ACADEMY OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY ASRT

Their core work

ASRT is Egypt's national science policy and funding body, acting as the primary gateway between Egyptian researchers and European R&I programmes. They operate as National Contact Points (NCPs) for multiple Horizon 2020 pillars, facilitating proposal preparation, partner search, and capacity building for Egyptian institutions seeking EU collaboration. Beyond their NCP role, they co-fund transnational research through ERA-NET instruments in water management, forestry bioeconomy, and renewable energy, channeling Egyptian participation into joint calls with European funding agencies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ASRT's early H2020 participation (2014-2017) was dominated by NCP coordination — building networks for MSCA and Science with Society contact points, with strong emphasis on responsible research and innovation, ethics, and open access. From 2018 onward, they shifted toward substantive thematic programmes: water resource management, forestry bioeconomy, aquatic pollution, and EU-Africa renewable energy. This represents a clear maturation from programme facilitation toward direct involvement in environmental and energy research funding.

ASRT is transitioning from a pure programme support role toward thematic research co-funding, particularly in water-energy-food nexus topics and EU-Africa partnerships — making them increasingly relevant for environment and energy consortia targeting Mediterranean and African collaboration.

How they like to work

ASRT exclusively participates as a partner — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, reflecting their role as a national funding agency joining European networks rather than leading them. With 199 unique partners across 61 countries, they operate in very large consortia typical of NCP networks and ERA-NET cofund actions. This broad but shallow network makes them an excellent connector to the Egyptian and broader North African research ecosystem, though they are not a deep technical contributor to any single consortium.

With 199 partners across 61 countries, ASRT has one of the broadest geographic networks of any Egyptian institution in H2020, spanning Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean basin. This reach comes largely from their NCP and ERA-NET roles, which place them in consortium-wide coordination structures.

What sets them apart

ASRT is Egypt's most connected institution to the European research framework, serving as the national bridge between Egyptian science and EU programmes. For consortium builders, partnering with ASRT means gaining a direct channel to Egyptian research institutions, funding agencies, and policy networks. Their dual role as both an NCP facilitator and an ERA-NET co-funder gives them unusual breadth — they understand both the programme mechanics and the thematic research priorities.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ForestValue
  Largest single funding allocation (EUR 167,707) and longest duration (2017-2023), representing ASRT's deepest commitment to a thematic ERA-NET in forest-based bioeconomy.
• LEAP-RE
  A flagship EU-African Union partnership on renewable energy (2020-2026), signaling ASRT's strategic pivot toward long-term EU-Africa energy research collaboration.
• AquaticPollutants
  Their most recent thematic project, addressing antimicrobial resistance and emerging pollutants in water — a growing global health and environmental priority.