Agreements
FAPESP - GlaxoSmithKline - Call for Proposals 2012
Public Call for Proposals by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), Brazil joinly with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
FAPESP and GSK make public this Call for Proposals and invite interested researchers, working within public or private Higher Education or Research Institutions in the State of São Paulo, to submit projects under the cooperation agreement between FAPESP and GSK, under the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.
The conditions for participation in this call will be strictly enforced. Proposals that violate any of the conditions will be excluded. It is strongly recommended, therefore, their careful reading.
1 General Information
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this Call is to define the conditions for the submission of proposals for research projects that generate knowledge about new techniques, methodologies, processes and technologies of interest from FAPESP and GSK, described below.
1.2 Fields of Knowledge
This Call for Proposals invites research proposals in following topics:
a) Metabolic Diseases
b) Tropical and Neglected Diseases
c) Infectious Diseases
d) Respiratory Diseases
e) Inflammation and Immunology
f) Biopharmaceuticals and Vaccines
2 Eligibility
In order to qualify for this Call for Proposals in the GSK – FAPESP Agreement, the proponent should satisfy in the following requisites:
a) The proposals may be submitted by researchers from institutions of higher education or research of the State of São Paulo.
b) The conditions and restrictions of the FAPESP Program for Cooperative Research for Technological Innovation (PITE) described at www.fapesp.br/pite are applied here, excluding those restrictions and conditions explicitly excepted in this CFP.
c) Proposals that are incomplete, inaccurate, or are otherwise not responsive to the terms and conditions of this CFP will, at the sole discretion of the Joint Steering Committee for the GSK-FAPESP cooperation, be excluded from consideration.
3 Funds
a) The total amount available for this CFP is US$ 600,000.00 (with a maximum of US$ 200.000 per project).
b) The appropriateness of the requested funding amount in relation to the proposal goals and qualification of the proposing team is a primary review consideration.
c) FAPESP and GSK reserve the right to propose lower funding levels for projects.
4 Research proposals characteristics
Proposals should target some or all of the following research goals:
a) Novel and Creative Solutions: The intention of the project is not to enable incremental engineering projects with a known outcome, but rather to explore and invent new technology and knowledge that will benefit underserved communities. FAPESP and GSK encourage bold, novel, and unconventional approaches to the core science and technology challenges in the topics listed in section 1.2.
b) Immediate Relevance: FAPESP and GSK are seeking academic research projects that are highly complementary to a broad community need. Goals should be specific, measurable, and results-oriented with tangible metrics.
c) Intellectual property of Results: The intellectual property rights on the results will be subject of a specific clause in the Terms of Agreement between FAPESP, GSK and the Institution of each selected project.
d) Dissemination and Communication: It is expected that research results will be widely communicated through relevant scientific communities using established academic channels, such as international conferences and refereed journals. All funded projects should result in a detailed Web presence and relevant conference publications or presentations. Other channels for community development include regional workshops, graduate seminars, and curriculum components such as courses or course materials. The conditions for communication and dissemination will be established in cooperation agreement to be signed by FAPESP, GSK and Institution of each selected project to allow broad dissemination of knowledge without prejudice to the safeguarding intellectual property.
5 Project duration
The selected projects will have duration of up to 24 months.
6 Proposal preparation
Each proposal shall contain:
a) FAPESP-GSK proposal submission form (form available at www.fapesp.br/6870)
b) Research team: listing of all contributing researchers, in English, including name, institution and entity. For each one, his function in the research project must be defined succinctly, as well as the weekly workload. Each participant must sign his agreement to the participation (form available at www.fapesp.br/en/teamdescription.xls).
c) FAPESP Biosketch, in English, for the PI and each associated PIs, including those from GSK, when applicable (guidelines available at www.fapesp.br/en/6351).
