Open calls

The objective of this procedure is to support activities related to international scientific and technical cooperation for establishing direct contacts between scientists and research teams from universities and scientific institutions in Bulgaria and the countries included in the Annual Operational Program of the Bulgarian National Science Fund, in accordance with the relevant bilateral agreements and the national legislation of each country.

The lead institution for the program on the part of the Republic of Austria is the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy, through the Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research (OeAD-GmbH), ICM – Centre for International Cooperation and Mobility; on the Bulgarian side, the lead institution is the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) through the Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF).

Funding under this procedure aims to encourage the conduct of high-quality fundamental research — a non-profit scientific activity for international scientific and technical cooperation with a view to acquiring new knowledge, promoting scientific exchange between the countries and the mobility of scientists, as well as supporting the development of close links and cooperation between scientific organizations from the Republic of Bulgaria and the respective partner country. Eligible applicants — scientific organizations from the Republic of Bulgaria — are defined in the Annual Operational Program of the Fund and in these General Guidelines. The specific conditions, eligible activities, areas of cooperation, application and funding deadlines, as well as other specific conditions under each of the agreements, are stipulated in the "Specific Conditions" Annex to the documentation of this procedure.

Calls for proposals with the various countries within the scope of this procedure are announced in accordance with the mutual agreement between the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria (or the Bulgarian National Science Fund) and the partner institution of the respective partner country.

Projects in all scientific fields will be funded, including social sciences and humanities.