Calling Consortiums of think tanks from EU and India to apply for Online Research Collaboration

ANSWER 1:
Please refer to the para titled METHODOLOGY on page 6 of the Call:

“
Each consortium should be formed by at least one Indian think tank plus one European think tank. Each consortium should appoint one leading expert acting as single-entry point. Each research team should be composed of four to six experts, equally representing the EU and India. Preference will be given to proposals providing geographical representation and inclusivity. Both participating think tanks will propose one senior researcher and one junior researcher to undertake the research.
”

In the possible case that you have envisaged above, the consortium of two think tanks from India and one think tank from Europe is possible as long as the total team comprises of four to six experts, equally representing the EU and India.

Additionally, please refer to the para titled FINANCIAL OFFER on page 8 of the Call and note that the honorarium amount of €30000 will be equally shared between the Indian and EU think tank. The EUPOP project team will make the payment of €15000 each to the lead partners from India and EU, to be further shared by the latter with any other partners where needed.

ANSWER 2:
Please refer to the para titled OVERALL CONCEPT on page 4 of the Call:

“
Each consortium will be composed of four to six leading experts from think tanks/ universities/ political foundations/ research institutions from the EU and India (minimum two experts from the EU and minimum two from the Indian think tank) to undertake joint research and produce one joint innovative research paper on a selected issue of interest to the EU and India. ”

ANSWER 3:
Please refer the Call document (page 4): “Each consortium will be composed of four to six leading experts from think tanks/ universities/ political foundations/ research institutions from the EU and India (minimum two experts from the EU and minimum two from the Indian think tank) to undertake joint research and produce one joint innovative research paper on a selected issue of interest to the EU and India.” (emphasis added).

As a general rule we cannot pay to government entities. Please confirm that this is not the case with your institution.

Since you have stated that your institution does “research whenever creating reports of policy papers” you may therefore apply as per the terms given in the Call dated 14 July 2021. The same eligibility criteria would apply to your potential partner from India.

ANSWER 4:
The EU – India Think Tanks Twinning Initiative is implemented under the EU Policy and Outreach Partnerships (EUPOP India) Project implemented by AETS Consultants. The EUPOP India project is funded by the European Union.

For your information and clarification, there is no difference between the EU and the Delegation in New Delhi, as the latter represents the former in India.

ANSWER 5:
Please refer to the para titled PROPOSAL on Page 6 of the Call:

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j. CV of all the members of the research team along with a note on their suitability for the assignment.
”

There is no specific eligibility criteria given in the Call for the junior researchers but their education and experience must be suitable and appropriate to the assignment.

ANSWER 6:
Please refer to the para titled OVERALL CONCEPT on page 4 of the Call:

“
Each consortium will be composed of four to six leading experts from think tanks/ universities/ political foundations/ research institutions from the EU and India (minimum two experts from the EU and minimum two from the Indian think tank) to undertake joint research and produce one joint innovative research paper on a selected issue of interest to the EU and India.
”

ANSWER 7:
Please refer to page 5 of the Call, copied below: 

“

• The research team fielded by the EU and Indian partner must each have the following characteristics:
  • One leading senior researcher. The leading senior researcher must have published at least one research/policy paper on EU – India relations or on a technical/ strategic issue of significance to the EU, India, and EU-India relations. She/He must have a post-graduate degree. 

”

The year of publication of the paper is not mentioned so it can be from this year or any previous year.  Similarly, it is not necessary that the paper should have been published only under the EU India Think Tanks Twinning Initiative. Any other research/ policy paper on EU – India relations or on a technical/ strategic issue of significance to the EU, India, and EU-India relations is also eligible subject to other terms mentioned in the Call.

ANSWER 8:
Yes. Participation in EU-India Thank Tanks workshop is not included in the eligibility criteria.

ANSWER 9:
Think Tanks based in any of the 27 Member States are equally eligible.

ANSWER 10:
Under the EU India Think Tanks Twinning Initiative, a number of Calls have been published since 2016 which have resulted in a number of joint research papers as well as other output.  All these papers can be accessed from the website:  www.euindiathinktanks.in

ANSWER 11:
Yes. There is nothing given in the Call document which prohibits this.

