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I. USE AND ACCESS THE APPLICATION PLATFORM 

 

=> How do I access the application platform? 

You can access the platform via the following URL: https://exebio-calls.univ-reims.fr/

 

=> How do I create an account? 

To create an account, click the “Register” button on the top right of the homepage.

 

=> How do I apply for a grant? 

Click on the grant you want to apply for. There, you will find all the relevant information, documents and application button.

 

=> Where can I access the Application guidelines and required documents? 

The Application guidelines document is available on the homepage of the application platform. 

All required documents, including the Application guidelines, are available within each grant application tab.

 

=> What mandatory documents are required for each grant? 

 

  Springboard Interdisciplinarity Research & Innovation Excellence Chairs International congress
Stage 1

Director's appreciation

 X X X X X

Stage 2

Scientific document 

 X X X X X

Budget spreadsheet

 X X X X X

Project leader's CV 

 X X X X X

Thesis supervisor's CV 

    X   X  

Proof of co-financing 

 

   X    

Financial viability

     X    

Partnership agreement

 if applicable X if applicable X if applicable

Unit financial contribution 

 if applicable if applicable if applicable if applicable if applicable

DD&RSE

 X X X X X

 

=> Where can I find the call timetable? 

The call timetable is available on the homepage of the application platform and within the Application guidelines.

 

=> How can I contact the EXEBIO team? 

For any technical, administrative issue or question, you can contact us within the best delays respective to the application deadline

at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

II. CALL PROCEDURE

 

=> Who can apply to the EXEBIO Excellence Call? 

Applicants must belong to a research unit/platform affiliated with the EXEBIO consortium and meet the criteria outlined in the call, including a focus on bioeconomy and the environment.

 

=> Where should I submit my application?

Applications must be submitted via the EXEBIO calls platform under the appropriate tabs for stage 1 and stage 2.

 

=> What happens after I submit my application? 

You will receive an email confirming that your application has been submitted in stage 1 and inviting you to process stage 2.

After processing stage 2 you will be informed that your application is fully completed and that final results will be announced once the entire process is completed.

  

=> How many stages does the EXEBIO Excellence Call follow? 

The EXEBIO Excellence Call follows a two-stages procedure.

 

=> How does the assessment process work? 

For the Springboard, Interdisciplinarity, Research & Innovation and Excellence Chairs grants, the process consists of:

  • stage 1: submission of the project leader information, title, acronym, summary, key words, research themes, suggested & excluded experts and Director's appreciation.
  • stage 2: begins with the administrive criteria review and is followed by a 2 months period of external expertise. The final assessment will be conducted by the Scientific Evaluation Committee and approved by the EXEBIO Advisory Board before the announcement of the final awardees.

 

  • For the International Congress grant:
  • stage 1: submission of the project leader information,  title, acronym, summary, key words, research themes and Director's appreciation.
  • stage 2: begins with the administrive criteria review, assessment will be conducted by the Scientific Evaluation Committee before the announcement of the final awardees.

 

=> Who will assess my application? 

  • For the Springboard, Interdisciplinarity, Research & Innovation and Excellence Chairs grants:

Your application will be assessed by international external experts.

 

  • For the International Congress grant:

Your application will be assessed by the Scientific Evaluation Committee.

 

=> Who reviews the application?

Applications are reviewed by a panel of international external experts.

 

 

III. GENERAL INFORMATION RELATED TO ALL GRANTS

 

=> Can we build research projects with international and French universities, or must we collaborate only with EXEBIO partners? 

External partnerships are possible. External partners are not eligible for funding and must provide cofinancing. Only EXEBIO partners can receive funding. 

  

=> Should the cost of permanent staff in the budget spreadsheet be weighted by the percentage of their involvement in the project? 

Yes.

 

=> Does the co-financing need to be secured when applying, or is it sufficient to indicate that it will be requested from another financing entity? 

Co-financing does not need to be secured at the time of application but should be anticipated.

If the project is accepted, secured co-financing will have to be confirmed, the final funding of the project is conditional upon fulfillment of this requirement.

 

=> Who will be responsible for managing budget lines and administrative procedures if a project is awarded: unit administrative staff or EXEBIO staff? 

