Agreements

FAPESP - British Council Researcher Links Workshop 2013

WORKSHOP GUIDELINES 

1. Overview
This element of Researcher Links is designed to provide financial support to bring together a UK/São Paulo State cohort of early career researchers to take part in a workshop focusing on building links for future collaboration and enhancing the researchers’ career opportunities. Workshops will be coordinated by two leading researchers [1], one from UK, one from a higher education and research institution in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, and will focus on either a specific research area or an interdisciplinary theme (for example ‘Sustainable Cities’). The workshop coordinators can identify up to four other leading or well-established researchers to be involved in the workshop, to act as mentors, but the remaining participants must be researchers at an earlier stage in their career. Proposals will be accepted in any discipline/multidisciplinary area including from the natural sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities (see Annex 1 for further details). FAPESP and the British Council will co-fund the workshops. 
 
2. Who should propose a workshop?
Leading Researchers1 should apply to be workshop coordinators and propose a theme for the workshop using the application form. It must be a joint application, with one coordinator based at a UK institution and one based at a higher education and research institution in the State of São Paulo.
 
3. Location of the workshop
The workshop will take place in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. 
 
4. Timing of the workshop
The workshops should take place before the end of March 2014. 
 
5. Who will take part in the workshops?
Up to 20 researchers from each country can take part in each workshop. The two coordinators, one from the UK and one from the State of São Paulo will lead the workshop . In addition the coordinators can propose up to two additional leading/established researchers from each country to act as mentors. The remaining – and majority – of workshop places will be for early career researchers, who will only be selected once the proposal is successful. We would expect early career researchers to have been awarded their PhD not more than 10 years prior to the workshop, but allowances can be made for career breaks.

6. Role of the Workshop Coordinators
These submit the application form and will determine the theme and shape the content of the workshop. They can propose up to four other leading/established researchers to be involved in the workshop as mentors. Workshop coordinators will also be responsible for selecting early career researchers to participate in the workshop if the proposal is successful.

7. Role of the Mentors
These can give keynote lectures but should also act as mentors to the early career researchers during the workshop, sharing their experience and knowledge. Ideally, they would also remain in contact with the early career researchers after the workshop has finished, in order to share networks and contacts. 
 
8. Language
Workshops will be held in English. Although it is expected that all participants will have a high enough standard of English to engage fully in discussion, consideration should be given to the non-native speakers and allowances made where necessary to ensure equal opportunity of participation. In some cases this could include having translators at the workshop.  
 
9. Theme of the workshop
The workshops may be specific to a particular field of research or interdisciplinary in nature. If the workshop is interdisciplinary, please indicate this on the application form by ticking more than one assessment panel as instructed. All fields of research are covered. 
 
10. Content of the workshop
The workshop coordinators will be expected to lead on the research content of the workshops. However, as workshops are intended to be a career development opportunity with a focus on promoting international collaboration, there will be an expectation that the workshops follow set guidelines to facilitate this. The Workshops will be supported by the British Council offices in Brazil, and FAPESP. 
 
Brief workshop guidelines (more detailed support will be available to successful applicants) 
 
Sessions should be designed to be as interactive as possible with participants encouraged to share knowledge, experience and ideas. Workshop coordinators and mentors should share their expertise. A professional facilitator may be used during the workshop if it is felt that this will support optimal interaction. 
 
Suggested sessions
  • Formal keynote lectures by the workshop coordinators and mentors
  • Research sessions, where the early career researchers are able to share their current research (could be in poster format, or oral presentations)
  • Networking sessions, where researchers are able to interact and explore opportunities for collaboration (e.g. speed-networking sessions)
  • Overview of the research base and funding opportunities: a brief introduction to the research base in the UK and in the State of São Paulo/Brazil – how it is funded, size, strengths, international collaborative activity, links with industry. The British Council and FAPESP will provide summary slides on funding sources which can be supplemented by the workshop coordinators if required.
  • Career development in the UK and partner country (This could be an informal discussion amongst the researchers or a more structured look at career development)
  • How to form international collaborations (intercultural skills, challenges, opportunities, best practice etc.). The British Council can provide materials for this session.
Optional content within workshops (where appropriate these sessions would be welcomed but applications will not be disadvantaged if they do not include them)
  • Depending on the research field or theme of the workshop, coordinators may wish to include a session which invites industrial or other non-academic partners to talk about cross-sectoral collaboration. 
  • Public engagement activity
  • Cultural activity
  • Visit to a relevant research facility  
11. Organisation of the workshop

The grant will support the following costs:
  • International (economy return) airfares for up to 20 researchers (including workshop coordinators and mentors) from the UK to travel to the partner country and back
  • Local travel costs for attendees
  • Accommodation for all external attendees for up to 5 nights
  • Organisational support, including venue hire/meeting rooms and audio visual equipment and meals
  • A trained facilitator if required
  • Translation costs if necessary and approved
  • More details on the funding for the workshops can be found in Annex I.
 
