SAFE, helping to connect at-risk researchers with potential
host institutions.The programme is funded by the EU, and implemented by
the German Academic Exchange Service, Campus France, the Pause Programme
by Collège de France and the Mediterranean Universities Union.
Deadline: 20/01/2025
Read more
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Water4All Call Joint Transnational Call
Cofunded
by the EU, the Water4All Partnership is a funding scheme for research
on water security. Its objectives are to address water challenges during
climate change and to contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable
Development Goals.The theme of the current call for joint transnational
R&I projects is “Water for Circular Economy”. The topics are
“Enhancement of water circularity in industries”, “Urban water
circularity”, “Resource recovery and valorization” and “Economic,
environmental and social implications of water reuse and recovered
products”. South Africa, Tunisia and Germany are among the eligible
countries. Deadline: 13/11/2024
Read more |
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IKI Medium Grants
The
IKI (International Climate Initative) Medium Grants support innovative
bottom-up contributions to the Paris Agreement and Convention on
Biological Diversity, targeting non-profit civil society organizations,
academic institutions, and non-profit companies based in Germany. The
financial volume per project can vary between 300.000 € and 800.000 €
and should tarket one of these two priorites areas
- "Promotion of ambitious participatory measures to reduce greenhouse gases"
-"Integrative measures for the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity in cities."
Deadline: 14/01/2025
Read more
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Humboldt Foundation: Humboldt Research Fellowship
This
funding scheme allows postdoctoral and experienced researchers of all
nationalities (expect from Germany and Brazil) and from all academic
disciplines to realize a research stay in Germany between 6 and 24
months. Applicants get to chose their research topic and their German
host institution. The next meeting of the Selection Committee will be in
November 2024. Deadline: November 2024 Read more |
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German-Egyptian Research Fund
With
this call, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
funds innovative projects in applied research carried out by
Egyptian-German teams. The aim of this funding initiative is to develop
sustainable innovation partnerships between universities, research
institutes and enterprises from Egypt and Germany.Project should address
the focus areas “One Health” and “Green Transition”. They should
involve partners from science and industry, and generate innovative and
socio-economically exploitable research results in the form of
technologies, products, processes and/or services.
Deadline: 20/01/2025
Read more
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Gerda Henkel Foundation: General Research Grants for Scholarships and Projects
Located
in Düsseldorf, Germany, the Gerada Henkel Foundation offers financial
support for projects in the historical humanities. On 22 November 2024
is the deadline for two funding schemes, namely the General Research
Grants for Scholarships and for Projects
(if you apply for a funding sum of max. € 30.000, you can submit your
application any time). The supported projects have to be in a historical
discipline such as for instance archaeology, art history or Historical
Islamic Studies. Deadline: 22/11/2024 Read more |
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develoPPP Ventures
This
programme by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development (BMZ) is tailored for start-up companies whose innovative
business models improve living conditions in a developing or emerging
country. By now, the programme is available in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya,
Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa and soon Côte d'Ivoire as well as other
countries. The companies are also required to have successfully passed
the formation phase and are now intending to scale up. Within a matching
funds model, up to € 100.000 can be awarded for promissing growth
investments.
Deadline: 31/12/2024
Read more
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Ta'ziz Short-Term Measures 2025
The
‘Ta'ziz Short-Term Measures’ programme promotes partnerships between
German higher education institutions and their counterparts in the MENA
region, focusing on Tunisia, Sudan, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, and several
other countries. It aims to establish, expand, or deepen existing
collaborations through short-term initiatives. Eligible activities
include initiation trips, exchanges, digital events, and the development
of educational and research-based concepts or products.
