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FAPESP Research Program in Global Climate Change - Call for Research Proposals 2017 Versão em português
FAPESP Research Program in Global Climate Change (PFPMCG)
Call for Research Proposals - 2017
“Climate Change: Adaptation and Mitigation”
| Closing date for full proposals: | 25 September 2017 |
| FAPESP Scheme: | Regular Projects, Young Investigator, Thematic Projects and SPEC |
| Maximum duration of the project: | Up to 60 months, depending of chosen FAPESP scheme |
| Eligibility: | Eligibility requirements for each FAPESP scheme. |
| Submission: | Proposals must be submitted to FAPESP via SAGe |
Table of Contents
1. Background
The recent 21st Conference of the Parties (COP-21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held in Paris in 2015, resulted in an unprecedented agreement. All member countries have commited to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The Paris Agreement is a milestone for Science, as it shows that governments worldwide have recognised the scientific consensus on the Physics of Global Change. The aims of the Paris Agreement are set in its Article 2:
a) "Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change;
b) Increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production;
c) Making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development ."
In COP-21, countries also presented their mitigation actions, through their intended Nationally Determined Contributions (iNDC). Countries have set their iNDCs in the context of their national priorities, circumstances and capabilities, bearing in mind the aims of the Paris Agreement. In its iNDC, Brazil commits to reduce, by 2015, greenhouse gas emissions by 37% below 2005 levels, with a subsequent intent to reduce, up to 2030, greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below 2005 levels.
Brazil intends to take the following actions:
a) Increase the share of sustainable biofuels in the Brazilian energy mix to approximately 18% by 2030;
b) In land use change and forests, reach “zero” illegal deforestation in Amazonia by 2030 and compensate for greenhouse gas emissions from legal suppression of vegetation by 2030. Restore and reforest 12 million hectares of forests by 2030;
c) In the energy sector, reach 45% of renewables in the energy mix by 2030, expanding the use of renewables other than hydropower in the total energy mix to between 28% and 33% by 2030, raising the share of wind, biomass and solar. Also, get a 10% efficiency gains in the electricity sector by 2030;
d) In the agriculture sector, strengthen the Low Carbon Emission from Agriculture program, restore an additional 15 million hectares of degraded pasturelands by 2030, and achieve 5 million hectares of integrated cropland-livestock-forestry systems by 2030;
e) In the industry sector, promote new standards of clean technology and further enhance energy efficiency measures and low carbon infrastructure;
f) In the transportation sector, further promote efficiency measures, and improve infrastructure for transport and public transportation in urban areas.
Despite the planned mitigation actions of the Paris Agreement, human societies will need to learn how to adapt to a warmer planet. Even if humanity achieves an overall warming of 20C, there will be significant regional impacts particularly in the tropics and at high latitudes. Brazil stands to be one of the countries most affected by global warming. Current predictions point to important changes on biomes such as Amazonia, Caatinga and Cerrado. For this reason, it is important to engage the scientific community of São Paulo in scientific studies that assess the likely impacts of global change across Brazil or that assess adaptation options.
To accomplish the ambitious goals of its iNDC, Brazil needs to adopt sound public policies that have a solid scientific basis. Additionally, there are still gaps in scientific knowledge on many areas directly or indirectly related to national mitigation actions. FAPESP intends to support studies that provide basis for establishing sound policies in climate change that can lead to positive outcomes.
For these reasons, the FAPESP Research Program on Global Climate Change launches a call for research projects focused on issues of mitigation and adaptation to climate changes. We believe that the scientific issues in the areas of mitigation and adaptation are not restricted to the scope of the Brazilian INDC and involve areas of knowledge of great social importance, such as Public Health, Urban Planning, Water Security and Food, Transport and Social Inequalities.
The questions of mitigation and adaptation covered by this call for proposals correspond to the issues covered in the IPCC Working Groups WGII and WGIII. The IPCC WG II assesses the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change, negative and positive consequences of climate change, and options for adapting to it. It also takes into consideration the inter-relationship between vulnerability, adaptation and sustainable development. The IPCC WG III assesses options for mitigating climate change through limiting or preventing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing activities that remove them from the atmosphere. The main economic sectors are taken into account, in both a near- and a long-term perspectives. The sectors include Energy, Transport, Buildings, Industry, Agriculture, Forestry, and Waste Management.
