Agreements

FAPESP - AKA (Academy of Finland) Call for Proposals – Biodiversity Research Biodiversity and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources

1. Introduction

The Academy of Finland and the State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Brazil, launch a call for joint research projects in the field of biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources. The aim is to promote and strengthen collaboration between researchers from Finland and the State of São Paulo in the field.   

2. Research Themes

The FAPESP-AKA Joint Call on Biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources focuses on six research themes. For each theme, the research project could include, but is not limited to, the respective topics.

  2.1. Biodiversity mapping and environmental monitoring: research and development of tools, methods and new technologies, including ground truthing data collection:

  • developing approaches to quantify biodiversity at different scales
  • developing new tools, methods and technologies for the collection and mapping of data on biodiversity
  • developing indicators of environmental change

  2.2. Valuing biodiversity and ecosystem services: research on estimating the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and their linkages:

  • studying the linkages between biodiversity and ecosystem services in complex ecosystems
  • estimating the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services
  • studying how the number and distribution of commercially important species is related to the overall level and distribution of biodiversity

  2.3. Changing landscape/ seascape and biodiversity: research on landscape/seascape changes and opportunities for coexistence of alternative land uses or coastal area uses:

  • ecological, economical and socio-political impacts of alternative land uses and land use change
  • conflict resolution and knowledge-based decision making

  2.4. Protection of biodiversity versus impact avoidance or biodiversity offsetting: research addressing impact avoidance and compensation in changing landscapes:

  • evaluation of externalities and impacts of development
  • risk management in land use planning/ coastal area planning
  • methods and practice of biodiversity offsetting (compensation)

  2.5. Operational information needs of achieving sustainability: research on operational data needs, requirements and innovative development of data systems for sustainable use of natural resources:

  • information and knowledge needed for making sustainability operational in particular policy and planning situation
  • indicators of sustainability; proxies and surrogates
  • assessment of the relevance of uncertainties in information

  2.6. Institutional challenges in achieving sustainability: coherence of policies and regulations and their enforcement:

  • coherence, enforcement and implementation of policies and regulations
  • choice of conservation policy and impacts of policy making processes
  • democratic accountability and good governance

Applications can cover one or several of these thematic areas. Researchers are encouraged to engage in international mobility that will support their research.

3. Funding

The Academy is prepared to fund the projects with a total of three (3) million Euros. FAPESP is also prepared to fund for the equivalent amount of three (3) million Euros. As a general rule, the funding is for four years with a balanced contribution from each Agency. The funding period starts at 1 January 2014.      

4. Review of applications
  Applications will be reviewed by international peer reviewers, in line with each Agency practices. The evaluation criteria include:  

  • scientific quality and innovativeness of the research plan
  • feasibility of the research plan
  • competence and expertise of the applicants from both countries
  • added value generated by Finnish-Brazilian research collaboration

The mobility of researchers will also be considered in the review.

5. Joint research plan

The application shall include a joint research plan written by applicants from Finland and from the State of Sao Paulo. The research plan shall involve a clear description of the planned collaboration (distribution of work and methods of implementation) and the added value to be expected from the collaboration. The research plan shall include both a joint budget and separate budgets for both partners. More details in item 8.1.a) below. 

6. Funding principals and eligibility criteria

6.1. For the applicant researcher in the State of São Paulo, the collaborative proposal must be submitted to FAPESP as a Research Award in the Regular or Thematic Project. In both cases, the maximum project duration is 48 months, non-extendable.

6.2. Applicants from Finland and from the State of São Paulo, must satisfy the eligibility criteria of AKA and FAPESP, respectively.

6.3. For FAPESP, the criteria are available at www.fapesp.br/137#4772 for the Regular Research Award and at www.fapesp.br/176#4599 for the Research Award - Thematic Project.

6.4. The partners apply for funding from their respective funding agencies (with the agencies’ own forms). Finnish researchers follow the Academy’s guidelines and researchers from the State of São Paulo, the FAPESP guidelines, along with the guidelines set out by this document. The deadline is 10th June 2013 in both countries.    

7. Submission conditions specific to FAPESP

7.1. Submission to FAPESP will follow either the usual rules of ether the Regular Project Award or the Thematic Project Awards, as chosen by the researcher.  

7.2. The proposal, submitted in English, shall contain:  

a) Research Proposal form (including the regular list of documents listed there) and Researcher’s Registration Form;  

b) Summary of the Principal Investigators’ CV and CVs of Collaborating Researchers from both sides (in English, following the guidelines at www.fapesp.br/en/6351);  

c) Budget worksheets specifically designed for this Call.

d) A Joint Research Plan with a maximum of fifteen (15) pages of scientific content, according to the item 8.1.a) below;  

e) Work plan for each scholarship submitted, if applicable;  

f) Detailed information and budget for each research mission (budget must be indicated in the corresponding fields of the Budget Worksheets).    

7.3. All proposals shall be sent to FAPESP in hard copy, to the following address:   Rua Pio XI, 1500, Alto da Lapa, CEP 05468-901 – São Paulo/SP, with “Chamada FAPESP/AKA 2013” written on the envelope.

8. Submission conditions specific to the Academy of Finland (more details at: www.aka.fi/en-GB/A/Funding-and-guidance/Apply-now)

8.1. Appendices to the application  

a) Obligatory appendices:

  • Joint Research Plan, written in English, with no more than 15 pages, including
    - a clear description of the planned research collaboration (distribution of work and methods of implementation)
    - responsibilities of both partners
    - a description of the added value to be expected from the collaboration
    - a joint budget for the project and separate budgets for both partners
    - a description of the significance of the project for researcher training and the development of the research environment.
  • curricula vitae for the Finnish PI and the Brazilian PI
  • lists of publications by the Finnish PI and the Brazilian PI.

  b) Case-specific appendices:

  • statement by an ethics committee or the Committee on Animal Experimentation (if relevant); the ethical aspects shall always be specified in the research plan
  • statement by a Strategic Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation, confirming that the applicant’s project is affiliated with the centre and justifying the significance of the project for the centre’s operations
  • progress report on all Academy-funded projects headed by the applicant that have not submitted final reports.

Only the requested appendices are appended to the application. The appendices shall be drafted in line with the Academy’s guidelines, see our website under Appendices. The maximum length indicated in the guidelines must not be exceeded. The appendices are drafted in English and appended to the application in the online services under Appendices. The only exception is the curriculum vitae for the Finnish PI, which is appended under Personal data/CV.

8.2. How to apply  

The deadline is 10th June 2013 at midnight (Finnish time). The deadline is non-negotiable. Applications are drafted in the Academy’s online services (select Open calls > Joint project call: Biodiversity research (Academy, Brazilian FAPESP)).  

Draft the application so as to ensure that the Academy’s contribution to funding comes to no more than 70% of the estimated total project costs. See more details on our website under Full cost model. The costs of the Brazilian partner are indicated only in the research plan (under section 5, Implementation).  

If the applicant is a consortium, see detailed guidelines on the Academy’s website under Consortium application. The application of the whole consortium will be processed only if the applications of all subprojects have been submitted by the deadline. The composition of the consortium cannot be changed after the deadline.  

9. More information

  • To Academy of Finland: Science Adviser Dr. Jaana Lehtimäki (Unit for Biosciences and Environment), tel. +358 295 33 5060, jaana.lehtimaki@aka.fi
  • To FAPESP: Area Director Alexandre Roccatto, chamada-fapesp-aka@fapesp.br

     

(The FAPESP e-mail above is no longer valid)