AUB - Council for Scientific Research – Lebanon (CNRS)

National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS)

Conseil National des Recherches Scientifiques (CNRS) - National Council for Scientific Research is a governmental organization which supports research projects that have a direct impact on the productive sectors, the environment, public health and socio economic development in accordance with its set national research priorities.

1. CNRS Proposal Preparation

Types of Support
CNRS Research Priorities
Project Period and Funding Limits
Evaluation Critiers
Principal Investigator Eligibility
CNRS Research Application (Proposal) Procedures
PI and Office of Grants and Contracts Responsibilities
Proposals Requiring Special Review

2. CNRS Grants Administration

Project Interim Reporting and Renewal
Project Renewal Application Checklist
Final Reporting

1. CNRS Proposal Preparation

Types of Support

1. Research Projects:
CNRS promotes research and related activities in Lebanon and maintains Research Centers, funds research projects, sponsors various task forces, and is engaged in continuous scientific programs. It awards research grants in different fields of study especially those that are related to sustainable development. It gives priority to the support of research projects of an applied nature that may have direct impact on production, the environment, public health, human development, and the economic sectors in Lebanon. It also supports basic and social sciences research projects that would contribute to the enhancement of higher education and enhance applied research.

The Council gives priority to projects presented in a specific scientific area by a group of researchers forming a research team or part of a laboratory that is a participant in the Council's programs (associated laboratory CNRS), as long as the projects are of an applied nature. The Council encourages the formation of research teams from researchers who work in similar or complementary fields and who had previously received support from the Council.

2. Workshop/Travel Support:
The Council provides support for those researchers wishing to participate in international conferences to represent their CNRS project findings and results. Researchers must be conference participants and submit at least a poster, or an oral presentation as approved by the conference organizers. A travel request should be either submitted during the course of an on-going CNRS supported project or three months within the end of a CNRS project. Applicants can request one time support per awarded project. The support is provided in lump sum amounts as follows:

· 1,000,000 L.L. for a conference in Egypt, or Jordan, or Cyprus, or Turkey

· 1,500,000 L.L. for a conference in the Gulf or Morocco and region

· 2,000,000 L.L. for a conference in Europe or the United States of America

To apply for a workshop/travel support, faculty members are requested to:
a) use the template "Submission Letter", and
b) fill out the CNRS "Request for Workshop Attendance" form and submit to OGC.

All travel requests should be approved and officially submitted through the OGC. Researchers are allowed one travel request per awarded CNRS project.

CNRS Research Priorities
CNRS supports projects which are aligned with its thematic priorities and research areas which include the following: agricultural sciences, basic sciences, environmental sciences, medicine and public health, human and social sciences and science and technology. The Council's thematic priority details can be found on its website: http://www.cnrs.edu.lb, where you will also find the Council's Program Guidelines and Budget Information.

Project Period and Funding Limits
The Council funds one to two year projects for a maximum of 20,000,000 L.L per year. Applicants are requested to fill out the budget template provided in the application form and are requested to provide a detailed justification for the requested funds. The requested budget must be expressed in Lebanese Pounds. Unallowable costs include equipment for personal usage such as mobile phones, computers, and their accessories.

Evaluation Criteria
Proposals are evaluated based on the following criteria: Innovation of the project objectives, scientific impact of the project, positive outcome on Lebanese society, scientific and technical merit of the proposed project, a clear and precise timeline and research plan and the experience of the PIs and their ability to successfully implement the project.

Principal Investigator Eligibility
Only full-time faculty members with a Ph.D are eligible to apply, this however does not apply to part-time medical doctors. Eligible applicants are those who have published a minimum of two scientific articles preferably related to the proposed project and those who do not have current on-going grants from CNRS.

CNRS Application (Proposal) Procedures
Applicants should submit in hard and electronic format (on CD or USB) the below listed documents through the Office of Grants and Contracts.

a) The Grant Research Program 2013 Application Form (follow the guidelines in Annex I of the application)

b) CNRS Administrative Information sheet (Signed by the Principal Investigator and Dean)

c) A list of project personnel (Investigator and Co-Investigators) included in the application form

d) CVs for all Principal and Co-Principal Investigators (including those working outside Lebanon in case the project is in collaboration with overseas institutions)

e) For Proposals that include human or animal subjects, a written approval of the research protocol by the IRB and/or IACUC)

f) If the principal investigator desires, he/she can indicate some experts for the review of his/her proposal using the “expert sheet”

g) The research project checklist

h) The application form and other documents are available on CNRS’ website http://www.cnrs.edu.lb under “Download grant application and other documents”

i) The CNRS Proposal Transmittal and Approval Form

Note: Incomplete applications (i.e. those that do not include the above mentioned items or are not signed) and those that do not conform to the CNRS application guidelines will delay the submission and may result in missing the submission deadline.