2. Objectives
The aim of this Call for Proposals is to fund top-level basic and applied research by scientists in the State of São Paulo which will provide sound scientific basis for actions and policies to be undertaken by Brazilian governments, private sector and the society at large to adapt to a warmer world and to reduce the Brazilian greenhouse gases emissions in all sectors. Proposals that assess the possible impacts of a warmer climate on Brazil are also welcome in this call.
FAPESP intends to contribute to the necessary transitions of Brazilian society to a low-carbon economy. While Brazil has achieved a major reduction on emissions from land use change and deforestation, emissions from the Energy, Agriculture, Transport and Industry sectors have grown substantially in the last 20 years. Current forecasts project that emissions from these sectors can make up to 70% of total emissions by 2030. Brazil needs to continue to make progress on reducing emissions from land use and agriculture. However, without major gains in all sectors, Brazil will not transition to a low-carbon economy. Furthermore, many of the adaptation actions required to reduce the impacts of a warmer planet on the Brazilian society will take place in the cities and in the private sector.
In the last 20 years, FAPESP and other funding agencies have contributed to support strong groups of researchers that investigate the physical basis of climate change, mostly in the Earth Sciences. By contrast, the amount of researchers that are involved in the questions of mitigation and adaptation is still small, relative to the size of the physical basis and scientific questions. By issuing a Call for Research Proposals on the themes of mitigation and adaptation, FAPESP expects the participation of researchers in Social Sciences, Humanities, Engineering, Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Architecture and Urbanism, and Health Sciences.
3. Focal Areas
FAPESP welcomes high-level proposals of scientific questions related to the mitigation, adaptation and impacts of global climate change in the following areas.
3.1. Topics related to mitigation:
a) Integrated Risk and Uncertainty Assessment of Climate Change Response
b) Social, Economic and Ethical Concepts and Methods
c) Transformation Pathways for Sustainable Development and Equity
d) Energy Systems, Transport, Buildings and Industry
e) Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU)
f) Human Settlements, Infrastructure and Spatial Planning
g) Institutional Analysis and Governance
h) Options for supporting the implementation of Brazil iNDC
3.2. Topics related to issues on impacts and adaptation:
a) Natural and managed resources and systems, and their uses, including: freshwater resources, terrestrial and inland water systems, coastal systems and low-lying areas, and ocean systems
b) Food security and food production systems
c) Human Settlements, Industry, and Infrastructure: Urban areas and Rural areas
d) Human Health, Well-Being, and Security
e) Equity, livelihoods and poverty.
f) Economics of adaptation
g) Multi-Sector Impacts, Risks, Vulnerabilities, and Opportunities
Proposals are expected to tackle items in at least one of the two main areas defined by items 3.1 and 3.2, but not limited to them. The interdisciplinary challenges embedded in the research projects should be emphasized, and the competencies gathered in the research team with a view to facing those challenges should be highlighted.
4. Grant Modalities
Each Proposal should be submitted in one of the following four grant modalities:
a) Regular Grants (Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular) (www.fapesp.br/apr)
b) Thematic Projects Grants (Projeto Temático) (www.fapesp.br/en/13)
c) Young Investigator Awards (Prog. Jovem Pesquisador) (www.fapesp.br/en/yia)
d) São Paulo Excellence Chair Awards (SPEC)
Researchers employed by higher education and research institutions or research institutions in the State of São Paulo may submit in the Regular Grant, Thematic Project, or Young Investigator modalities. Researchers not affiliated with institutions in the State of São Paulo, independently of nationality, may submit proposals to Young Investigator or São Paulo Excellence Chair Awards.
5. Eligibility
All proponents must meet FAPESP eligibility requirements. A Proposal must be supported by an eligible institution in the State of São Paulo. As explained below, proposals to Young-Investigator Awards need not demonstrate support at the time of submission, but must do so up to 90 days after the results of preliminary evaluation are announced. Eligibility conditions are specified at FAPESP´s web portal (www.fapesp.br/apr, for Regular Grants; www.fapesp.br/en/13, for Thematic Projects and SPEC, and www.fapesp.br/en/yia for Young Investigator Awards).