The unit managers are responsible for managing the budget lines.

 

=> Can we propose a project that is exclusively internal to URCA? 

  • Yes, for the Springboard grant, collaboration is not mandatory.
  • For the Interdisciplinarity grant, partners must involve at least two distinctive disciplines.
  • For the Research & Innovation grant, consortium must involve one unit/platform from the EXEBIO consortium along with one socio-econpmic partner. 
  • For the Excellence Chairs grant, partners must involve at least two distinctive units/platforms or one unit/platform and one socio-economic partner.

 

=> Is there a maximum number of projects per grant that will be funded? 

Yes, the maximum number of projects per grant is listed in the Application Guidelines.

 

=> Are two applications per unit/platform allowed for each grant? Can more than two applications per unit be submitted if they target different grants? 

Each unit/platform can submit a total of two applications per grant.

 

=> When looking for partners, can they come from outside or inside the EXEBIO consortium, or both? 

Partners can be part of the consortium or external, or both. However, external partners must provide cofinancing, EXEBIO funds will not cover them.

 

=> Is it allowed to submitt funding request to multiple funding bodies? 

In the event that a project is submitted to multiple funding bodies (region, ANR, etc.) and that a grant from one of these funding bodies is awarded for an amount greater than the one requested from EXEBIO, the EXEBIO funding will not be granted.

 

=> Is any grant more open to international collaborations? 

All grants are open to international collaborations.

 

=> Who is eligible to lead a project?

Teacher-researchers, Researchers & Research Engineers are eligible as project leaders.

 

=> What is the funding amount for a postdocs, PhD students, Master’s students? 

Postdoc: 60k€/year (all charges and fees included)

PhD Student: 40k€/year (all charges and fees included)

Master student: 4,50€/hour (minimal hour rate in 2026 exempt of taxes as per the French law[1])

 

[1] Source : Gratification minimale d'un stagiaire étudiant ou élève dans une entreprise | Service-Public.fr

 

Specific to master students:

The amount of the master student salary is net (exempt from contributions => CSG and CRDS are not due). The hourly rate cannot be increased.

 

=> Is there a maximum project budget for each grant? 

Yes, the maximum project budget per grant is listed in the Application Guidelines.

 

=> Does the “permanent or fixed-term contracts without funding” category include employees hired through other funding sources or voluntary employees? 

Yes, this category includes employees hired under other funding sources than the ones required from EXEBIO.

 

=> In the budget spreadsheet, who should be listed as the person in charge of administrative and financial follow-up: the unit’s administrative manager, the unit director, or someone else? 

The unit’s administrative manager should be listed as the person in charge of administrative and financial follow-up.

 

=> In the budget spreadsheet, should we include management or overhead fees?

No, management or overhead fees should not be included in the budget. The EXEBIO Excellence Call does not apply any management fees to funded projects.

 

=> The budget required for the project shall be inclusive or exclusive of taxes? 

The Institut International en Bioeconomie et Environnement EXEBIO grants, through the EXEBIO Excellence Call, financial aid to winning projects in the form of project expenses and staff expenses (equipment is excluded from funding).

 

The Institut EXEBIO being supported by the Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (ANR), the EXEBIO Excellence Call is therefore subject to the ANR terms and conditions, including the financial standards of the Plan d'Investissement d'Avenir (PIA) "ExcellencES sous toutes ses formes"[1].

 

Therefore it is important to note that, within the framework of the EXEBIO Excellence Call, and this budget spreadsheet:

  • project expenses must be declared excluding VAT in the event that the university or the EXEBIO consortium beneficial member retrieves the VAT. On the contrary, expenses must be declared including VAT (all taxes included) in cases where the VAT is not retrieved by the the university nor by the EXEBIO consortium beneficial member;
  • all staff costs must be declared considering total payroll costs to the employer (i.e. gross salary plus employer's contributions).

 

[1]  Excellences sous toutes ses formes (ExcellencES) - Appel à projets - 2021 | ANR

  

 

IV. SPECIFIC TO GRANTS INVOLVING POST-DOC AND/OR PhD

 

5.1 Post-doc

=> Can the project be submitted simultaneously to the PostDoc URCA nor to AMI InterPôles or IntraPôles URCA?