Deadline: 29/11/2024 |
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Cooperation Lounge Africa-Europe: Science meets Politics In
collaboration with the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to
the EU, the Scientific Coordination Office (WKS) Bavaria-Africa of the
Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR) invites you to Brussels on 10 and 11
December 2024. Under the theme ‘Science meets Politics’, the
Cooperation Lounge Africa-Europe will promote international dialogue
between Africa, Europe, and Bavaria in research and innovation. This
event will focus on the intersection of science and politics and the
advancement of ‘science diplomacy’. Attendees can look forward to a
high-level networking event featuring engaging keynotes, panel
discussions, interactive workshops, and ample networking opportunities. Date: 10-11/12/2024 Location: Brussels, Belgium Read more |
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The Africa Charter goes to Brussels
The
Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations is a
framework developed by major African HEIs with the aim to foster an
equitable mode of research collaboration between Africa and the Global
North. The event “The Africa Charter: Advancing transformative research
collaborations between Africa and the rest of the world” is a two-day
interactive workshop with the aim to present and discuss the Africa
Charter. The workshop is co-organized by the University of Bristol and
the Coimbra Group, and supported by the University of Bergen. In plenary
sessions, group discussions and during networking opportunities,
participants will exchange ideas about a prosperous future of the
R&I landscape in African-European cooperation. Date: 06-07/11/2024 Location: Brussels, Belgium Read more |
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World Science Forum 2024
Taking
place in Budapest, Hungary, the World Science Forum 2024 will gather
global leaders, scientists, policymakers, and influencers to discuss
critical issues in science and society. The event aims to bridge science
and policy, promoting dialogue on topics such as climate change,
sustainable development, freedom in research, and the role of science in
decision-making. It seeks to strengthen international cooperation and
trust in science to address global challenges effectively. Date: 20-23/11/2024 Location: Budapest, Hungary Read more |
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Building alliances for development in higher education and research
The
14th meeting of the Forum of the Cooperation for Sustainable
Development in Higher Education Group (S-DHG) will take place in
Brussels, Belgium. This two-day event is convened by the German Academic
Exchange Service (DAAD), the European Commission, VLIR-UOS and the
Association of Commonwealth Universities. The event will investigate the
role of higher education and research in EU’s Global Gateway strategy
(day 1) and in emergencies (day 2). Date: 12-13/11/2024 Location: Brussels, Belgium Read more |
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GAPSYM17: Africa at the intersection of Climate, Migration & Health challenges GAPSYM
is an international and multidisciplinary symposium organized by the
Africa Platform of Ghent University Association. This year’s conference
is titled "Africa at the Intersection of Climate, Migration, and Health
Challenges". Researchers, policymakers, artists and more groups will
come together to discuss how they reflect on current African
developments related to the nexus of climate, migration and health. The
symposium provides a platform for sharing research findings and
discussing innovative solutions. Registration is open until 24th of
November. Date: 28-29/11/2024 Location: Ghent, Belgium Read more |
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Aquaculture Africa 2024 (AFRAQ24) Organized
by the World Aquaculture Society, this conference aims to promote
sustainable aquaculture in Africa. The event will feature technical
sessions, an international trade exhibition, industry forums, workshops,
and student activities. The theme is “Blue Farming: New Horizons for
Economic Growth,” focusing on the role of sustainable aquaculture in
economic development. Presentations and sessions will be held in
English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic. Date: 19-22/11/2024 Location: Hammamet, Tunisia Read more |
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29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) COP29,
the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations (UN) Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), will be hosted in Baku,
Azerbaijan in 2024. The conference will bring together global leaders,
policymakers, scientists, and activists to discuss and negotiate climate
action strategies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting
to climate impacts, and advancing sustainable development goals. The
event will feature a wide range of sessions, including high-level
meetings, expert panels, and side events, focusing on key issues such as
renewable energy, climate finance, and international cooperation. Date: 11-22/11/2024 Location: Baku, Azerbaijan Read more |
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AU-EU Innovation Agenda Workshop
The
third edition of the workshop series “Implementing the AU-EU Innovation
Agenda” will focus on “Public Health Innovations”. Attendees of the
workshop will get updates on African Union (AU) - European Union (EU)
research and innovation collaborations from key representatives, as well
as hear from researchers and innovators about the successes and
opportunities they have found through the AU-EU Innovation Agenda,
especially in public health. Additionally, the workshop will include a
session on the “AU-EU Deep Tech Transformation Training Scheme,” where
experts will share insights on training, capacity-building, and funding
resources. Date: 03/12/2024 Location: Pretoria, South Africa, and online Read more |
