International Cooperation

The FNR actively encourages research collaboration between researchers in Luxembourg and abroad. Indeed, Luxembourg does not possess a critical mass of researchers that would allow the creation of high-performance research teams in all scientific domains and, in order to achieve international excellence, it is paramount for researchers cross national borders. In order to optimise the visibility of Luxembourg as an attractive site for research activities within Europe, the FNR plans to reinforce collaborations with selected countries as well as its own international cooperation instruments.

Project Funding

Below you will find a list of international funding schemes in which Luxembourg participation is facilitated through the FNR's INTER Programme.

Click here to see if there is a call ongoing in any of the schemes.
Click here to find out if you may benefit from INTER support.

Individual Funding

The AFR Grant Scheme (Aides à la formation-recherche) supports PhD and postdoctoral research training projects in Luxembourg and abroad. The AFR programme has no thematic limitations and is open to all researchers, regardless of their nationality, desirous to engage into research training in Luxembourg or abroad. In the selection process, the interest of the project in the context of Luxembourg R&D will nevertheless be evaluated.

Also, the Accompanying Measure AM2c - Mobility of Researchers has been developed as a means to fund research stays abroad from Luxembourg researchers as well as visits to Luxembourg from foreign researchers (1 month to 1 year).

ERCIM Grants (European Research Consortium in Informatics and Mathematics) are intended to attract young researchers of post-doctoral level from anywhere in the world to work on a research problem in informatics and mathematics at two research centres in the ERCIM network.

Support for Networking

For Luxembourg researchers, it is essential to network with their foreign colleagues. Funding for networking activities is provided through a participation in the following international schemes:

International Policy

Nowadays, in the globalised world of R&D, it is more than crucial to know the state of the art in terms of international research policy. Therefore, the FNR takes its responsibility as an agency that relies on close collaboration with foreign experts on the subject.

FP7 Calls (European Commission)

The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) bundles all research-related EU initiatives together under a common roof playing a crucial role in reaching the goals of growth, competitiveness and employment. It is also a key pillar for the European Research Area (ERA).

The broad objectives of FP7 have been grouped into four categories: Cooperation, Ideas, People and Capacities. For each type of objective, there is a specific programme corresponding to the main areas of EU research policy. All specific programmes work together to promote and encourage the creation of European poles of (scientific) excellence.

Prix Interrégional de la Recherche

The "Prix Interrégional de la Recherche" is organised by the "Groupe de Travail Enseignement Supérieur et Recherche" of the Summit of the Greater Region and aims at honouring 3 partnerships in cross-border research by granting awards.