### 2.APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The French and Indian applicants will develop one joint Project plan and the plan will be sent to both ANR(France) and DST (India) using the forms of each organization, respectively. It should be ensured that an application with identical title has been submitted from both counterparts.

The project proposal must include the name of one Principal Investigator (PI) each in India and France. On the Indian side, it is advised to include one Co-PI in the proposal. The applications must include a statement on how the proposed collaboration brings added value for both countries.

### 3. PROJECT PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SELECTION FORFUNDING

### Each full project proposal is evaluated on the basis of the information as completed and submitted online at the closing date and time, in accordance with the evaluation criteria (see § 3.3 'Evaluation criteria'). The evaluation will involve external peer reviewers and panel members. The scientific panel is joint for both funding organizations.

### 3.1 REVIEWERS EVALUATION

### The aim is for each project proposal to be evaluated by at least two external peer reviewers (individuals who do not take part in the joint scientific panel meetings), who the ANR and the DST call in after checking that there is no conflict of interest. Peer reviewers operate individually and confidentially without any discussion with third parties. Peer reviewers complete an individual assessment report, commenting on each evaluation criterion.

### The ANR and the DST will call on them according to their own procedures.

### 3.2 PANEL MEMBERS EVALUATION

### The on the information The on the information full project proposals are evaluated by the members of the joint scientific panel submitted by the applicants by the closing date and time of the call for proposals and on the peer reviewers' reports. The panel members may put these assessments into perspective because, unlike the reviewers, they have a synoptic view of all the full project proposals.

### The scientific panel consists of highly qualified French, Indian, or foreign individuals from the research communities selected according to the submitted full project proposals. Panel members are appointed based on their scientific expertise, and the panel is co-chaired by two chair representatives, one appointed by the ANR and one by the DST.

######## 3.3 EVALUATION CRITERIA Criterion 1: Scientific excellence

- • Conformity with the call for proposals aims and degree of conformity with designated research areas.
- • Scientific and technical quality, innovativeness, and knowledge gain of the joint research project.
- • Methodology and quality of project construction, feasibility, and appropriateness of the joint research project (timeline, work packages).

######## Criterion 2: Consortium, Collaboration and Implementation

- • Quality, competence, and complementarity of the consortia to address the objectives of the project including the eventual active involvement and commitment of companies and organizations; possible contribution to the overall Indo-French cooperation in hydrogen energy research.
- • Skills, expertise, and involvement of the project coordinators from both sides (French - Indian).
- • Added value of the bilateral cooperation and expected benefit for both the French and the Indian side and the balance of the cooperation.
- • Appropriateness of resources and funding requested.