d) Research Proposal: proposals should be submitted in English. The proposal should cover items from d.1) to d.6) below in no more than 20 pages, using font size 12 and double spacing. Section d.7) is not counted under this page limitation. Please address the sections listed below, from d.1) to d.6) under separate numbered headings:
d.1) Problem Statement: What is the problem addressed by the proposal and why is it important? What is the potential contribution to the field of the project if successful? Cite relevant work in the field as appropriate
d.2) Expected outcomes: What new science will be created or produced as a result of the proposed project? How will the results of this project be disseminating to others?
d.3) Scientific and technical challenges and the ways and means to overcome them: This is a critical part of the proposal. Describe the scientific and technical challenges that the project will overcome to reach the proposed goals. Describe the methods and means that will be used for this. Cite references that can help the reviewers to ascertain that such challenges were not yet overcome (or were not overcome in an adequate way) and that they can be overcome with the methods and means proposed in the project.
d.4) Schedule: When is the project to be completed? What milestones will be used to measure progress of the project and when will they be completed? If the project described is part of a larger ongoing research program, estimate the time for completion of this project only.
d.5) Dissemination and Evaluation: How will the results of this project be evaluated (if appropriate), and how will they be disseminated to others?
d.6) Other Support: List other contributions by the University to this project (cash, goods, or services), if any, but not including such things as use of university facilities otherwise provided on an ongoing basis. Note that authors of winning proposals will be required to present an original letter on university letterhead signed by the institution director certifying the commitment of any additional support.
d.7) Option to request scholarships: The proposed budget may include costs for Scientific Initiation, Masters or Post-Doctoral scholarships, which must have a duration equal or less than the duration of the proposed project. The ending dates for each scholarship must happen at or before the ending date of the project. Scholarship can be covered with funds from GSK depending on the analysis of the proposal and the availability of finance, to be verified at the time of selection of proposals. For each requested scholarship a work plan with less than two pages must be submitted together with the research proposal. This work plan must include: Title for the Scholarship Project, Summary, and Description of the plan. It is not necessary to nominate the holder of the scholarship. If the proposal is approved the Principal Investigator will have the responsibility to organize a public selection process to select the appointees for the scholarships through an internal merit review process.
e) Requested budget description: proposals must separately include the budget items requested to FAPESP and to GSK. It is desirable to keep the fraction of the total amount requested for each of the parties at around 50%. Such a balance is desirable but not mandatory, and may deviate from 50% due to specific circumstances to be justified.
e.1) The budget items that may be requested to FAPESP are those traditionally supported by the Foundation and described in www.fapesp.br/1656.
e.2) The budget items that can be covered with funds from GSK should be limited to:
e.2.i) Funds invested in capital goods or equipment associated with the project if they come under ownership of the institutions of higher education and research in the State of Sao Paulo after the project;
e.2.ii) Funds invested in for Scientific Initiation, Masters or Post-Doctoral scholarships with values at least equal to the grants from FAPESP for these arrangements;
e.2.iii) Resources invested in cost of consumables and services of third parties when it is directly associated with the project;
e.2.iv) Funds invested in infrastructure associated with the project;
e.2.v) Resources for the temporary hiring, during the period of the project, of researchers and technical support staff dedicated to the project in the host institution.
e.2.vi) Resources for salary complementation of researchers participating in the project employed by the host Institution;
e.2.vii) The special cases, documented by a detailed justification within the proposal, will be specifically analyzed in each case by the Joint Steering Committee.
e.3) The budget request shall be presented using specific spreadsheets (available at www.fapesp.br/6870) which include:
e.3.i) Separate Budget Request spreadsheets for FAPESP and GSK, by types of expense, following FAPESP standards;
e.3.ii) Consolidated Budget Request, classified by types of expense and font (FAPESP, GSK and other fonts);
e.3.iii) Spreadsheets for financial and physical schedule (FAPESP and GSK).