No, the EXEBIO grants cannot be combined with the URCA grants.

 

=> Can I submit a project previously submitted to PostDoc URCA nor to AMI InterPôles or IntraPôles URCA?

No, duplicate submissions to PostDoc URCA and EXEBIO are not allowed. However, applications rejected by EXEBIO may be resubmitted to PostDoc URCA nor to AMI InterPôles or IntraPôles URCA without restrictions. 

 

5.2 PhD

=> Can the project be submitted simultaneously to the AllocDoc URCA grant?

No, the EXEBIO grants cannot be combined with the URCA grants.

 

=> Can I submit a project previously submitted to AllocDoc URCA?

No, duplicate submissions to AllocDoc URCA and EXEBIO are not allowed. However, applications rejected by EXEBIO may be resubmitted to AllocDoc URCA without restrictions.

 

5.3 Thesis supervision

=> What are the requirements for the thesis supervisor(s)?

Supervisors must:

  • Hold an HDR* qualification (or equivalent for non-French supervisors)
  • Provide a CV detailing past doctoral supervisions and relevant training.
  • Ensure their total supervision rate does not exceed 300%.

* Academic qualification that allows a person to supervise doctoral students and lead academic research, after obtaining a PhD.

 

=> Can I apply if I do not hold an HDR?

Only researchers with an HDR qualification are eligible as thesis supervisor and co-supervisor, as per Doctoral School regulations. The application on the platform can be done either by the thesis supervisor and thesis co-supervisor as well as the co-advisor (without HDR qualification).

 

 

V. SPECIFIC TO THE SPRINGBOARD GRANT

 

=> Can a sole unit compose the consortium of the project within the Springboard grant? 

Yes, one single unit/platform can compose the consortium.

 

=> Can multiple unit compose the consortium of the project within the Springboard grant? 

Yes, multiple unit/platform can compose the consortium.

 

=> Is it mandatory for an application to have been rejected at Phase 2 of a European or bilateral ANR call for proposals?

No, this grant enables the development of projects with the aim of submitting a future European proposal, however particular emphasis will be placed on projects that were unsuccessful in Phase 2 of international calls including Horizon Europe (FP9) and national collaboration calls (ANR, PRC, PRCI, PRCE). 

  

 

VI. SPECIFIC TO THE INTERDISCIPLINARITY GRANT 

 

=> When discussing interdisciplinary projects, does this refer to interdisciplinarity within the social sciences and humanities (e.g., Economics + Sociology + History) or between social sciences/ humanities and natural sciences/technology/health 

Interdisciplinarity means that there must be at least two distinctive disciplines involved. 

 

=> Does the doctoral student's mobility abroad need to be confirmed and secured by the host institution?

At this stage it is only required to provide detailed explanations in the scientific document about the host establishment / research unit intended to welcome the PhD student. 

If the project is accepted, secured reception of the PhD student will have to be confirmed, the final funding of the project is conditional upon fulfillment of this requirement.

 

=> Can the doctoral student’s mobility be covered by the grant?

Yes, the mobility costs can be covered by your project's operating costs.

We also encourage project leaders to seek additional funding from DREDI and INVEST, in particular through the MOBDOC grant.

 

=> Is secured co-financing required for application?

No, but proof of a co-funding application must be provided in stage 2. If selected, EXEBIO funding is contingent on securing co-financing for the other half of the doctoral position.

 

=> Are PhD and postdoctoral positions mandatory components of the project?

Yes, your project must involve both a PhD position and a postdoctoral position.

 

VII. SPECIFIC TO THE RESEARCH & INNOVATION GRANT

 

=> Who can apply?

The project leader must be affiliated with a unit or platform that is a member of the EXEBIO consortium.

 

=> Is it mandatory to collaborate with a partner?

Yes. Each project must include at least one EXEBIO unit/platform and at least one socio-economic partner.

 

=> What qualifies as a socio-economic partner?

A non-academic organization such as a company, local authority, association, etc., that actively contributes to the project.

 

=> Can the socio-economic partner be based outside France?

Yes, and ideally, they should have a connection to the region or the project’s thematic focus.

 

=> Can the partner be a startup?

