1. Introduction

Science is increasingly global. Many research questions and “grand challenges” cannot be resolved without cross-border collaboration between scientists. Vietnam and Flanders wish to invest in joint research projects, creating a leverage for scientific excellence.
This intention will be realized through the implementation of a call for proposals, to be launched jointly in Vietnam and Flanders. Each proposal should contain a Vietnamese and a Flemish part. The Vietnamese part will be peer reviewed and funded by NAFOSTED according to its own rules and procedures; the Flemish part will be peer reviewed and funded by FWO according to its rules and procedures.
The decision on jointly funded projects will be taken in consultation with NAFOSTED, during the joint scientific committee to be held in Hanoi in the Autumn of 2013.
Applicants are expected to propose a coherent research project, in which the added value of both the Vietnamese and the Flemish partner, and the complementariness of both teams, is clearly shown. The research should be carried out both in Vietnam and in Flanders.

2. Aim
Proposals for bilateral research projects with researchers from Vietnam are invited in any of the following disciplines:

• Mathematics, computer sciences and informatics
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biological sciences
• Medical sciences
• Engineering
• Materials research
• Agricultural sciences
• Environmental science, ecology and earth sciences
• Social and economic sciences

The projects have a duration of two years, and are subject to the general regulations on FWO research projects, except for certain specific modalities as determined in the framework agreement with NAFOSTED. No overhead costs may be charged by the host institutions on these projects.

3. Guidelines for applicants
3.1. How to apply
In order to be eligible, a proposal must meet the following criteria:

• it must be submitted by a Flemish and a Vietnamese promoter;
• in Flanders it can only be submitted according to the regulations of the ResearchFoundation – Flanders (FWO);
• in Vietnam it can only be submitted according to the regulations of NAFOSTED (link);
• it must be submitted by the deadline jointly determined by FWO and NAFOSTED;
• it must be submitted in English, using the appropriate application forms, which are available through the website of FWO for Flanders and through the website of NAFOSTED for Vietnam.

Proposals should be submitted to FWO using the online application tool, and to NAFOSTED using the dedicated application forms available on the NAFOSTED website. Proposals should always involve both a Vietnamese and a Flemish Principal Investigator (PI).
After the deadline, the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) and the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) will check whether the proposals have been submitted simultaneously in Flanders and Vietnam. They will inform each other of the results. If a proposal is submitted only in one country and/or received after the deadline, it is ipso factoineligible.
The proposal should be clearly integrated and contain one central issue to be investigated, as well as a methodology and an implementation plan; the project description in the proposal submitted by the Vietnamese and the Flemish research team should be identical; the work packages and budget should be specified clearly and separately for the Vietnamese respectively the Flemish part of the project. In the FWO application, the budget of the Vietnamese part of the project should be included as a separate attachment to the online application  form.

3.2. What can be applied for?
The Flemish part of the project budget can only be used for one or more of the following cost categories:

• scientific staff
• equipment
• travel costs of Flemish researchers going to Vietnam;
• to cover accommodation and local travel costs of Vietnamese researchers staying in Flanders;
• to cover costs of an accident and health insurance for Flemish researchers staying inVietnam;
• to cover production costs of joint publications;
• to cover expenses for material and consumables.

The Vietnamese budget should primarily be used for one or more of the following cost categories:

• scientific staff
• equipment
• to cover travel costs of Vietnamese researchers going to Flanders;
• to cover accommodation and local travel costs of Flemish researchers staying in Vietnam;
• to cover costs of an accident and health insurance for Vietnamese researchers staying in Flanders;
• to cover production costs of joint publications;
• to cover expenses for material and consumables.

3.3. Application timeline
The call for 2013 will be published in April 2013; the timeline is as follows:

• April 2, 2013               opening of the call
• June 14, 2013             deadline for proposals
• June-Sept. 2013          eligibility check and peer review
• November 2013           joint scientific committee appointed by NAFOSTED and FWO
• January 1, 2014          start of the projects

4. Evaluation
The applicants shall respect the respective peer evaluation procedure of NAFOSTED and FWO. The evaluation criteria are identical to the criteria used for evaluating FWO research projects:

• international scientific level of the research groups
• methodology
• originality and innovative nature of the project
• importance of the project
• purposefulness of the project
• feasibility of the project
• collaboration and coordination between research departments
• necessity for the budgeted resources

In addition, great importance is attached to the added value of the international collaboration and the complementarity of the partners involved.