a) Proposals must be submitted in the grant modalities Regular Research Grant, Thematic Project, Young Investigator Awards or São Paulo Excellence Chair Awards. Conditions and restrictions of these lines apply, excluding those restrictions and conditions explicitly excepted in this Call for Proposals;
b) Proposals for Regular Grants and Thematic Projects should be submitted by researchers employed by higher-education or research institutions, public or private, from the state of São Paulo;
c) Proposals for the Young Investigator Awards program should involve projects to be developed in higher education and research institutions, public or private, in the state of São Paulo. Proof of interest by a host institution is not mandatory at the initial stage of analysis. In this case, if the result of preliminary evaluation is positive, the proponent will be notified to submit a document (“Manifestation of Interest”) proving acceptance and adequate support by the host institution within 90 days. Following receipt of this document, FAPESP will conduct the final analysis of the proposal;
d) Proposals to the Young Investigator Award from researchers residing in other Brazilian States or abroad are welcome, independently of nationality. Throughout the duration of the award, the awardee must reside in the State of São Paulo. Before signing, the Grant Contract (“ Termo de Outorga”) nationals of other countries must present copies of permanent or temporary Visas compatible with the proposed activity.
6. Encouragement to proposals from early-career researchers residing abroad (YIA Award) (www.fapesp.br/en/yia)
Young researchers residing in foreign countries are especially welcome to submit proposals, independently of nationality. FAPESP is interested in bringing talented early career researchers to do science in São Paulo. Before being approved, the proposal must receive support from a host institution in the state of São Paulo. FAPESP is interested and willing to support the process of matchmaking between researchers from abroad and host institutions in São Paulo. Interested researchers from abroad are invited to directly contact the scientists that lead the FAPESP Program on Global Change Research (PFPMCG), who will provide advice and guidance on proposal submission through the email address: Chamada_PFPMCG_2017@fapesp.br.
7. Encouragement to proposals from senior researchers residing abroad (SPEC)
FAPESP encourages outstanding experienced researchers residing abroad to submit proposals under the São Paulo Excellence Chair (SPEC) Awards. The SPEC program fosters the association between top-level foreign researchers and qualified higher education and research institutions in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
In the initial stage of preparing the proposal, a representative of the host institution at São Paulo interested in receiving the researcher from abroad should send to Chamada_PFPMCG_2017@fapesp.br a formal consultation to FAPESP´s Scientific Directorate regarding the administrative procedures that must be adopted prior to submission. The purpose of this preliminary consultation is to open a communication channel between FAPESP, the host institution and the researcher, which may shorten the preparation of documents.
Proposals for this program will be submitted by the foreign researcher, with the support of a higher education or research institution in the State of São Paulo. A commitment to spend at least 12 weeks (not necessarily consecutive) per year at the host institution is expected, throughout the duration of the project. The host institution must formally demonstrate interest in welcoming the researcher and guarantee financial support to cover his/her living expenses throughout the stay in Brazil. The project will be undertaken with the co-responsibility of a Principal Investigator formally employed by the host institution.
Eligible items for funding are similar to those of the Thematic Project modality (www.fapesp.br/en/13) including: fellowships for students as “Scientific Initiation“ (for undergraduate students working in a research project) and as Fast Track Doctoral (graduate students going directly from graduation to a doctorate work, without previously getting a MSc); fellowships for post-doctoral researchers; research equipment; consumables; field trips and travel for the visiting Principle Investigator between the host institution and his/her country of origin, for each period of stay.
Researchers residing abroad interested in submitting a proposal are invited to contact the scientists that lead the FAPESP Program on Global Change Research (PFPMCG), who will provide advice and guidance on proposal submission, through the email address: Chamada_PFPMCG_2017@fapesp.br.
8. Duration
a) Applications submitted as Regular Research Grants shall have a duration of 24 months.
b) Applications submitted as Young Investigator Awards shall have a duration of 48 months.
c) Applications submitted as Thematic Grants or SPEC shall have a duration of 60 months.
9. Structure of proposals
9.1 Proposals should be prepared in English, according to FAPESP guidelines for each grant modality, and include the information described in item 9.2 below. Proponents should address what they want to do, why they want to do it, how they plan to do it, how they will know if they succeed, and what benefits could accrue in case of success. The entire text should not exceed 20 pages, including bibliography.