Yes, as long as they meet the co-funding and collaboration criteria.

 

=> Can a non-EXEBIO unit be involved in the project?

Yes, but at least one EXEBIO member unit/platform must be included in the consortium.

 

=> Is the socio-economic partner eligible to receive funds by EXEBIO grant?

The EXEBIO Research & Innovation grant is dedicated to the members of the Exebio’s consortium. In a research & innovation project, the structures inside EXEBIO’s consortium are the only structures eligible to receive funds from the grant, the partners outside of Exebio’s consortium will have to co-fund part of the project, the contribution must represent a minimum of 20% of the total project budget .

 

=> Is co-financing required?

Yes. The socio-economic partner must at least provide a co-funding for a Research & Innovation project, in order to finance the operating costs in full and for a minimum of 20% of the total project budget.

 

=> Does the co-financing need to be secured when applying, or is it sufficient to indicate that it will be requested from another financing entity?

Co-financing does not need to be secured at the time of application but should be anticipated.

If the project is accepted, the funding will only be granted once co-financing has been obtained.

 

 

VIII. SPECIFIC TO THE EXCELLENCE CHAIRS GRANT

 

=> Can a sole unit compose the consortium of the project within the Excellence Chairs grant? 

No, two laboratory/platform or one laboratory/platform and one socio-economic partner may compose the consortium.

 

=> Who is eligible to hold the chair?

Teacher-researchers, Researchers & Research Engineers are eligible to hold the chair.

 

=> Are URCA administrative bodies involved in the application approval process?

Yes, Chair creation is subject to the approval of the Academic Council and the Board of Administration of the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne according to the URCA Chairs charter (document available by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). 

 

 

IX. SPECIFIC TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS GRANT

 

=> Which conferences are eligible?

This grant is open to applications for any congress as long as the scope is related to bioeconomy and/or the environment.

 

=> How many attendees minimum should the congress gather? 

Minimum of 100 attendees is required.

 

=> What does “international” mean for the International Congress grant? 

The EXEBIO International Congress grant aims to support exchanges and relationships between its scientific community and regional, national, European, and international counterparts. An international congress (with a minimum of 100 attendees) is expected to be organized in Reims on EXEBIO topics. This congress aims to bring together international scientists and/or industries and technical institutes to discuss all related bioeconomy and/or environmental themes.

The international dimension will be assessed, notably through the commitment of international scientists in the organizing committee and/or in the program, the dissemination channels, the international mobility of students etc.

 

 

X. DD&RSE (Sustainable Development and Social & Environmental Responsibility)

 

=> What is DD&RSE?

The Sustainable Development and Social & Environmental Responsibility (SD&SER) Label guarantees the commitment of schools, universities and research institutes in terms of ecological transition.

 

=> Why do I have to fill out the DD&RSE form?

The University of Reims Champagne Ardenne has decided to adopt Sustainable Development and Social & Environmental Responsibility (SD&SER) as a strong element of its policy for the 2024-2028 term.
The SD&SER strategy of the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA) embodies an ambitious political vision, supported by a dedicated vice-presidency. This governance structure illustrates URCA's desire to integrate ecological transition and social responsibility into the heart of its missions and daily life.
The URCA Sustainable Development – ​​Corporate Social & Environmental Responsibility (SD DD-RSE) master plan is broken down into the five areas of the DD&RSE label framework: teaching and training, research and innovation, environmental management, social policy, strategy and governance – into which it integrates the three mandatory components defined by the MESR (Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche), which are the reduction of the establishment's carbon footprint, control of its energy consumption and the preservation of biodiversity.

 

=> Is it mandatory to fill out the DD&RSE form?

Yes, the DD&RSE form has to be completed and uploaded with all mandatory documents, if your project is not concerned by any axis, objective or actions proposed you are invited to check the last box "Today, the project that I am submitting does not fit precisely into the objectives listed in the DD&RSE", this will not be a penalty during the assessment.

 

=> Will the application file submitted to the experts include the DD&RSE form?

No, the DD&RSE form will not be part of the application file submitted to the experts for assessment.

 

 

XI. CONTACT 

 

Should you have any question that is not answered within this F.A.Q. please contact us directly, within the best delays respective to the application deadline at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.