The Tempus IV Higher Education Programme has published its fourth call for proposals, seeking joint projects with a ‘bottom-up’ approach aimed at modernisation and reform on an institutional level, and structural measures seeking to contribute to the development and reform of higher education systems in partner countries.

The overall objective of the programme is to contribute towards facilitating cooperation in the field of higher education among Member States of the European Union (EU) and partner countries in the surrounding area. In particular, the programme will help promote voluntary convergence with EU developments in the field of higher education, deriving from the Europe 2020 Strategy, the Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training (ET 2020) and the Bologna process.

The purpose of this call for proposals is to promote multilateral cooperation among higher education institutions, authorities and organisations from EU Member States and partner countries with the focus on the reform and modernisation of higher education.

The programme is aimed at institutions and organisations based in four groups of eligible countries: 27 EU member states, 4 countries of the Western Balkan region, 5 Central Asian Republics, and the 17 countries in the Southern and Eastern neighbouring area of the European Union: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, Tunisia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

The two principal instruments for cooperation through this Tempus call for proposals are:

• Joint Projects: projects with a ‘bottom-up’ approach aiming at modernisation and reform on an institutional (university) level. Joint Projects aim at transferring knowledge between universities, organisations and institutions from the EU and from the partner countries as well as between partner country entities as appropriate.
• Structural Measures: projects seeking to contribute to the development and reform of higher education systems in partner countries, as well as to enhance their quality and relevance and to increase their voluntary convergence with EU developments. Structural Measures will be interventions designed to support structural reform of higher education systems and the strategic framework development at national level.

Both national and multi-country projects can be financed under the call.

The maximum duration of projects is 24 months or 36 months. The period of eligibility of costs is expected to start on 15 October 2011.

The indicative budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects under this call amounts to €48.7 million.

The minimum grant for both Joint Projects and Structural Measures will be €500,000. The maximum grant will amount to €1,500,000.

The deadline for submission of applications is 15 February 2011, 12.00 Brussels time (CET). (ENPI Info Centre)

Call for proposals

Tempus website

Tempus IV – fiche and news

ENPI Info Centre fact-sheet – Tempus and Erasmus Mundus: Supporting education in the EU Neighbourhood Countries

ENPI Info Centre webpage – education and training east and south