9.2. Required documents.
The documents required by each grant modality are listed by the links in Section 5. In addition, all proposals must present an Executive Summary and a Data Management Plan, as describe below:
9.2.1. Executive Summary (in English, 2 pages maximum)
9.2.1.1. Project Abstract (only 1 page):
a) Focus: The focal area of the project, which must be one of the areas identified in the call;
b) Central question: The project’s main scientific question;
c) Contribution: The project’s main new scientific contribution;
d) Policy impact: The expected impacts of the projects in terms of policies for mitigation and adaptation.
9.2.1.2. Interdisciplinary Content (only 1 page):
a) Core Areas: The main core areas of the project, identified on the basis of FAPESP’s areas of knowledge (www.fapesp.br/areas);
b) Excellence in Core Areas: For each core area of the project, identify the scientific basis to be used and how it relates to the state of the art of the core area. This should be provided for each core area;
c) Interdisciplinary Approach: The project should point out how the knowledge from the core areas will be organized and compounded to maximize the advance of research.
9.2.2. Data Management Plan (in English, 2 pages maximum)
All proposals must include a supplementary document of no more than 2 pages labeled "Data Management Plan". This plan should describe how the proposal will conform to the policy of dissemination and sharing of data and results adopted by the Belmont Forum and by the FAPESP Research Program on Global Climate Change. Thus, all data produced and used by the projects should be:
a) Discoverable through catalogues and search engines;
b) Accessible as open data by default, and made available with minimum time delay;
c) Understandable in a way that allows researchers—including those outside the discipline of origin—to use them; and
d) Manageable and protected from loss for future use in sustainable, trustworthy repositories.
10. Participation on activities of the FAPESP Research Program on Climate Change
The FAPESP Research Program on Global Climate Change will have periodic workshops with mandatory attendance for all the PI's involved in the program and, in some cases, their collaborators and students. These workshops will be a special opportunity to update all involved on the research conducted in the field and to have access to new data and information before publishing.
10.1. The PFPMCG Research Network
All approved proposals will integrate the Research on Climate Change Network, coordinated by an “Executive Committee”, formed by researchers participating in selected projects chosen by FAPESP.
10.2. Commitments of participating researchers from selected PFPMCG projects
The Principal Investigator (“Pesquisador Responsável”) of a selected grant will hold the following commitments to the Program:
a) Participation of the PI and other representatives from the project in workshops, seminars and scientific meetings promoted by the Network;
b) Participation in the periodic evaluation meetings of the PFPMCG program;
c) Compliance with an open and transparent data policy in which participants will make available data and information on research projects to other participants by uploading them in the Database and Information Network. Patents resulting from this call for proposals must follow the procedures and norms already regulated by the Innovation Agencies/NITs and FAPESP, based on the “Innovation Law” of the state of São Paulo.
d) Periodic information about the results of research projects for dissemination and communication purposes.
10.3. Added Benefits of Joining the FAPESP Research Program on Global Climate Change
Facilitated access to supercomputing and modeling services and to the availability of future climate scenarios. Researchers participating in selected projects will have reserved time at the supercomputer acquired with resources from FAPESP and MCT, installed in INPE.
11. Intellectual Property Rights
The conditions defined by FAPESP´s Intellectual Property Policy are applicable (Portaria PR 04/2011) (www.fapesp.br/pi).
12. Funding
The financial support from FAPESP to the grants selected by this Call is limited to a total of R$ 10 million (10 million Reais), to be distributed among the four modalities;
a) The suitability of the requested funding (including fellowships) to the Call for Proposal’s goals and the qualification of the proposing research team will receive primary attention during review;
b) The proposed budget should include the total cost of the proposal and all applicable Overheads (“ Reserva Técnica”, which depends on the modality and is composed of individual overheads and direct and institutional infrastructure costs overheads, plus a provision to defray importation costs. See www.fapesp.br/rt). FAPESP reserves the right to propose smaller budgets than those requested for a few of the selected proposals.
