ANR Launches 2023 Edition of Funding For the Establishment of European or International Scientific Networks (MRSEI)
The 2023 edition of the MRSEI programme, providing funding for French researchers to set up European or international research networks in any discipline, has been launched.
The Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR – National Research Agency) provides funding to public research organisations and universities, as well as to private companies, for both basic and applied research in all fields of science. Its goals include promoting creativity and openness as well as new ideas and partnerships, in particular between academia and industry.
The Setting up European or International Scientific Networks (MRSEI) scheme intends to promote the participation of French research teams on an international level. The call aims to give French researchers easier access to European programmes (principally Horizon Europe) and other international calls in addition to encouraging the formation and coordination of transnational networks. The call should give French researchers the opportunity to develop ambitious interdisciplinary projects and enhance their visibility at an international level. It makes funding available across all disciplines for research networks led by French teams specifically intending to prepare and submit a collaborative project in response to a large-scale European or international call for proposals with major scientific, technological or societal impacts.
Proposals from all scientific fields and research disciplines are accepted.
The call aims to create a scientific network constituted of European or international collaborators with at least one French partner from a public research organisation. The network will be coordinated by the French partner who is the applicant to the MRSEI call and to the future European or international project. The coordinating French partner will be the sole beneficiary of the ANR grant.
To be eligible, the following criteria apply:
- Proposals should be submitted by one sole scientific coordinator belonging to an eligible organisation.
- The targeted call (Horizon Europe, other international, etc) should be well identified within the proposal.
A sum of €35,000 is available over a period of 24 months. Only the French coordinating institution can be the beneficiary of the funding.
The grant is intended to cover the operating cost of the collaborative activities and not the actual research. Eligible costs include, among others, staffing costs, service provision and mission expenses.
ANR advises prospective collaborators to submit their MRSEI proposal for a deadline at least six months prior to that of the European/international call to which they intend to apply.
Applications to the 2023 MRSEI scheme should be submitted by one of the following deadlines:
- 9 January 2023 (13:00 Paris time).
- 3 April 2023 (13:00 Paris time).
- 1 June 2023 (13:00 Paris time).
- 9 October 2023 (13:00 Paris time).
(This report was the subject of a RESEARCHconnect Newsflash.)