Cooperation between German research establishments and companies in Latin America and in South Africa is the focus of three current calls for proposals from the International Bureau (IB) of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

With supplementary financial support from federal government, projects with German-Chilean, German-Mexican or German-South African collaboration in science and technology are being promoted. Research projects with partners from the small and medium-sized business sector are being particularly sought in the fields of biotechnology, Renewable Energies, the environmental sciences, and marine and polar research. Applications for funding can be submitted by research institutes, tertiary education institutions, and companies. The requirement laid down by federal government: the projects must be supported by two or more research groups from Germany and Chile, Mexico, or South Africa. Projects can be funded for a period of up to two years. Within the framework of the "initiative environment business" ("initiative umwelt unternehmen" or iuu), WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen (Bremen Economic Development) offers assistance and advice to interested enterprises and institutions from Bremen and Bremerhaven about the subjects involved and helps in making the application. Those interested can view the calls for proposals and the application forms in the Internet at www.internationales-buero.de. The funding applications for cooperation projects with Chile must be submitted to the IB in Bonn by 25th September 2009. For South Africa, the deadline is 18th September 2009, and for Mexico the application period already expires on 31st August 2009.