Agreements
FAPESP-University of Nottingham and University of Birmingham: Call for Research Proposals 2012
Public call for proposals for research collaboration and the exchange of researchers under the Scientific Cooperation Agreement between Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP – and UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom, and between Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP – and UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM.
1. Introduction:
The University of Nottingham (UoN) and The University of Birmingham (UoB) in association with FAPESP, (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) the São Paulo Research Foundation, have put agreements in place to facilitate academic cooperation. The first initiative under these cooperation agreements is a fund to pump-prime cross-continent research collaborations.
These academic cooperation agreements will support the development of joint pump-priming research projects in the sciences, social sciences and humanities. In addition the application may support the exchange of researchers (with doctoral degree or equivalent and post-doctoral fellows) from the State of São Paulo and from the United Kingdom within the scope of the Scientific Cooperation Agreements between FAPESP and UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM and between FAPESP and UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM.
Applications are invited from academics holding permanent positions in The University of Nottingham (UoN), The University of Birmingham (UoB) and Brazilian research groups in the state of São Paulo to initiate new or strengthen existing research collaborations.
The key criteria are that the collaboration must at the minimum involve a FAPESP-funded PI from a university or from institutions of higher education or research, public or private, in the State of São Paulo, and a PI from either the University of Nottingham or the University of Birmingham. Ideally the application will also include collaboration between UoN and UoB.
Funding can be sought for a range of activities including original research and workshop events, but the ultimate purpose must be to develop a collaboration that has the potential to lead directly to further applications to external funding bodies for research funding to support joint activity between Brazil and the UK.
Applications in the following areas would be especially welcomed though all applications in any area are welcome. Projects where the focus is on social science aspects or the humanities are also welcome in addition to those that focus on science and technology:
- Energy, with particular reference to sustainable energy, bioenergy, carbon capture and storage, oil and gas, nuclear energy, and energy policy
- Food security
- Globalisation (particularly from an economics/business perspective)
- Imaging, neuroscience and cognition
- Astronomy
- Mathematics
- Materials (from nano to structural material properties)
- Digital economy
- Biotechnology, biological chemistry and drug discovery, and green chemistry
- Global infection and healthcare
- Urban planning and regeneration
- Culture, heritage and sport
2. Funding principles:
This grant must be exclusively directed to this call and abide to its rules.
2.1 FAPESP, University of Nottingham and University of Birmingham awards will be up to an absolute maximum of £72.5k, for the period established in the award, necessarily and exclusively to cover workshop realization expenses, mobility expenses ( travel, accommodation, living expenses and health insurance) and research costs (including by way of example, laboratory consumables, and small items of equipment, services) under the provisions of the eighth clause of the Scientific Cooperation Agreement made between the parties, included in the Appendix I of this Call.
The total fund available from FAPESP is £120k.
The total fund available from the University of Birmingham is £60k.
The total fund available from the University of Nottingham is £60k.
The maximum funding available for a proposal will only be achievable if FAPESP, the University of Nottingham and the University of Birmingham are involved.
i) The total funds available for a project will not exceed £72.5k. The contribution from FAPESP shall not exceed £32.5k. The contribution from the University of Birmingham and/or the University of Nottingham shall not exceed £20k per institution, unless the project is of exceptional quality, in which case the contribution can increase to £32,5k.
ii) The total funds available for a workshop shall not exceed £15k.
iii) The total funds available for academic mobility shall not exceed £10k.
3. Eligibility:
Researchers regarded as eligible to submit proposals within the scope of this Call:
a) By FAPESP:
i) Proposals restricted to mobility can only be requested by Principal Investigators or co-PIs of ongoing research projects funded by FAPESP within the following schemes: Regular Research Awards, Thematic Projects, Young Investigators, or Research, innovation and Dissemination Centres (CEPIDs/RIDCs);
ii) Proposals involving research activities including or not workshops and/or mobility can be requested by Principal Investigators (PI must have a PhD degree or equivalent, be associated to a higher education and research institutions of the State of São Paulo and must have an expressive record of scientific contribution to the field of the project presented).
iii) Proposals involving workshops can be requested by Principal Investigators as described on 3.a.ii above.
b) By UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM: Principal Investigators from the University of Nottingham.
c) By UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM: Principal Investigators from the University of Birmingham.
4. Key dates:
4.1 First Call (2012):
|
Call announced on FAPESP and University of Nottingham and University of Birmingham websites |
May, 4th, 2012 |
|
Closing date for submission of proposals |
July, 20, 2012 |
|
Successful proposals notified |
September 28, 2012 |
5. Duration of the project
The maximum duration of each project is 24 months.
