Program History

(Adapted from the Introduction to the Texas A&M University-CONACYT Request for Proposals [RFP])

Texas A&M University and the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) entered an initial five-year agreement of cooperation in higher education and research in April 2001. This collaboration was extremely beneficial, leading to a new two-year agreement in September 2008.

The program established by these agreements, the Collaborative Research Grant Program, grew from mutually recognized interests in topics important to the U.S. and Mexico. The overall objective of the program is to stimulate significant international research cooperation by providing seed money for collaborative research between Texas A&M University and higher education institutions in Mexico or CONACYT research centers.

The agreement provides unique opportunities for scientists and scholars from Mexico and Texas A&M University to work together in addressing issues that span our common border. Both CONACYT and Texas A&M University are dedicated to long-term, collaborative approaches to issues facing the United States and Mexico. Under this agreement, Texas A&M University and CONACYT have each dedicated US$200,000 per year for the Collaborative Research Grant Program. These monies fund inter-institutional research proposals between Texas A&M University and higher education institutions in Mexico or CONACYT research centers.

The purpose of this competitive, peer-reviewed Collaborative Research Grant Program is to advance inter-institutional cooperation in science, technology, and scholarly activities that have a direct application to industry or government through the complementary efforts of scientists and scholars from Texas and Mexico.