Agreements
Memorandum of Understanding concerning the Newton Fund
Memorandum of Understanding concerning the Newton Fund between
the Academy of Medical Sciences, the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society and The National Council for the State Funding Agencies (CONFAP) and the State Funding Agencies (FAPs)
The Academy of Medical Sciences, the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Royal Society, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (hereinafter referred to as “the UK Academies”) and the National Council for the State Funding Agencies (hereinafter referred to as “CONFAP”) and State Funding Agencies (hereinafter referred to as “FAPs”) of Brazil – (collectively hereinafter referred to as “the Participants”) -, seeking to build on the existing friendly and co-operative relationship between the two countries, and specifically to encourage and support increased capacity in Brazil in the area of research and innovation,
Have reached the following understanding for pursuing collaboration under the ‘People’ strand of the Newton Fund:
SECTION 1
Objective
The Primary Objective of the collaboration pursued under this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be to support the research and innovation capacity of Brazil for their long term sustainable growth. This will be achieved through collaboration on a set of funding mechanisms towards promoting increased research and innovation exchange and collaboration supporting long-term, sustainable partnerships.
Collaboration under this MoU will build on existing UK- Brazil science, research and innovation agreements. It will not preclude other bilateral or multilateral cooperation activities and agreements in research and innovation in which each Participant may take part.
SECTION 2
Areas and Forms of Collaborative Activities
2A. The UK Fellowships and Grants
The UK Academies, specifically the British Academy, the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Society, will offer Newton International Fellowships and Newton Advanced Fellowships to the Brazilian research community, covering the fields of natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, and medical (including clinical and patient-orientated research) sciences. For further details see Annex 1.
The UK Academies, specifically the British Academy, the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering, will also offer Mobility Grants to the Brazilian research community, covering the fields of natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, and engineering. For further details see Annex 1.
2B. The Brazilian Fellowships and Grants
CONFAP will assist in and collaborate to the implementation of this MoU among the FAPs. The FAPs signed to this MoU will offer scholarships, grants and mobility support to researchers from the United Kingdom, and proposals in all areas of knowledge will be welcome. For further details see Annex 2.
SECTION 3
Executing Authorities
The Executing Authorities for the purposes of this MoU will be the UK Academies and the FAPs assisted by CONFAP. The UK Academies will deliver the programme as described in Section 2A unilaterally, and the FAPs will deliver the programmes as described in Section 2B unilaterally. Therefore, each side is responsible to run its selection process and to appoint the successful candidates for their schemes.
SECTION 4
Funding and Resources
The UK schemes carried out under this MoU (Section 2A) will be funded separately by the UK Academies and the Brazilian schemes (Section 2B) will be funded by the FAPs under, and counting towards, the total provision of funding for the Newton Fund and in accordance with each Participants’ obligations under the Newton Fund. It is intended that the UK Academies on one side and the FAPs on the other side will provide equivalent levels of support for the activities carried out under this MoU and described in Section 2.
The UK Academies will offer to Brazilian researchers:
Up to 20 Fellowships in the Natural Sciences and Engineering,
Up to 8 Fellowships in Patient orientated research
Up to 21 Fellowships in the Social Sciences and Humanities
Up to 24 mobility grants in the Natural Sciences and Engineering
Up to 52 mobility grants in Engineering
Up to 30 mobility grants in the Social Sciences and Humanities
The FAPs, under CONFAP assistance, will offer to UK researchers, scholarships and research grants in Brazil, mobility grants and visiting research grants for scientific collaboration visits to Brazil, Young Investigator Awards, as stated in Annex 2, with a total value equivalent to the amount of money offered by the British Academies.
SECTION 5
Duration, Effective Date and Termination
This MoU will come into effect on the date of its signature by the Participants and will remain valid for a period of three years. It may be terminated earlier by one Participant giving the other Participant a written notice at least 90 days before the date of termination.
The termination of the MoU will not affect any funds already disbursed or spent unless otherwise decided by the Participants.
This MoU may be amended with the mutual written consent of the Participants.
This MoU is a statement of intent, but is not a legally binding document and does not create legal obligations under international law.
Signed in duplicate on date 2014 in the English and Portuguese, both texts having equal validity.
