Priority is given to projects which contribute to sustainability in the following areas:

• Sustainable/Organic (Desert) Agriculture, including
  • PGPR (Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria) and Mycorrhizae
  • Irrigation Technology and Systems
  • Reduction  of Water Consumption
  • Rediscovery of ancient desert crops
  • Micronutrients
• Plant based Medicine and Pharmacy
• Renewable Energy Production
• Education

Studies in other areas of scientific research might also be considered, if they contribute to the sustainable development of the Arab World. Other types of research may be considered for support if the applicants can offer specific and convincing evidence and justification for the choice of research topic.

Projects which will be awarded preferential funding are those that address complex problems; ones which require inter-disciplinary research and need to be strongly embedded in the respective societal context in order to achieve solutions and lead to transformation (i.e. transdisciplinary approach)

Future individual scholarships will preferentially be granted if the supervision of the student’s doctoral thesis is done in a co-supervision scheme between the host university and a university of the scholar’s country of origin.

We are particularly interested in funding collaborative research projects where students from Europe and the target area (MENA region) conduct joint research in the above indicated priority topics. Such research settings constitute a highly valuable learning environment for PhD students, permitting a high transfer of knowledge and understanding among the involved researchers, as well as fostering intercultural learning.