International Project Application
Support Provided During the Application
During your application to EU and other international project programmes, we provide support for:
Information support is provided by the International Cooperation Office (ICO).
METU Institutional Numbers
International Project Implementation
Project and Consortium Agreements
Project Agreement Phase
Project agreements are signed by the authorized institutional signatory. At METU, they are signed by the Vice Rector responsible for Research. After your project is accepted, please inform our office.
- Horizon Europe: Signed electronically via ECAS.
- Other Programmes: Signed either physically or electronically.
Consortium Agreement
In Horizon Europe, the DESCA Model Consortium Agreement is commonly used. The draft is reviewed by METU’s legal advisors, and the final version is signed by the Vice Rector responsible for Research.
Project Assignments
After the project agreement is signed, the academic staff member must be assigned as “project coordinator and researcher”. The coordinator should manage onboarding processes for other researchers, salaried staff under SGK, or scholarship holders, and designate spending officers.
📄 Click here for sample assignment petitions.
✉️ Contact: proje-personel@metu.edu.tr
Opening a Dedicated Project Account
Each project budget is transferred to its own dedicated account. The project coordinator fills in and signs the Account Opening Form, then submits it to the Project Development Office to request the bank account opening according to the project currency.
Obtaining a VAT Exemption Certificate
For EU projects subject to the IPA Communiqué (e.g., Horizon Europe, Erasmus+), procurement of goods and services is exempt from VAT. To benefit from this exemption, a project-specific “VAT Exemption Certificate” must be obtained. VAT-inclusive spending must not be made for VAT-exempt projects. For the VAT Exemption Certificate application, please contact Dilek Ungan at the Project Support Office.
Spending the Project Budget
The financial management of international projects is carried out in coordination with PDO, METU Technopark, the Research Coordination Office, and the Strategy Development Department.
- Personnel Budget: Salary payments are managed by the BAP Personnel Unit (proje-personel@metu.edu.tr).
- Procurement of Goods and Services: Use of the VAT Exemption Certificate is mandatory. For questions: ynilay@metu.edu.tr, busrac@metu.edu.tr
- Travel Expenses: Unless a special fee is specified, per diem payments are made in accordance with the Travel Expenses Law. For questions: ynilay@metu.edu.tr, busrac@metu.edu.tr
Escrow Account (Debt Transfer)
If the project budget has not yet been transferred to the project account or if the balance is insufficient, debt transfer from the University Escrow Account to the project may be used for salaries, scholarships, and mandatory procurement.
Reporting in Projects
- Technical Reporting: This is the responsibility of the project coordinator and researchers.
- Financial Reporting: Prepared by the coordinator together with the METU Technopark Project Management Office or the PDO expert (Dr. Ceren Aksoy Güleç).
Project Completion and Closure
The project budget may be spent until the final day of the project. For any remaining balance, the Escrow Account may also be used to spend funds transferred after the project ends.
After all payments and the audit period are completed, the account is closed by the Research Coordination Office and the remaining amount is transferred to the Escrow Account.