The Department of Science and Technology (DST), India, and the French National Research Agency (ANR), France, have launched a joint call for research proposals focused on "Green Hydrogen Innovations for Sustainable Energy Solutions". This initiative aims to strengthen Indo-French scientific collaboration in the field of hydrogen energy. The call seeks to fund innovative, binational projects demonstrating synergy and integration between Indian and French research teams.

The primary goal is to foster new and existing Indo-French research networks in hydrogen. Funded projects should exhibit strong collaboration, with partners working as a unified team contributing complementary expertise to achieve shared objectives. The emphasis is on creating joint outputs that advance the hydrogen economy.

This call encourages projects that consider safety, deployment conditions, and life cycle impacts, including environmental and resource considerations. Socio-economic aspects relevant to the research topic are also encouraged. The deadline for submitting proposals is May 06th, 2025 (05.30 pm IST, 05.00 pm CET).

Prioritized Research Areas

This call focuses on enhancing value creation through research and innovation in the development of new technologies, solutions, services, and business models. The call prioritizes two main topics related to Green Hydrogen:

Innovations for electrochemical hydrogen production or fuel cells, including alternatives to rare and costly electro-catalyzers, bio-inspired catalyst design, and natural enzyme-based hydrogen production. Projects should aim to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of these technologies.

Research on hydrogen carriers and storage, such as chemical hydrogen carriers like ammonia (advances in synthesis/cracking processes), liquid hydrogen carriers (LOHC), and materials-based hydrogen storage like hydrides. The research should focus on safe, efficient, and scalable storage solutions.

Highly innovative ideas in these areas are welcome, even if not explicitly mentioned, provided they align with the topics and significantly contribute to advancing a hydrogen economy. All projects must consider issues of safety, deployment conditions, and life cycle (impact on the environment, use of resources available in limited quantities, etc.).

Application Procedure and Requirements

Applicants from France and India must develop a single joint project plan. This plan must be submitted to both ANR (France) and DST (India) using the respective forms of each organization. It is crucial that both applications have identical titles and content.

Each project proposal must identify one Principal Investigator (PI) from both India and France. It is recommended to include a Co-PI on the Indian side. Applications must include a statement detailing the added value of the proposed collaboration for both countries.

Ensure compliance with both DST and ANR guidelines. The proposal must be submitted online via the designated platforms by the deadline: May 06th, 2025 (05.30 pm IST/ 5:00 pm CET). Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Evaluation Criteria and Funding Details

Project proposals will be evaluated based on three primary criteria: Scientific Excellence, Consortium, Collaboration and Implementation, and Impact and Benefits of the project. These criteria encompass the project's conformity with the call's aims, scientific quality, innovativeness, consortium competence, and potential impact.

The evaluation process involves external peer reviewers and a joint scientific panel. The panel comprises experts from both countries. The reviewers and panel members use the same evaluation grid to ensure consistency.

The DST will provide Indian partners with a maximum funding of 2.25 crores INR (approximately 250k€) for a three-year project. French applicants should request ANR funding between 200k€ and 350k€, with a maximum of 500k€. The list of selected projects will be published around July 2025.

Funding and Support Available

Successful projects will receive joint funding from both India and France, disbursed by DST and ANR, respectively. The ANR will allocate 1 million EUR, while the DST will allocate 90 million INR (9 crores INR) to support at least 2-4 joint research projects. The project duration is expected to be up to 3 years.

The project budget must clearly delineate justified costs for both the Indian and French partners. Mobility between the two countries should be balanced, with sufficient budget allocated for travel. The sending side will provide round-trip airfare and medical insurance, while the receiving side will cover accommodation and living expenses.

On the Indian side, financial support will be provided for temporary staff salaries, equipment, consumables, international travel, and other miscellaneous items. The support will NOT be provided towards basic infrastructure or buildings. The French side can request funding between €200k to €350k, with a maximum of 500 k€.