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The African Academy of Sciences (AAS): 15th General Assembly & Scientific Conference Themed
“Empowering and Advancing Africa’s Scientific Enterprise”, this year’s
General Assembly of AAS is designed as a Global African Science and
Technology (GAST) Forum. A wide range of topics will be covered, namely
health, climate change, science diplomacy, science infrastructure,
agriculture, social science and policy, Human Capital Development in
Basic Science as well as Science Funding Instruments. The GA-2024 will
convene important stakeholders from around the world, with a special
focus on Africa’s global Diaspora. Date: 09-12/12/2024 Location: Abuja, Nigeria Read more |
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12th African Congress of Immunology (FAIS-2024)
The
African Congress of Immunology is a major triennial event that gathers
immunologists from Africa and beyond. The congress is organized by the
Federation of African Immunological Societies (FAIS) and affiliated with
the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS). The theme of
FAIS-2024 is “Innovative Strategies Against Infectious Diseases and
Emerging Immunological Disorders in Africa: Challenges and
Opportunities.” The congress features a comprehensive agenda, focussing
on the four topics “Emerging diseases”, “One Health immunology”,
“Vaccine immunology” and “Traditional herbal formulas”. The overall
objective is to enhance immunology research and promote scientific
collaboration to tackle health issues in Africa and globally. Date: 10-13/12/2024 Location: Cotonou, Benin Read more |
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Science Forum South Africa (SFSA) This
years’ SFSA is themed “Igniting Conversations about Science –
Innovation and Science for Humanity”. The event conveves scientists,
students, representatives from civil society and more, and serves as a
platform for dialogues on the complex interlinkages between science,
society and policy. Organized by the South African Department of Science
and Innovation as well as by the Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa,
the forum features key notes, panel discussions, informative sessions
about a broad variety of topics, and networking opportunities. Date: 04-06/12/2024 Location: Pretoria, South Africa
Read more |
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6th World Congress on Agroforestry (WCA 2025)
Under
the theme “Agroforestry for People, Planet, Profit”, the 6th World
Congress on Agroforestry will bring together over 1.500 participants,
including researchers, farmers, and policymakers, to discuss innovations
in sustainable agroforestry practices. During the plenary sessions
“Perspectives on Transition”, “Relation to Nature”, “Governance of
Agroforestry” and the “Agroecology-Agroforestry Nexus”, attendees will
dive deep into the current challenges and opportunities in the
agroforestry sector. For those interested in presenting a poster or
delivering an oral presentation, the abstract submission is open until
15/01/2025. Date: 19-23/05/2025 Location: Kigali, Rwanda Read more |
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News from the Bavarian Office for Africa
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Pyramids and Hydrogen During
a visit to Egypt, Bavarian State Premier Dr. Markus Söder strengthened
ties with Egyptian leaders through a Memorandum of Understanding on
hydrogen production and toured key infrastructure projects like Siemens'
high-speed rail initiative. In addition to economic cooperation, Dr.
Söder supported social causes, pledging funding for a Coptic-Catholic
seminary project for children with disabilities. The trip also included
cultural exchanges, with a German Unity Day reception and a memorable
early-morning visit to the Pyramids. Read more |
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Training for the future Supported
by the Bavarian government, new initiatives are advancing Ethiopia's
vocational training sector. The Bildungswerk der Bayerischen Wirtschaft
(bbw) is implementing the Bavarian Ethiopian Youth Employment Promotion
Project (BEYEPP) to provide essential skills to disadvantaged youth in
Addis Ababa, while Menschen für Menschen is completing a vocational
center in Bure to empower local youth. Additionally, a new project is
training Ethiopian workers for placements in Bavaria to help address
labor shortages and further strengthen socio-economic ties between the
two regions. Read more |
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In each
newsletter issue, we present a research or innovation project from our
Stakeholder Map with Bavarian and African participation. |
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SWITCH – Stabilizing weak grids through machine learning
The
SWITCH project is led by the Institute of new Energy Systems (InES) of
the Technical University of Applied Sciences Ingolstadt (Bavaria,
Germany) in close collaboration with their project partners in Algeria,
Germany, Italy and Morrocco with funds through the EU LEAP-RE project.
Rising global electricity demand has long outpaced generation and
transmission capacities, posing technical and economic challenges in
regions like North Africa. The interdisciplinary SWITCH project team
will investigate solutions to improve power supply in Morocco and
Algeria's "end-of-line" communities, which often experience outages.
Their approach includes integrating smart renewable energy systems,
AI-based forecasting in artificial neural networks, and optimal agri-PV
(agricultural photovoltaic) solutions for local islanding. More information |
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Interested
in discovering more research and innovation projects between Africa and
Bavaria? Or do you wish to showcase your research and innovation project
between Africa and Bavaria? We invite you to visit our Stakeholder Map
Bavaria-Africa. |
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