The European Commission has launched its Tempus IV call for proposals on reform of higher education through international university cooperation. 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 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.

The fourth phase of the Tempus programme covers the period from 2007 to 2013. The overall objective of the programme is to contribute towards facilitating cooperation in the field of higher education among the 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 Lisbon agenda and the Bologna process.

Budget: Total budget available EUR 53,8 million. The minimum grant for both Joint Projects and Structural Measures will be EUR 500 000. The maximum grant will amount to EUR 1 500 000. For national projects in Kosovo and Montenegro the minimum grant for both project types is set at EUR 300 000.

Deadline: 9 March 2010

European Commission