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Sustainable agriculture in response to climate change

This call refers to SDG 2: "Zero Hunger and Sustainable Agriculture." This goal aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. Modern agriculture that respects the environment plays a crucial role in adapting to climate change, increasing agricultural production efficiency, and contributing to environmental conservation.

Deadline for submission	September 2 (Sao Paulo time)/September 3 (Beijing time), 2024
Final Results	November 1, 2024

1. Introduction

The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) are pleased to announce a joint call for proposals for scientific projects in the area of Sustainable Agriculture in the Context of Climate Change. This initiative, resulting from the interaction between researchers from São Paulo and China during the FAPESP Week China—held in partnership with the NSFC on June 28 and 29 in Shenzhen (the complete program is available here )—aims to foster scientific collaboration between researchers from both regions, promoting technological advancements and innovative solutions to address the challenges that climate change imposes on agriculture.

This is the second joint initiative between the two institutions in the context of International Cooperation for Sustainable Development (the first call is available at https://fapesp.br/15435/ ). In this edition, proposals written and conceived jointly by researchers from China and São Paulo on the theme "Sustainable Agriculture in Response to Climate Change" will be accepted.

Despite differences in climate and geography, the challenges faced by agriculture in São Paulo and China can present significant similarities in adapting to climate change, particularly regarding extreme weather events (irregular rainfall patterns and extreme temperatures); the urgency in developing more sustainable agricultural practices to preserve natural resources and reduce environmental impact; investment in precision agriculture technologies to enhance efficiency and agricultural productivity; and the continuous improvement of food security for the growing populations in both countries.

International collaboration is essential to effectively address these challenges. The strong tradition of excellence in scientific and technological research in both São Paulo and China, combined with the union of knowledge, resources, and experiences, can develop innovative solutions that drive agricultural advancement and promote sustainable development applicable not only to the two regions but globally.

2. Areas of interest

For this call, proposals will be considered in the following themes:

• Precision agriculture, development and implementation of agricultural monitoring and management systems based on remote sensing and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies;

• Genetic improvement of crops;

• Applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning for the optimization of agricultural processes;

• Integrated pest management and biological control of pests and diseases;

• Advanced soil and water management and conservation techniques that increase the resilience of agricultural systems to climate change;

• Development of new crops for efficient resource utilization and sustainable agriculture and natural resource conservation;

• Development of new crops resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses;

• Innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.

3. Funding

The costs incurred by the research team based in the state of São Paulo will be covered by FAPESP. The budget requested from FAPESP must be prepared based on the chosen FAPESP funding modality:

a) Regular Research Grant; or

b) Thematic Project.

Potential simultaneous funding from Regular Research Grants and Thematic Projects will be considered for the same Principal Investigator who does not currently hold an ongoing international partnership grant at FAPESP (item 5).

NSFC will cover the costs incurred by the team based in China according to its own funding rules. The budget requested from NSFC should be prepared based on the guidelines related to the chosen funding modality.

a) Capacity building, which provides up to Yuan 600,000.00 over 3 years to enable collaborative research, researcher mobility, networking, workshops, training, fieldwork, etc.; or

b) Key Projects, which provides up to Yuan 2,000,000.00 over 3 years for projects addressing key aspects of thematic challenges through joint research

Researchers from a third country or state can be included in the proposal as research project partners, with their costs covered through their own resources.

Applicants do not need to request the same amounts from both agencies, but should apply for the same funding modality (Regular Research Grant/Capacity building and Thematic Project/Key Projects). The difference in values should reflect the items covered by each agency and local prices. Proposals are expected to present a balanced partnership not specifically in monetary terms but in equivalent research efforts from each team.

4. How to Prepare Your Research Proposal

The proposal must contain a research project (Case for Support) written and conceived jointly by researchers from China and São Paulo, which must be submitted to both FAPESP and NSFC.

The research project should clearly and objectively describe the planned collaboration (task distribution and implementation methods) as well as the expected benefits of the collaboration.

The research project must be written in English.

5. Submission

FAPESP

Proposals must be submitted to FAPESP exclusively through the SAGe System, via the menu "Nova Proposta Inicial" > "Chamadas Vigentes" > "NSFC – Projeto Temático" > "Chamada 2024".

Simultaneous Projects

Researchers who are Principal Investigators of Regular Research Grants and Young Investigator Awards 2 are considered eligible to apply under the Regular Research Grant category.

Researchers who are Principal Investigators of Thematic Projects and Principal Investigators of CEPIDs (Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Centers) are considered eligible to apply under the Thematic Project category.

FAPESP will accept the submission of one (1) proposal per researcher.

Important: The Chinese partner researcher must also create a full login in the SAGe system. This registration is necessary for the Chinese researcher to confirm their participation in the proposal on SAGe.

The partner researcher must fill in all fields marked as mandatory, or their registration will not be located for indication as a Partner Researcher in the proposal.

After being indicated as a participant in the research proposal, the Chinese partner researcher must confirm their participation in the project on SAGe.

Within the SAGe system, under "Manuais" link, you can find documents that guide user registration.

NSFC

Chinese applicants must submit a complete online application to the NSFC Internet-based Science Information System (GRANTS) available at http://grants.nsfc.gov.cn/.

6. Criteria and Principles for Project Selection

Proposals that:

a) Address multiple dimensions of sustainability in an integrated manner;

b) Focus on scientific issues in their respective areas and also address the scientific challenges of sustainable development, specifically focusing on the dynamics of environment-social-economic systems and the interaction between the environmental system and the social system for achieving SDGs in developing countries;

c) Strive for research excellence, especially innovative ideas, methodologies, and approaches;

d) Focus on the training of young researchers and building international partnerships (especially multilateral cooperation);

Project teams should be international in composition and provide added value by working beyond disciplinary boundaries.

7. Evaluation and Selection

Applicants must adhere to the evaluation procedure described by NSFC and FAPESP. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of NSFC and FAPESP in this call will not be eligible for merit review and will be immediately notified of their disqualification. Eligible proposals for this opportunity will be evaluated through a three-step procedure:

I. FAPESP and NSFC will proceed with a peer review analysis by ad hoc reviewers, according to each institution’s standard procedures. The review system used by FAPESP is available at fapesp.br/analise;

II. Their opinions will contribute to the analysis of the proposals by FAPESP's Scientific Coordination (area coordinators and adjunct coordinators);

III. The final recommendation of this coordination will be jointly reviewed by the two agencies, which will report the results to the researchers of both countries simultaneously.

The funding recommendation is final, and there will be no reconsideration.

8. How to Find Partner Researchers in São Paulo

FAPESP maintains an online database (BV FAPESP - FAPESP Virtual Library) with all funded grants and scholarships, in all areas of knowledge. Searches can be made in the profiles of researchers and their granted projects, references of scientific articles, host institutions, programs, themes, and others.

9. Contact Details

Specific questions to FAPESP about this Call can be sent to chamada-nsfc@fapesp.br.

Specific questions to NSFC about this funding opportunity can be sent to Mr. TANG Rongda, tangrd@nsfc.gov.cn.

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