Philosophy

• Higher value Electrical & Electronics (E&E) economic sector can be achieved when R&D thrives in the ecosystem.

• This can accelerated by promoting collaborative research between industry and academia.

Objectives

• To accelerate university’s ability to produce industry-ready researchers.

• To increase competitiveness of E&E industry.

Key features

CREST R&D Grant is not limited to E&E discipline but should support E&E industry sector, with accommodating intellectual property arrangement, industry involvement in the research enables the research result to be prepositioned to industry application, increasing the potential for commercialization at research completion.

Eligibility:

• CREST R&D Grant is open to all applicants. However if the application is awarded, industry and university must be a CREST member in order to get CREST fund. Find how to be a member at www.crest.my

Grant Size:

Open R&D

• Industry / combined contribution must be at least 50% of the total research budget. (Example: If the applicant requests for RM50k budget, the industry / combined must contribute more than RM50k)

• IP filing cost not covered by CREST. IP to be owned by University and/or Company.

• Disbursement may be released to University only.

Targeted R&D

• Industry / combined contribution can be less than 50% of the total research budget.

• IP filing cost covered by CREST. IP to be owned by CREST, revenue sharing with Company and University.

• Disbursement will be released to University only.

Research themes for 2021

(1) WP1 Partnership, Networking and Integrated Approach (WP Leaders: Prof. Eiji Nawata and Prof. Yasuyuki Kono)

• Initiating new interdisciplinary research collaboration that will contribute to JASTIP goals and compiling a research proposal for other competitive fund.

• Enhancing and Expanding the community for STI coordinators to promote multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary cooperation in line with JASTIP goals.

• Facilitating dialogues between scientists/researchers and policy makers to share and embed scientific findings into the SDGs strategy formation at the national and regional goals.

(2) WP2: Energy and Environment Joint Laboratory (Leaders: Prof. Hideaki Ohgaki and Prof. Keiichi Ishihara)

• Implementation Study of Renewable Energy in South East Asia

(3) WP3: Bioresources and Biodiversity Joint Laboratory (Leaders: Prof. Mamoru Kanzaki, Prof. Takashi Watanabe and Prof. Hiroshi Kamitakahara)

• Studies on Bioresources and biodiversity in the ASEAN region, preferably the collaborative research of ASEAN and Japan and among ASEAN countries.

(4) WP4: Disaster Prevention and Risk Reduction Joint Laboratory (Leaders: Prof. Tetsuya Sumi, Prof. Kaoru Takara and Assoc Prof. Takahiro Sayama)

• How to cope with trans-boundary disasters in the ASEAN region such as tsunami, flood, drought and haze.

• Follow up and strengthen existing partnership and collaboration conducted in the 1st Phase.

• Regional workshops on the specific issues or regional dialogues and forums to exchange views, learn best practice and share the solutions.

• Exchange of researchers particularly young or early career to promote partnership among ASEAN institutions.

Eligibility of applicant(s)

• Researchers and/or practitioners who are resident in Japan or the ASEAN Member States.

• Researchers and/or practitioners belonging to organizations such as universities,educational/research institutions, private sectors and governmental agencies.

* Applications can be submitted by an individual or by a team of individuals

Tujuan:

• Menggalakkan penerokaan idea/ teori/ konsep/ proses baru seterusnya menjadi pemangkin kepada perkembangan ilmu, penciptaan dan penemuan baru yang inovatif dan terkini.

• Meningkatkan kapasiti dan kemahiran penyelidik LPPKN dalam rangka persediaan LPPKN sebagai pusat kecemerlangan penyelidikan dalam bidang kependudukan, kekeluargaan dan kesihatan reproduktif yang tersohor di peringkat nasional dan antarabangsa.

• Memperkasakan bidang-bidang penyelidikan di LPPKN yang memberi impak kepada keluarga, masyarakat dan negara.

• Meningkatkan penerbitan saintifik berkaitan penyelidikan kependudukan, kekeluargaan dan kesihatan reproduktif.

• Menggalakkan jaringan kerjasama penyelidikan dengan pakar-pakar dari Institut Pengajian Tinggi (IPT) dan agensi penyelidikan lain.

Syarat-syarat Permohonan:

• Ketua Penyelidik hendaklah Warganegara Malaysia;

• Ketua Penyelidik adalah kakitangan akademik tetap (Profesor atau Profesor Madya);

• Bagi Ketua Penyelidik yang bukan warganegara, dimestikan mempunyai penyelidik bersama yang bertaraf warganegara Malaysia kakitangan akademik yang bertaraf tetap;

• Bagi Ketua Penyelidik yang bertaraf kontrak, dimestikan mempunyai penyelidik bersama kakitangan akademik yang bertaraf tetap;

• Setiap projek penyelidikan yang dipohon diharap dapat melahirkan Modal Insan dalam penyelidikan. Sehubungan dengan itu, sekurang-kurangnya seorang penyelidik hendaklah terdiri daripada pegawai LPPKN.

• Ketua Penyelidik hanya boleh mengetuai satu (1) projek penyelidikan dalam masa yang sama. Ketua Penyelidik perlulah menghantar Laporan Akhir Penyelidikan kepada LPPKN sebelum membuat permohonan penyelidikan yang baru.

• Sekiranya pemohon mendapat lebih dari satu (1) geran, maka penyelidik berkenaan hanya dibenarkan menjadi ahli sahaja dalam penyelidikan berkenaan.

• Jumlah peruntukan yang dipohon hendaklah tidak melebihi siling yang telah ditetapkan.