6. Proposal characteristics:
The proposal, submitted in English, will be presented only to FAPESP, shall contain:
a. Research Proposal form and Researcher’s Registration Form.
b. Summary of the CV of the Principal Investigators on all sides, FAPESP, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM and UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM and of each researcher involved on the Brazilian side (instructions at www.fapesp.br/5266).
c. Budget worksheets specifically designed for this Call.
i) Budget request for FAPESP should include justification, detailing the relationship of the need with the Proposal item;
ii) Estimate of total budget should include all sources of resources to which the PI or co-PI will have access, listing uses (Sources and Uses spreadsheet) of resources in terms of general items (research activities, mobility and workshop).
d. Research project with a maximum of five (5) pages of scientific content, including the following items:
i. Summary of the project to which the proposal is related, including current and expected results;
ii. Description of which lines of activity of the ongoing project related to the proposal will benefit from the project;
iii. Description of each researcher and institution involved on the British side;
iv. Description of the expected academic gains for the project as a result of the proposed cooperation with the British team, emphasizing their singularity and specificity;
v. Details of the activities foreseen in the project, including goals and specific objectives, justification and relevance, and the definition of the corresponding performance indicators. The role of the technical team from the executing institution must be explained;
vi. Description of infrastructure and financial resources available for developing the research project, excluding the mobility expenses requested in the proposal;
vii. Timeline of each project, provided that the total number of activities per year do not surpass the funds stipulated in the fifth clause of this call for proposals;
viii. The reasons for wanting to work collaboratively, including what additional activities can be performed to enhance the impact or future potential of the research activity in the State of São Paulo, Birmingham and/or Nottingham, Possible actions to promote future participation in multinational projects sponsored by the RCUK, the European Community or other agencies.
e. A signed letter of recommendation from the relevant Head(s) of School at the University of Nottingham and/or University of Birmingham, guaranteeing the availability of the facilities and equipment to develop the project. For researchers in São Paulo this is already stated in the submission form that must be signed by the Institution’s Director.
f. A signed document (Compliance Statement) from the foreign research partner(s) stating that he (she) (they) have read and are co-signatories of the project is an essential item upon submission. The contents of the Compliance Statement should explicitly include:
i. The Research Project;
ii. The Budget;
iii. The Participants.
7. Submission of proposals:
The proposals must be submitted, up to the deadline specified in section 3, to FAPESP by the researcher from the State of São Paulo. The proposals must be sent printed in one copy and with a CD containing, in a single PDF file, all documents described in item 6.
a. Each party will select proposals according to its own procedures.
b. Proposals not received by FAPESP before the deadline will not be analyzed.
c. Only proposals selected by all Parties will be funded.
d. No proposal 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.
e. Submission:
All proposals either related to grants processed via FAPESP’s electronic system (SAGe), or not, shall be sent to FAPESP in paper copy (with a CD containing, in a single PDF file, all documents described in item 6), to the following address: Rua Pio XI, 1500, Alto da Lapa, CEP 05468-901 – São Paulo/SP, with “Chamada FAPESP/UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM/UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM 2012” written on the envelope.
Proposals submitted by any other means will not be accepted.
8. Analysis and selection:
a. The process of analysis, qualification and selection of the proposals received at FAPESP will be carried out by an ad hoc committee especially appointed by the Foundation’s Scientific Director.
b. Following review and initial selection by each Party, successful projects will be selected according to preference of each Party, by consensus of the parties.
c. The Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) of the University of Nottingham will convene a similar ad hoc committee to consider proposals received at the University of Nottingham.
d. The Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) of the University of Birmingham will convene a similar ad hoc committee to consider proposals received at the University of Birmingham.
e. The proposals will be pre-qualified and, subsequently, analysed by way of a competitive process which will evaluate the merit and relevance of the project and the academic excellence of the candidate(s), the relation of the proposed project to the researcher’s ongoing project funded by FAPESP, and the interest of the institution that will host the researcher.
f. Proposals which do not comply with the terms of this Call for Proposals will be considered “not qualified”.
9. Result of the analysis:
Final results will be announced on FAPESP (www.fapesp.br), The UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (www.nottingham.ac.uk) and the UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (www.birmingham.ac.uk) web portals and by means of a communication to the interested parties.
10. Contract for selected projects:
The selected proposals will be the subject of an Amendment that must be signed by the researcher.
11. Grant cancellation:
FAPESP, the University of Nottingham and the University of Birmingham may cancel funding if there is a case of mismanagement or a lack of performance, at the Scientific Board of Director´s discretion, without prejudice of any other appropriate actions.
12. Information about the Call for Proposals:
All questions related to this Call for Research Proposals must be directed to:
a) FAPESP: Dr. Eric Kors Vidsiunas, Area Director.
E-mail: chamada_uon-uob-fapesp@fapesp.br
b) UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM: Alan Burbidge Business Engagement and Innovation Services
E-mail: alan.burbidge@nottingham.ac.uk
c) UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM: Matthew Reeve, International Relations; Xavier Rodde, Research and Commercial Services
E-mail: fapespcall@contacts.bham.ac.uk
The Academic Cooperation Agreements between FAPESP and The University of Nottingham and between FAPESP and the University of Birmingham can be read at www.fapesp.br/en/6308 and www.fapesp.br/en/6719.