13. Budget
a) The budget items that can be requested can be found at the FAPESP web portal (www.fapesp.br/apr, for Regular Grants; www.fapesp.br/en/13, for Thematic Projects and the SPEC Program and www.fapesp.br/en/yia for Young Investigator Awards);
b) Requests for Regular Research Grants may include Technical Training (TT) scholarships as a budget items according to the rules in force as described in https://fapesp.br/137#4776;
c) Requests for Thematic Projects and SPEC can include Technical Training (TT), Scientific Initiation (IC), Public Education (EP), Scientific Journalism (JC), Direct Doctorate (DD) scholarships and Postdoctoral (PD) fellowships as budget items in accordance with the rules in force described in https://fapesp.br/176#4603;
d) Requests for projects in the Young Researchers Program may include grants for Technical Training (TT), Scientific Initiation (CI), Public Education (EP), Scientific Journalism (JC) and Master's (MS) and Direct Doctorate (DD) scholarships as budget items as described in jp/#4507. Young researchers, still without employment status, may request a Young Researcher fellowship as described in jp#4500.
e) For the purposes of analysis and monitoring, FAPESP's rules and procedures apply to all scholarships or fellowships (IC, TT, EP, JC, MS, DD or PD) requested as part of the research-project budget.
f) In all alternatives in item (e), the supervisors of students or fellows should either be the Principal Investigator ( “Pesquisador Responsável”) or, in the cases of Thematic Projects or SPEC Awards, a co-PI (“Pesquisador Principal”).
14. Submission
a) Proposals must be submitted online using the FAPESP SAGe platform available at www.fapesp.br/sage, as described in Annex 1 to this Call for Proposals. Proposals submitted by any other means will not be accepted;
b) Proposals must be submitted to FAPESP within the deadline stipulated in item 15 of this call, by the Principal Investigator from the state of São Paulo (except in Young Investigator Awards (YIA) and SPEC modalities, where they will be submitted by the foreign proponents);
c) Late submissions will be returned, as well as amendments or clarifications will not be accepted, except those explicitly and formally requested by FAPESP.
15. Timeline
|
Event |
Dates |
|
Call for Proposals publication in FAPESP portal |
26 June, 2017 |
|
Deadline for submitting proposals |
25 September, 2017 |
|
Announcement of results |
from 26, February 2018 |
16. Additional Information
The results will be published in the FAPESP web portal (www.fapesp.br/en), and individual communication will be sent to the proponents.
The Principal Investigator (Pesquisador Responsável) of approved proposals and the leading authority in the host institution must sign a Grant Contract (Termo de Outorga). The Contract schedules the presentation of periodic scientific and financial reports.
The grant may be canceled by FAPESP at any time during its execution in the event of serious irregularities, at the discretion of the Scientific Directorate. Cancellation will be additional to the pertinent legal expedients.
Questions concerning this Call for Research Proposals should be sent to the email address Chamada_PFPMCG_2017@fapesp.br . Please include "PFPMCG / FAPESP Call" in the "Subject" field of the message. The contact person for this Call for Research Proposals is Alexandre Roccatto, Area Science Manager from the Scientific Directorate at FAPESP.
E-mail: Chamada_PFPMCG_2017@fapesp.br
ANNEX – Specific Guidelines for using SAGe platform
OBS: Regarding the SPEC modality, please consult FAPESP for specific instructions.
1. The Principal Investigator must be registered on SAGe system:
(i) Researchers who are not registered on SAGe must initially do so by accessing the page www.fapesp.br/sage. Click on 
and then on “Not registered?”. Fill in the requested data. Attention: all the blank fields must be filled in to complete the registration;
(ii) Researchers from the State of São Paulo who are already registered must log in to SAGe with the usual username and password.
2. On the home page, select on the menu "Shortcuts - Investigator´s Tasks", the option “New Proposal”;
3. Then choose PFPMCG > Young Investigator Awards
4. Choose option “Climate Change: Adaptation and Mitigation - Call for Proposals (2017)”
5. Fill in the requested data on all tabs, including the list of documents to be attached;
6. Please notice that it is mandatory to fill in all items with a "*" mark. The proposal must be submitted by the end of the procedure. Saving the proposal does not imply in its submission. A successful submission will generate a process ID number related to the proposal;
7. If you have any doubts concerning Users Registration, please access the “Guides” link on the SAGe homepage and download the “User Registration” guide for further assistance;
8. IMPORTANT: It is strongly recommended to periodically check for pending information using the "Validate" option of the SAGe. By selecting this option, the system will display the hindrances to the proposal submission, considering the inserted items. This action can be repeatedly done as the filling of the proposal progresses, allowing the necessary corrections for submission to be performed in time. FAPESP provides assistance in case of doubts concerning the SAGe system through our Information Department (+55 11 3838-4000).