7 Submission of proposals
a) Proposals should be submitted in one paper copy plus a CD with a PDF file of the complete proposal.
b) Proposals that are incomplete, inaccurate, request funds in excess of the maximum award available, or are otherwise not responsive to the terms and conditions of this CFP will be excluded from consideration.
c) The envelope should be addressed to:
PROPOSTA DE PESQUISA CHAMADA FAPESP-GSK 2012
FAPESP – Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Rua Pio XI, 1500 - Alto da Lapa
CEP 05468-901 - São Paulo - SP
d) Proposals will not be accepted by any other means.
e) All submitted proposals under this CFP will not be returned to the proponents. For record-keeping and administrative purposes, a copy will be archived by FAPESP.
f) No proposals will be accepted after the closing date for submission, nor will any addendum or explanation be accepted, unless those explicitly and formally requested by FAPESP or GSK.
8 Information and clarification
All questions related to this CFP must be directed to: chamada-fapesp-gsk@fapesp.br.
Please, put “CFP FAPESP-GSK” in the subject line of your e-mail to ensure a prompt and proper response
9 Analysis and selection of the submitted proposals
All received proposals adherent to the terms of this Call for Proposals will be analyzed.
The selection process is based on a merit review and comparative analysis. To this end FAPESP will use reviewers' reports and the foundation’s Area and Adjunct Committees.
The criteria used will be those applied to the selection of proposals in the FAPESP Program for Cooperative Research for Technological Innovation (PITE), with the addition of the analysis by the Joint Steering Committee for the FAPESP-GSK cooperation.
Researchers participating in any submitted proposal will not take part in the analysis and selection process.
All proposals will be analyzed and selected using the following criteria:
a) Adherence to the terms of this CFP;
b) Novelty and Ambition of the proposed academic research project, as it relates to the goals of this CFP;
c) Qualification of the research project, in the specification of clear goals, of the challenges to be overcome and the scientific, technical and material means and ways for this, in relation to the state-of-the-art in the Field, including interface definitions, testing methodology, and plans for experimental deployment;
d) Adequate existing institutional infrastructure, offered by the hosting institution;
e) Qualifications of Principal Investigator and his team, including previous history of work in areas relevant to this RFP, successful completion of previous funded projects, teaching awards, and publications, all of those items being demonstrated in the Curricular Summaries of the principal investigators;
f) Ability to complete the project, including the adequacy of resources available, institutional support, reasonableness of timelines, and number and qualifications of identified contributors; value, which encompasses the efficient use of requested resources and funding;
g) Potential for wide dissemination and use of intellectual property created, including specific plans for publications, conference presentations, web sites, as well as plans to distribute content in multiple formats or languages;
h) Formation of new researchers and professionals, as a result of the execution of the Project;
i) Potential for technological innovation involving market analysis, potential difficulties for industrial implementation and ways to overcome them, comparisons with competing technologies and the reasons for the technology appears to be more beneficial than we currently use.
10 Schedule
|
Event |
Date |
|
Launching of the CFP at FAPESP Web site |
March 13, 2012 |
|
Last date for receiving proposals |
May 14, 2012 |
|
Publication of results of the analysis and selection process |
from August 24, 2012 |
11 Announcement of results
The results of the selection process will be announced in FAPESP’s Web Site at www.fapesp.br and by communication to the proponents.
12 Contracting of the selected proposals
For each research proposal selected, the relations between FAPESP, GSK and the Principal Investigator Institution will be determined by an agreement o in which will be defined:
a. Schedule of disbursements and financial reporting on the amounts disbursed;
b. Definition and timing of expected results at each stage of the project;
c. Intellectual property, confidentiality and possible exploitation of project results;
d. Term;
e. Legal venue.
13 Cancellation of the award
The award might be canceled by GSK and FAPESP by mutual agreement, in the event of justifiable cause, on the basis of evaluation by the Scientific Director of FAPESP and GSK. Cancellation does not preclude other measures that might be deemed necessary.
14 Grants, progress analysis and evaluation
If the application is approved, a Grant Contract will be made, which will be signed by the Principal Investigator and the Host Institution´s representative.
The results will be evaluated by progress reports and financial reports that should be submitted in the dates established in the Grant /contract.
15 Agreement to Terms and Conditions
By submitting an application under this CFP, applicants confirm that they have read, understood and agreed to the terms and conditions of the CFP and the conditions attached to any successful awards.