Bidang Penyelidikan:

• Bidang kependudukan yang merujuk kepada kajian saintifik terhadap populasi manusia antaranya Fertiliti, Mortaliti, Penuaan dan Migrasi.

• Bidang kekeluargaan yang merujuk kepada pelaksanaan kajian dalam aspek keluarga antaranya Kesejahteraan Keluarga, Perkahwinan dan Penceraian, Kemahiran Keibubapaan, Struktur dan Komposisi Keluarga, serta Cabaran Keluarga Semasa.

• Bidang kesihatan reproduktif yang merujuk kepada penyelidikan yang merangkumi bidang Klinikal, Biomedikal dan Psikoseksual.

Tempoh Penyelidikan:

6 hingga 24 bulan sahaja mengikut keperluan penyelidikan tertakluk kepada kesesuaian dari segi tajuk dan metodologi penyelidikan yang akan dijalankan.

Smart Farming Innovations for Small-Scale Producers Request for Proposals (RFP) seeks Smart Farming solutions that leverage digital technology innovations that have the potential to drive positive impact for smallscale producer (SSP) entrepreneurs delivered through bundled farmer services and enabled by scalable digital and data platforms.

Solutions should address one or more challenges faced by smallscale crop and livestock producers in one or more areas of agricultural advisory, farm management decision support, input supply, finance, insurance, market access and linkages. Solutions should use human-centered design to elucidate the barriers that prevent SSPs from improving productivity, profitability and income – then propose Smart Farming solutions that can help elevate smallscale production entrepreneurs.

Some of the fundamental challenges to address include:

1) low productivity driven by lack of access to information and services; climate change, weather variability and pest and disease outbreaks;

2) lack of access to tailored financial and insurance products, and

3) lack of access to and choice of market and offtake options.

Geographies:

While we primarily seek solutions applicable to the LMICs listed below and favor those forming local partnerships. Other geographies will be considered if a strong case is made for doing so.

• Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Nigeria

• Asia: India (Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh), Bangladesh

Type and Grant Size:

1.Seed Grants – Up to USD 250,000 to be implemented up to 12 months. Seed Grants are proposals for Smart Farming solutions that can demonstrate potential in meeting the following criteria:

• Leveraging digital technology innovations with the potential to scale, for example, utilizing a proven technology that has been applied in agriculture in another geography; transferring a technology from another sector such as health, infrastructure or finance; sourcing an entirely new technology;

• Show potential to improve SSP incomes, productivity and ability to adapt to climate change;

• Address barriers to scaled adoption of digital services, such as access, affordability and language and digital literacy. This includes addressing women's access to digital services and closing the digital divide between those who have access and marginalized populations who do not;

• Have the potential to be bundled with multiple farmer-facing services into an integrated solution;

• Are enabled by robust digital and data technology platforms and services;

• Provide fit-for-purpose solutions (e.g. developed using human-centered design) for SSP enterprises who seek to sell a portion of production to markets;

• Show potential to be scaled using a sustainable business model and are affordable and able to provide positive return on investment at a smallholder farm level through successful pilots, scaling partners, or higher volume production driving down prices.

2. Scale-Up Grants – Up to USD 1,500,000 to be implemented up to 24 months. Scale-Up Grants are proposals with demonstrated ability and sufficient evidence to have positive impact. In addition to the criteria listed above for Seed Grants, Scale-Up Grants must also:

• Leverage digital technology innovations with demonstrated readiness to scale and proven ability to bundle with other services;

• Meet all criteria regarding technology innovations, scalable platforms, and sustainable bundled service delivery models;

• Demonstrate that additional funding will enable value capture by SSPs or other value chain actors and sustainable and viable service delivery models over the long term.

• Please upload a separate document – 1 additional page maximum – that describes your partner consortium in more detail, including the various partners' capabilities, and additional evidence of value add, income, productivity, women's empowerment and long-term sustainability of the solution.

Malaysian Industry Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) and the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology, E.P.E. (CDTI) in Spain have established a joint programme to promote and fund market - driven research and technology development as well as to encourage partnerships and business-Ied R&D&I collaborative projects between entities from both countries.

This call for proposals aims to launch ambitious joint R&D projects of a high international standard between Malaysian and Spanish organizations. Potential projects will be funded by MIGHT, Ministry of Education in Malaysia and CDTI in Spain.

Eligibility Criteria:

Projects can be either business or research organization-led, but must involve a Malaysia business of any size and/or involve a Malaysia research organization / academia and collaborate with a Spain business and Spain research organization.

1. Research Organizations (ROs) eligible to apply are Public Universities. Researchers based in other ROs can be a Co-Investigator but not eligible to apply as a Principal Investigator.

2. The Malaysian PI must have been awarded a doctorate at the time of application. Applicants working towards a PhD or awaiting the outcome of their viva/submission of corrections are not eligible to apply.

3. Applicants must be Malaysian citizens and hold a permanent or fixed-term contract in an eligible university or higher learning institute in Malaysia.

4. Applicants with fixed terms contracts finishing before their grant end-date must secure confirmation from their RO stating that their contract will be extended to cover the duration of the award if their application is successful.

5. Contact between the Malaysian PI and other collaborators prior to the application is essential. This contact should lead to a clearly defined and mutually beneficial project proposal. Please note that MOHE will not assist in locating external collaborators.

6. The Malaysian applicant’s employing organization must be willing to agree to administer the grant. instruments.

In Malaysia participation from industry is a must, but either industry player or academia can be the project leader.

Thematic Areas:

1. Sustainable City Development

2. Knowledge Based Economy

3. Advanced Manufacturing and Materials

4. Health

Grant Size and Duration:

• Cost of project is proposed by the applicant

• Project duration is 2 years