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For the Royal Society |
For the Academy of Medical Science Helen Munn |
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For the British Academy Robin Jackson |
For the Royal Academy of Engineering Philip Greenish |
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For the National Council of the State Funding Agencies (CONFAP) Sergio Luiz Gargioni |
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The State Funding Agency of Mato Grosso (FAPEMAT) Flávio Teles Carvalho da Silva |
The State Funding Agency of Maranhão(FAPEMA) Rosane Nassar Meireles Guerra |
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The State Funding Agency of Goiás (FAPEG) Maria Zaira Turchi |
The State Funding Agency of Pernambuco(FACEPE) José Antônio Bertotti Junior |
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The State Funding Agency of Rio de Janeiro State (FAPERJ) Ruy Garcia Marques |
The State Funding Agency of Minas Gerais State (FAPEMIG) Mario Neto Borges |
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The State Funding Agency of São Paulo State (FAPESP) Celso Lafer |
Araucária Foundation to support Scientific and technological development of the state of Paraná Paulo Roberto Brofman |
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The Federal District Funding Agency Ricardo de Sousa Ferreira |
The State Funding Agency of Acre (FAPAC) Pascoal Torres Muniz |
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The State Funding Agency of Amazonas (FAPEAM) Mario Olívia de Albuquerque Simão |
The State Funding Agency of Alagoas (FAPEAL) Janesmar Cavalcanti |
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The State Funding Agency of Piauí (FAPEPI) Féliz Raposo Filho |
The State Funding Agency of Amapá (FAPEAP) Terezinha Soares dos Santos |
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The State Funding Agency of Espírito Santo (FAPES) Anilton Salles Garcia |
The State Funding Agency of Rio Grande do Norte (FAPERN) Emanoel Marcio Nunes |
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The State Funding Agency of Paraíba (FAPESQ) Cláudio Benedito Silva Furtado |
The State Funding Agency of Pará (FAPESPA) Mário Ramos Ribeiro |
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The State Funding Agency of Bahia (FAPESB) Roberto Paulo Machado Lopes |
State Agency to support Research and Technological Innovation of Sergipe (FAPITEC) José Ricardo de Santana |
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The State of Mato Grosso do Sul Foundation to Support Education, Science and Technology (FUNDECT) Marcelo Augusto Santos Turine |
The State of Ceará Foundation to support the Development of Science and Technology (FUNCAP) Haroldo Rodrigues de Albuquerque Jr. |
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Rondonia Foundation to support Scientific and Technological development of the State of Rondonia Francisco Elder Souza de Oliveira |
The State Funding Agency of Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS) Nadya Pesce da Silveira |
ANNEX 1
The UK Fellowships and Grants
- The Newton International Fellowships will be aimed at supporting early career post-doctoral (with no more than seven years’ active full time postdoctoral experience) researchers with permanent positions in Institutions based in Brazil, covering the fields of natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, and medical (including clinical and patient-orientated research) sciences. The awards will be up to two consecutive years in length spent in the UK undertaking research at a host university or research institute. The awards will provide a stipend, research expenses and one-off relocation expenses and will provide up to £99,000 for two years. All applicants must identify a UK co-applicant who will host them whilst they are in the UK. The award holder will be based in the UK for the two years.
- The Newton Advanced Fellowships will be aimed at supporting early to mid-career (up to 15 years post-PhD) researchers with permanent positions in Institutions based in Brazil, covering the fields of natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, and medical (including clinical and patient-orientated research) sciences. The awards will be up to two years in length and provide a salary top up as well as funds for training, travel and subsistence and research expenses. The funds may be used to support the applicant and members of their research group/network. The awards will be up to £74,000 over up to two years (£37,000 per year). All applicants must identify a UK co-applicant who they will partner with. The award holder will be based primarily in Brazil and will spend short periods in the UK.
- The UK Academies’ mobility grants will provide the opportunity for early career and established researchers (postdoctoral onwards) with permanent positions in Institutions based in Brazil to establish and develop new collaborations with UK counterparts. They will be based around a joint research project in the fields of natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, and engineering. The awards will be up to £10,000-£24,000 per year and will cover costs for travel and subsistence as well as for research expenses. Applications must have a Brazilian and UK co-applicant and be based around a jointly conceived research project.
ANNEX 2
The Brazilian Fellowships and Grants
The State Funding Agencies, members of this MoU, will offer:
1) Scholarships and grants to visiting researchers from the United Kingdom, for a period of six (6) months to thirty six (36) months for the development of scientific research in Universities or Institutions (ICTs) in Brazil. Proposals in all areas of knowledge will be welcome.
a) For the case of all FAPs, except for FAPESP, the Program comprises scholarship in the amount of R$ 7.000,00 (seven thousand reais) monthly, for young researchers, and in the amount of 10.000,00 (ten thousand reais) monthly, for researchers who have graduated in a PhD program for more than seven (7) years; airline tickets; health insurance; a quota of scholarship for scientific initiation; and grant in the amount of R$ 25.000,00 (twenty five thousand reais), each six months.
b) For the case of FAPESP, the visiting researchers must be associated to a FAPESP PI (co-applicant) in charge of an ongoing grant of the following types: Thematic, Young Investigator, or Research, Innovation, and Diffusion of Knowledge Centers. In these cases the program offered by FAPESP will comprise:
i) A scholarship with value ranging from R$ 9,148.80 to R$ 13,653.60, depending on the academic experience of the visitor, plus airline tickets and health insurance. The level is to to be suggested by the host investigator and confirmed by FAPESP upon merit review.
ii) The PI in charge of the grant to which the visitor will be associated may request to FAPESP supplementary funds of up to R$ 25.000,00 (twenty five thousand Reals) for every six months of stay of the visitor. These funds are to be used for research related consumable materials, services, and travel.
iii) A quota of scholarship for scientific initiation, for students to be supervised by the visiting scientist.
iv) For the case of visitors staying for 36 months, one FAPESP post-doctoral scholarship. The visiting scientist will carry a worldwide selection process, through announcements in relevant scientific journals, and supervise the selected post-doc.
2) The State Funding Agencies, members of this MoU also agree to finance mobility in research mission, with the goal of bringing to Brazil researchers from the United Kingdom for collaborative activities with researchers from Universities and Research Institutions in Brazil, within the minimum period of duration of seven (7) days, and maximum of three (3) months. Proposals in all areas of knowledge are welcome.
a) For the case of all FAPs, apart from FAPESP, this program comprises:
i) In cases of missions of up to fifteen (15) days, the support comprises airline tickets, health insurance, and daily support.
ii) For missions from one (1) month to twelve (12) months, the support comprises airline ticket, health insurance, and scholarship in the amount of R$ 7.000,00 (seven thousand reais) monthly.
b) For the case of FAPESP this program comprises the FAPEP Visiting Researcher Grant which requires a host researcher (co-applicant) in the State of São Paulo. The program offers:
i) For visits shorter than one month, the support comprises airline tickets, health insurance, and daily support.
ii) For visits from one to three months, the support comprises a scholarship with value ranging from R$ 9,148.80 to R$ 13,653.60, depending on the academic experience of the visitor, plus airline tickets and health insurance. The level is to to be suggested by the host investigator and confirmed by FAPESP upon merit review.
3) In addition to the above, FAPESP will also offer, as part of the Brazilian side matching funds, an opportunity for young investigators from the UK to start a research career in a university or research institution in the State of São Paulo through its Young Investigator Awards. The UK Academies will assist FAPESP in announcing the YIA opportunity to prospective post-doctoral fellows in the UK and will pre-select candidates to be presented to FAPESP. Pre-screened Young Investigators will submit proposals in the FAPESP Young Investigator Awards Program (en/4479) to start, in São Paulo, a Newton-Schenberg International Research Group (NSIRG). The proposals can be submitted in English and are selected by FAPESP using a peer-reviewing system. The Young Investigator proposals can request funds for (details at en/4479):
a) Equipment, consumables, services and travel necessary to the research project presented.
b) A scholarship for the Young Investigator to be paid for up to four years or until he/she obtains a permanent position in a university or research institution in the State of São Paulo.
c) A quota of scholarships for undergraduate students who will work in parts of the research project (Scientific Initiation).
d) A quota of MSc and Direct Doctorate scholarships, for graduate students to be selected and supervised by the Young Investigator.