ANSWER 12:
Yes, as long as the total team comprises of four to six experts, equally representing the EU and India. Additionally, please refer to the para titled FINANCIAL OFFER on page 8 of the Call and note that the honorarium amount of €30000 will be equally shared between the Indian and EU think tank. The EUPOP project team will make the payment of €15000 each to the lead partners from India and EU, to be further shared by the latter with any other partners where needed.

ANSWER 13:
Yes, as long as the total team comprises of four to six experts, equally representing the EU and India. Additionally, please refer to the para titled FINANCIAL OFFER on page 8 of the Call and note that the honorarium amount of €30000 will be equally shared between the Indian and EU think tank. The EUPOP project team will make the payment of €15000 each to the lead partners from India and EU, to be further shared by the latter with any other partners where needed.

ANSWER 14:
Yes, there is nothing given in the Call which prohibits this.

ANSWER 15:
No. Because in case both such proposals get selected where the senior researcher is the same, then there will be a problem since the senior researcher cannot participate in two research projects simultaneously. This would jeopardise one of the selected projects.

ANSWER 16:
In this case you would not be considered as an Indian researcher since you are affiliated with European universities and not an Indian one. The Indian partner cannot claim you only on the basis of your nationality. You need to be academically affiliated with that Indian institution, which does not seem to be the case.

ANSWER 17:
As given in the para titled OVERALL CONCEPT on page 4 of the Call: “Each consortium will be composed of four to six leading experts from think tanks/ universities/ political foundations/ research institutions from the EU and India (minimum two experts from the EU and minimum two from the Indian think tank) to undertake joint research and produce one joint innovative research paper on a selected issue of interest to the EU and India.”

ANSWER 18:
Yes, it is better if the head of the institute to which the junior member belongs gives is/her approval/ no objection, even if that institution does not join the consortium per se. Otherwise, there will be problem in recognising the junior member by name and official affiliation in case of selection and eventual publication of the joint research work.

ANSWER 19:
Yes.

ANSWER 20:
It is not the question of your affiliation with an Indian think-tank, whether primary or secondary. The key question is that the referred Indian institution has to take ownership of the idea and proposal making since the EU funding support will be given to the institution and not directly to the individuals.

ANSWER 21:
Please refer to the para titled ELIGIBILITY on Page 5 of the Call document: 

“The leading senior researcher must have published at least one research/policy paper on EU – India relations or on a technical/ strategic issue of significance to the EU, India, and EU-India relations.”

The project team is unable to make advance assessment of potential applications or parts thereof.

ANSWER 22:
Unfortunately, the EUPOP project team cannot directly help individual candidates in finding network partners but we will publish this query on our website so that if there are any potential EU think tanks also looking for Indian partner in the same subject area they can get in touch with the project team and we can connect the two sides.  

ANSWER 23:
Please refer to the para titled ELIGIBILITY on page 5 of the Call. 

“ 

• The research team fielded by the EU and Indian partner must each have the following characteristics:
  • One leading senior researcher. The leading senior researcher must have published at least one research/policy paper on EU – India relations or on a technical/ strategic issue of significance to the EU, India, and EU-India relations. She/He must have a post-graduate degree. 
  • At least one junior researcher
  • The consortium team must comprise of 50% European and 50% Indian members.
  • Minimum 40% of the researchers must be female. 

”

From your query it is not clear whether both of you are from the same think tank or two different think tanks? If you are from two different think tanks, you have to attach ‘organisational superior’s support letter for participating in this initiative’ for each of you. (Please refer to point m. under PROPOSAL, page 6 of the Call).  Moreover, ‘the joint application must be signed by the respective Head/ Authorized Signatory of both participating leading organizations’ (para on ELIGIBILITY, page 5). This means there will be one leading organisation from the EU and one from India in each consortium. So, you can decide amongst yourselves who will be the senior or junior researcher, also depending on who is from the leading organisation that will co-sign the application letter.  However, if you decide to field both as senior researchers you will have to find a junior researcher to fulfil the criterion in the ELIGIBILITY on page 5 which is copied above. That junior researcher will also need to meet the eligibility criteria and have the ‘organisational superior’s support letter for participating in this initiative.’

ANSWER 24:
Please refer to the para ELGIBILITY on page 5 of the Call, copied below:
“

• The research team fielded by the EU and Indian partner must each have the following
  characteristics:
  • One leading senior researcher. The leading senior researcher must have published at least one research/policy paper on EU – India relations or on a technical/ strategic issue of significance to the EU, India, and EU-India relations. She/He must have a post-graduate degree.
  • At least one junior researcher
  • The consortium team must comprise of 50% European and 50% Indian members.
  • Minimum 40% of the researchers must be female.