Proposal Submission Deadlines
CNRS usually has one application cycle per year. The exact deadline date will be announced by OGC via e-mail. To allow ample time for review, investigators are advised to submit their applications to the Office of Grants and Contracts at least 7-8 days prior to the submission deadline.

The Council will not review application for new funding if the Principal Investigator has an on-going project whose contract period has not ended.

PI and Office of Grants and Contracts Responsibilities
While the faculty member is responsible for writing the proposal, The Office of Grants and Contracts can assist in answering any queries related to the format, structure and budgeting. The Office is the official liaison between the University and the CNRS and is responsible for reviewing the proposal application and budget before sending it to the president for his signature. The Office is also responsible for the formal submission of the proposal to the CNRS.

Proposals Requiring Special Review

a. Human Subjects

Proposals involving human testing must obtain the approval of the Institutional Research Board (IRB). For application to the IRB, faculty members should follow IRB's principles and procedures which can be found under the Institutional Review Board (IRB) website. Please note that faculty members are required to include the IRB approval with their proposals, as no proposal will be processed by OGC unless the human subject protocol has been either submitted for review or has been already approved.

b. Animal Subjects

Proposals involving animal subjects must obtain an animal use application and approval from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) prior to submission of the proposal. For application to the IACUC, faculty members should follow IACUC's principles and procedures, and filing out the Animal Use Form. Please note that faculty members are required to include the IACUC's approval with their proposals, as no proposal will be processed by OGC unless the animal subject protocol has been either submitted for review or has been already approved.

c. Radio Active Material

Research proposals that involve the use of radioactive material or radiation producing machines, or use of radiation in structural programs, radiation medical applications must obtain the written approval of the University Radiation Safety Committee. This can be achieved by submitting an application for a license from the Department of Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management. The application must be approved by the Committee before the ordering of radioactive material or radiation producing devices.

2. CNRS Grants Administration

Project Interim Reporting and Renewal
If the researcher received an award for a period of two years, the project may be renewed for a second year upon reporting of satisfactory scientific results and findings. However if a PI has initially requested a one year period for his/her project, the CNRS will not approve its renewal for another year.

For two year projects, principal investigators are requested to submit a progress report detailing the project findings and outputs as well as an account detailing the planned activities for year two. The renewal is assured if the researcher published an article in the Lebanese scientific journal entitled: Lebanese Science Journal or any specialized and recognized academic journal (or has had an article accepted for publication), or has published a book on the researched topic.

Two copies of the interim report (a hard copy and an electronic word document) should be submitted upon end of year one of the project and within a maximum period of two months. Failure to do so within the 2 months deadline will result in the halting of project funding.

If the project period ended without producing results, and if the researcher did not publish an article as a result of the funding, the Council will suspend any further research funding for the researcher in the future. This decision is subject for review and consideration if the researcher submits or publishes an article in the Lebanese journal entitled: Lebanese Science Journal or in a specialized and recognized academic journal.

Project Renewal Application Checklist
Investigators wishing to renew their projects and receive additional funds for year two of their projects they are requested to submit the following documents to the Office of Grants and Contracts:

1. Two copies of the interim report (a hard copy and an electronic word document). The progress report should include and address the following questions:
a) Description of what has been achieved as a result of CNRS support and the project findings and outputs.
b) What were the outcomes of the project? Were any abstracts, articles, or any other publications produced? Was there a conference or workshop on the subject?
c) What are the planned activities for year two of the project

2. Renewal Application Form (filled out and signed by the PI)

3. Two copies of published articles or papers.

Final Reporting
Upon the completion of projects (for both one year and two year projects), principal investigators are required to submit a final report to the CNRS. The Office of Grants and Contracts is responsible for the formal submission of the report. The Council evaluates final reports based on their scientific merit as well as on published articles using various international standards and indicators including the Impact factor, and Citation Index in order to assess the scientific importance of published articles. All publications should include acknowledgement of CNRS support for the project. The report should include:

A. Final Report Form – filled and signed by the Principal Investigator

B. A final report which should include the following:

Title of the project (in English and Arabic) and the start date and duration of the project (as stated on the CNRS contract)
A detailed description of the achieved objectives and the project outcomes and findings. The report will not be accepted if the PI does not include a clear and detailed account of what was achieved against what the initial planned outputs and achievements were when the project was accepted.
Provide a list and a copy of publications that were published in scientific journals or presented in international conferences