12. Recruitment of participants
After the selection process, successful workshop coordinators will be responsible for recruiting participants to the workshops. Early career researchers recruited to participate in the workshop must have a PhD or equivalent research experience. No more than a third of the early career researchers from each country may be recruited from the institutions of the coordinators and mentors. There must be an open call for participants, and this must be disseminated through various defined channels [2] (British Council and FAPESP will support the dissemination) and coordinators are encouraged to identify and employ additional avenues of communication so that the workshops are advertised as widely as possible. The selection of early career researchers to participate in the workshop will be undertaken by the coordinators and must be fair and transparent. The British Council will provide a template application form which coordinators can adapt as appropriate, and British Council in-country teams will be available to offer advice where necessary.
Participants will need to demonstrate a sufficient standard of English to participate in the workshops. Equal opportunities and diversity are at the heart of the British Council’s cultural relations ambitions. While recognising that some research fields are dominated by one particular gender, co-ordinators are encouraged to work towards as equal a gender balance as is possible, promote diversity, and ensure that no applicants are excluded from participation on the basis of ethnicity, gender, religious belief, sexual orientation, or disability.
 
13. Sustainability
The aim of the workshops is to stimulate longer term links between the UK and the State of São Paulo, Brazil, as well as to contribute to the personal and professional development of the participants. Workshop coordinators should indicate how they envisage this occurring, including any plans for long term mentoring of early career researchers (either within each country, or cross-nationally). 
 
14. Outputs and longer term benefit
Coordinators should outline the specific outputs planned from the workshop. They should also explore any potential longer-term benefit that might arise, thinking about who might benefit and how they might benefit, describing the actions that will be taken to ensure that potential impact is realised.
 
15. Selection Process
There will be a two-step selection process, with independent UK selection panels giving recommendations to the British Council office in the State of São Paulo. FAPESP and the British Council will be making a final decision together. 
Applicants should indicate which selection panel their proposal should be assessed by; in the case of interdisciplinary research, more than one panel can be selected.
Successful applicants will be notified approximately six weeks after the call deadline.
 
16. How to submit
Applicant should submit proposals before 14th July 2013 to the British Council and FAPESP as described below:
 
a. The Workshop Application Form shall be filled in using the online webform at http://ihe.britishcouncil.org/researcher-links-workshop-application-form.
If you have problems in using the online form, please email it to UK-ResearcherLinks@britishcouncil.org
 
and
 
b. Documents described on item 4, Annex 1 below, shall be sent to FAPESP in paper copy, to the following address: Rua Pio XI, 1500, Alto da Lapa, CEP 05468-901 – São Paulo/SP, Brazil, with “Chamada FAPESP/ BRITISH COUNCIL RESEARCHER LINKS 2013” written on the envelope.
 
 
[1] For an indication of profiles for the different types of participants we suggest applicants refer to the document ‘Towards a European framework for research careers’ (http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/pdf/research_policies/Towards_a_European_Framework_for_Research_Careers_final.pdf). According to the categories in this document we would suggest that the coordinators and mentors should be at ‘R4 – Leading Researcher’ level or ‘R3 – Established Researcher’ level, and the early career participants at ‘R2 –Recognized Researcher’ or at the beginning of R3 level. 
 
[2] Examples of dissemination channels
Euraxess: www.euraxess.org.uk 
UK Research Staff Association: www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/205761/UK-Research-Staff-Association.html
 


ANNEX 1 

 
FAPESP - British Council Researcher Links Workshop 2013
 
Further instructions 
 
1) Considering that the FAPESP - British Council Researcher Links Programme follow the objectives agreed by both parties in the Memorandum of Understanding, applicants must present their proposals according to FAPESP’s guidelines in the “Auxílio Organização” funding scheme, as described in the address: www.fapesp.br/156.
 
2) Applicants can present proposals in all knowledge areas.
 
3) The resources necessary for the delivering of the workshop shall be equally distributed between FAPESP and the British Council.
 
a. The list of FAPESP’s eligible items are available at: www.fapesp.br/156#3824, Item 8.
 
b. Non-eligible costs, as described in Item 9 at www.fapesp.br/156#3824 can be funded by the British Council according the Annex 1, Item 4 of the MoU, and in Item 11 of the Workshop Guidelines
 
4) Apart from sending the Workshop Application Form, applicants from the State of São Paulo must also send to FAPESP the following documents: 
 
a. Research Proposal form and Researcher’s Registration form
 
b. Budget Worksheets 
 
5) Information about the Call for Proposals
 
All questions related to this Call for Research Proposals must be directed to:
 
Prof. Marilda Bottesi, e-mail chamada_britishcouncil_fapesp@fapesp.br
 

 


Page updated on 07/14/2013 - Published on 06/13/2013