(I) General Requirements
- These guidelines apply to the application for joint research cultivation projects released by IAFPH for JRU-Morocco, JRU-Senegal, JRU-Cabo Verde, and JRU-Côte d'Ivoire. Applying institutions should have already established an official cooperative relationship with IAFPH.
- Applying units shall submit preliminary cooperation cultivation project applications focusing on topics related to food, medicinal plants, health, animal health, ecosystems, and One Health. The project focus lies in identifying high-quality cooperation teams, establishing a foundation for long-term cooperation, forming a relatively complete three-year cooperation vision, and providing the material and organizational basis for subsequent deepening of cooperation.
(II) Application Directions
Direction 1: Research on plant-derived functional substances and health applications.
Focusing on extraction processes, functional mechanism evaluation of medicinal plants and edible-medicinal plants and their natural active ingredients, and application development in the fields of precision nutrition and health intervention.
Direction 2: Research on animal health, pathogen control, and One Health.
Focusing on animal-derived health monitoring, pathogenic microorganism control, prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance evolution, alternative antibiotic intervention strategies, antimicrobial synergy mechanisms, and interdisciplinary topics involving human-animal-environmental health.
Direction 3: Synergistic research on edible-medicinal plants, ecosystems, and health.
Focusing on the synergistic relationship between plant resource diversity, sustainable agricultural systems, ecological environment quality, and population health levels, exploring the support mechanisms of ecosystem stability for improving overall health effectiveness.
(III) Application Eligibility
Higher education institutions, public or non-profit research institutions established according to law and operating normally within Morocco, Senegal, Cabo Verde, or Côte d'Ivoire, as well as research platforms, research centers, or laboratory host units that are legally established and possess research organizational capabilities, must simultaneously meet the following conditions:
- The host unit possesses a clear and legal institutional identity;
- The project leader and the team possess a certain research foundation in the corresponding direction;
- Possess the willingness and capability to participate in long-term international cooperation;
- Be able to cooperate in submitting relevant materials such as the institution, team, platform, research foundation, and cooperation vision;
- Be willing to accept project management, phase evaluation, centralized material submission, and achievement archiving requirements under the corresponding JRU framework.
(IV) JRU Scope and Material Requirements
- This round of applications is released collectively, but applicants must submit the corresponding Application Package according to their respective JRU scope. Specifically, these are categorized as: JRU-Morocco Application Package, JRU-Senegal Application Package, JRU-Cabo Verde Application Package, and JRU-Côte d'Ivoire Application Package.
- The material names corresponding to different JRU scopes must be consistent and clear; the "JRU" prefix must not be mixed up or omitted.
(V) Key Tasks of Phase I
- Refine joint research directions;
- Formulate the first edition of the three-year cooperation vision;
- Complete the collation of basic materials for the host institution and team;
- Clarify the preliminary ideas for platform construction or long-term cooperation advancement;
- Submit the phase progress report and suggestions for subsequent deepening.
(VI) Evaluation Criteria
- Alignment with research directions;
- Research foundation of the team and the host unit;
- Organizational and coordination capabilities of the project leader;
- Clarity and feasibility of the Phase I task design;
- Potential for long-term cooperation and platform construction;
- Undertaking capacity regarding institutional cooperation, material preparation, personnel exchange, and long-term collaboration;
- Acceptance level of the project rules and the JRU system.
(VII) Fund Management Requirements
- Phase I funds shall be used for preliminary cooperation identification, literature review, proposal design, small-scale preliminary research, team communication, material preparation, etc.;
- Phase II funds (limited to Key Projects) shall be used for deepening cooperation design, platform construction preparation, joint research advancement, and subsequent cooperation incubation;
- Project funds must not be diverted to purposes unrelated to this project;
- Specific expenditure categories and execution requirements shall be subject to the funding agreement.
(VIII) Phase Evaluation
Upon the conclusion of Phase I, IAFPH will organize a phase evaluation, focusing on the completion of tasks, the completeness of materials, the degree of team cooperation, the feasibility of long-term cooperation, and whether the requirements for entering Phase II are met.
(IX) Description of Cooperation and Protection Mechanisms
- Funding is only available to teams included in the corresponding JRU system;
- Cooperation materials and undisclosed achievements formed during Phase I must be subject to unified archiving by the corresponding JRU;
- During the funding period and the agreed window period, cooperation on the same topic shall prioritize advancement through the corresponding JRU;
- For teams that violate project rules, IAFPH reserves the right to disqualify them from subsequent support.
(X) Contact Information
Contact Person: Zhiming Yang;
Email: contact@iafph.org;
Tel: 0033 0658230458.