”
As it is clearly given that “the consortium team must comprise of 50% European and 50% Indian members” you will need to follow that.

ANSWER 25:
Please refer to the para ELIGIBILITY on page 5 of the Call, copied below:
“

• The call is open to think tanks, universities, political foundations, and research institutions registered and based in one of the EU 27 Member States or in India.

”
As the referred organisation is neither registered and based in India nor in one of the 27 EU Member States, it cannot be considered eligible for this Call.

ANSWER 26:
Yes. As per the para titled ELIGIBILITY on page 5 of the Call: “The call is open to think tanks, universities, political foundations, and research institutions registered and based in one of the EU 27 Member States or in India.”

ANSWER 27:
Yes. As per point m. under PROPOSAL on page 6 of the Call: “The organisational superior’s support letter for participating in this initiative” is necessary for all members of the research team.

ANSWER 28:
Yes. As per point m. under PROPOSAL on page 6 of the Call: “The organisational superior’s support letter for participating in this initiative” must be attached.

ANSWER 29:
Please refer to the para ELIGIBLITY on page 5 of the Call:
“

• The consortium team must comprise of 50% European and 50% Indian members.

”

ANSWER 30:
Please refer to the para ELIGIBLITY on page 5 of the Call:
“

• Minimum 40% of the researchers must be female.

”

ANSWER 31:
Please refer to the para OVERALL CONCEPT on page 4 of the Call:

“In view of the travel restrictions due to the pandemic it is expected that the researchers from the EU and India will collaborate online for their research and writing and no international travels are foreseen.”

Additionally, please refer to the para titled FINANCIAL OFFER on page 8 of the Call:
“Each proposal must be accompanied by a financial offer for up to a maximum of €30 000 per consortium per paper to be shared equally between the Indian and EU think tank. This amount of €30 000 covers all inputs and costs related to the research and writing of the paper including:

• Production of a joint research paper
• Production of an executive summary
• Publication of the research papers/ any other publications/ webpages
• Communication and visibility activities by the respective TTs
• Final language proofread
• Final editing
• Administrative support in organizing and hosting the peer-to-peer review
• Printing of the research
• Production of the final report collecting all the materials produced.
  

ANSWER 32:
Please refer to the para titled Cover Letter on page 10 of the Call:

“
The cover letter should be sent in the email as a scan copy (PDF) of a letter co-signed by the heads/ authorized representatives of both Indian and European think tanks participating in the consortium clearly giving the name and designation of the signatory. The subject /title of the proposed research paper should be mentioned.

”
As per point m. under the para titled PROPOSAL on page 5, the “The organisational superior’s support letter for participating in this initiative” is to be attached as well. In case there are different experts from different organisations, each expert must attach such a letter for herself/ himself.

On the list of interviews please decide for yourself keeping in mind the competitive nature of the exercise.

ANSWER 33:
A budget overview needs to be included in the application, to be included in the proposal as an annex. All consortium parties need to agree on the budget proposal. In the interest of time, please draft a simple budget in line with the activities suggested in the proposal, and agreed by all parties. If additional detailed discussions on the budget need to take place, we will follow up at a later stage.

ANSWER 34:

1. The financial offer should be included in the proposal as Annex
2. Recalling pg. 8 of the call document, the budget includes all aspects of research, production and dissemination of the paper, hence daily rates of researchers
3. the payment will be generated by AETS, France on behalf of the European Commission, however we can not advise on taxation regimes applicable to specific cases.

ANSWER 35:
At this point an extension of the deadline is not under consideration.

ANSWER 36:
It is indifferent if the contact point is from an EU or an Indian institute. Please note that the requirement applies to the country where the institute is located, and not to the personal citizenship of the applicant.

ANSWER 37:
At this point an extension of the deadline is not under consideration.

ANSWER 38:
No.

ANSWER 39:
No.

ANSWER 40:
You should attach 2-page CVs of each one of the researchers proposed as per Section 5.A and 6.A and add a note on their suitability for the assignment as per point J. under the para titled PROPOSAL on page 6 of the Call.