Réseau universitaire international de Genève
Geneva International Academic Network

Français | English
Homepage > Research > Annual Call for Projects > Submitting > FAQ

FAQ

> Who is eligible for GIAN funding?

> What type of projects are supported by the GIAN?

> What type of projects are typically rejected by the GIAN?

> What are the rules regarding subsidies?

> How does the evaluation process function?

> What additional steps after project approval?

> What do I need to submit a project?


Who is eligible for GIAN funding?
Project teams must include one or several representatives of at least one of the GIAN's founding institutions (University of Geneva, GIIS or GIDS) and of at least one international organisation with a representative in Geneva that has approved participation in the project. The aforementioned "representatives" of academic institutions must be members of the faculty or other close collaborators. Participation by other partners, the private sector or NGOs, for example, is desirable. Partnerships with other institutions of higher education, either Swiss or foreign, are encouraged.

What type of projects are supported by the GIAN?
The GIAN Foundation Board places emphasis on action-oriented projects and the practical application of knowledge. Projects accepted by the GIAN should not be exclusively academic in nature but should also include a practical component that focuses on real problems for which society expects solutions in the short- or medium-term. The Foundation Board favours innovative proposals and those that create new synergies and networks.

1. GIAN support may be requested for research projects (and post-graduate studies or training programmes with a strong research component) that are international in nature and fall within the purview of at least one, or more, of the following thematic areas:

2. Projects must involve a real partnership between the academic world and at least one international organisation, formalised through letters of engagement by each party. Financial and/or in-kind participation by each party is expected.

3. Projects must be action-oriented and interdisciplinary in nature. The GIAN welcomes projects that concern the social sciences as well as the natural sciences and engineering sciences.

4. Projects should be completed within one or two years, three years maximum in exceptional cases.

What type of projects are typically rejected by the GIAN ?
Approximately 60% of projects submitted to the GIAN in the framework of the annual tendering procedure are rejected. A number are rejected outright because of insufficient documentation or poor presentation. The principal reason why projects which are scrutinized do not succeed in obtaining funding is the failure of project teams to appropriately understand the rules governing partnership agreements. In other words, all projects that are not constructed around a functional partnership between an international organisation and an academic organisation with a significant and quantified input in time and/or infrastructure and/or money do not fall under the GIANs' criteria for selection. Interdisciplinarity is also an essential criteria for project selection. Monodisciplinary projects are not funded by the GIAN.

What are the principal rules regarding subsidies ?
Funding is conditional upon the project team demonstrating its ability to guarantee substantial participation in the overall cost of the project. A minimum funding package of SFr 1.6 million will be available in 2006 for projects approved within this programme. A maximum of SFr 300,000 is allotted per project. .

The GIAN applies the principle of co-financing. Each team must demonstrate its ability to provide a substantial contribution to the project, either in the form of funds provided by another donor or as a contribution in-kind. The team must demonstrate that it has the infrastructure and material means available for the execution of the project.

As a general rule, the GIAN does not fund infrastructure, equipment (computers or otherwise), operating expenses for an existing structure, salaries other than those of assistants, and centres or institutions that will require long-term support. It is expected that partner academic institutions and international organisations will supply infrastructure and a considerable percentage of staff time under co-financing arrangements.

Amounts for expenses that will be covered by the GIAN - travel and per diems, in particular - should be handled in compliance with the rules in force at the University of Geneva.

Project budget proposals are expected to conform to the type of standard budget in use by the GIAN. Recipients of subsidies must provide detailed accounting, especially with regard to the use of subsidies, under the same format.

How does the evaluation process function ?
Prospective projects submitted to the Secretariat are evaluated by the GIAN's Scientific Committee . The Committee is composed of high-level personnalities from the academic or professional world who represent the fields of activity that encompass the GIAN's mission. The Committee addresses recommendations to the Foundation Board (or exceptionally the Bureau ) regarding the projects. On the basis of the amount of funds available, the Foundation Board during its meeting proceeds with the approval of the projects and the respective financial allocations to them.

What additional steps after project approval ?
A number of rules govern the use of GIAN subsidies. Some useful information is provided below, but please refer to the " Rights and Duties of Recipients of GIAN subsidies " and the " Procedure for Intermediate and Final Reports " for many important rules and regulations, especially concerning modifications to the project, employment of associates, and the use of research results. Also, please consult the " Page for Coordinators " for specific questions.

The recipients must arrange for management of the awarded subsidies by an administration service approved by the GIAN. In most cases, this shall be the accounting service of Unige, the GIIS or the GIDS.

Each research team must prepare a " Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) " signed by each team member, acknowledging that they accept the conditions mentionned in paragraph 2 of the " Rights and Duties of Recipients of GIAN subsidies ", agree on the use of the subsidy and guarantee substantial participation in the overall cost of the project, in accordance with the budget submitted to the GIAN (a sample MOU is available on the GIAN website or may be obtained from the GIAN secretariat).

No later than two months following the decision to award the subsidy, the recipient of the subsidy must provide GIAN with a summary of the project in electronic form, in English and in French; the length of said summary must not exceed two pages.
> see Downloadable Documents

How should a project be submitted?
Each project is placed under the academic responsibility of a "project coordinator".

The project coordinator must submit to the GIAN, in electronic form and also hard copy, a project summary of 5-15 pages in English or French plus annexes. The submission, post-marked on the date of the deadline, must include the following elements: