Agreements
FAPESP-Oak Ridge National Laboratory - Call for Proposals
FAPESP-Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE, LLC
Call for Proposals for the support of research projects involving the Exchange of Researchers under the Memorandum of Understanding for scientific cooperation between the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE, Tennessee, USA.
1. Introduction
FAPESP and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE make public this Call for Proposals and invite interested researchers affiliated to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE and researchers affiliated to Higher Education and Research Institutions in the State of São Paulo, who are Principal Investigators of ongoing research projects funded by FAPESP within the following schemes: Regular Research Awards, Thematic Projects (PI or co-PIs), Young Investigators, or Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (CEPIDs/RIDCs; PI or co-PIs), to submit research proposals for the exchange of researchers between the State of São Paulo and Tennessee, USA, under the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.
2. Purpose
The purpose of this Call is to define the conditions for the submission of proposals for the exchange of researchers from the State of São Paulo and from Tennessee, USA (researchers and post-doctoral fellows) within the scope of the Memorandum of Understanding between FAPESP and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE. This Call for Proposals is being announced simultaneously by FAPESP and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE.
3. Eligibility
Researchers regarded as eligible to submit proposals within the scope of this Call:
a) By FAPESP: Principal Investigators of ongoing research projects funded by FAPESP within the following schemes: Regular Research Awards, Thematic Projects (PI or co-PIs), Young Investigators, or Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (CEPIDs/RIDCs; PI or co-PIs).
b) By Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE: researchers and Post Doctorial scientists employed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory
4. Fields of knowledge
This Call for Proposals invites research proposals in the Terrestrial Ecosystem Dynamics in the Tropics with special emphasis:
a) Tropical forest ecosystems response to environmental changes;
b) Ecosystems changes as benchmark of climatic process;
c) Large scale free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE);
d) Environment by design;
e) Bioenergy sustainability.
5. Timeline
|
Call announced on FAPESP and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE websites |
September 4, 2012 |
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Closing date for submission of proposals |
December 3, 2012 |
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Successful proposals notified |
From February 4, 2013 |
6. Duration of the project for the exchange of researchers
The exchange activities foreseen in this project must be carried out within the timeframe of the main FAPESP research grant. The maximum duration of each project is 24 months, non-extendable.
7. Funding principles
a) FAPESP will fund time and expenses of its researchers while they are on assignment in Tennessee, up to a ceiling of $10,000 per year and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE will fund time and expenses of its researchers while they are on assignment in São Paulo, up to a ceiling of $10,000 per year, FAPESP and ORNL consider approving up to 10 joint proposals with excellent reviews
b) FAPESP will provide the selected proposals with funds for travel (air tickets), health insurance and living allowances for researchers from the State of São Paulo that will visit Tennessee, USA.
c) Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE will provide the selected projects with funds for travel (air tickets), and lodging for researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory visiting the State of São Paulo.
8. Proposal characteristics
Each proposal, submitted in English, shall contain:
a) Research Proposal form and Researcher’s Registration form.
b) Summary of the CV of the Principal Investigators and collaborating researchers on both sides, FAPESP and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE (bio sketch instructions at www.fapesp.br/en/6351).
c) Budget worksheets specifically designed for this Call (please enclose detailed budget according to FAPESP standards – worksheet available for download at www.fapesp.br/chamadas/ornl/Budget_Spreadsheet-FAPESP-ORNL.xlsx).
d) Research project with a maximum of ten (10) pages of scientific content, including the following items:
d.1. Summary of the project to which the proposal is related, including current and expected results;
d.2. Description of which lines of activity of the ongoing project of the PI in São Paulo related to the proposal will benefit from the exchange;
d.3. Description of which lines of activity of the ongoing or proposed project of the PI in Tennessee, USA will benefit from the exchange.
d.4. Description of each researcher and institution involved on the State of São Paulo and USA side;
d.5. Description of the expected academic gains for the project as a result of the proposed cooperation, emphasizing their singularity and specificity;
d.6. Details of the activities foreseen in the exchange, objectively described, including justification and relevance, and the definition of the corresponding performance indicators. The role of the technical team from the executing institution must be explained;
d.7. Description of infrastructure and financial resources available for developing the research project in São Paulo and in Tennessee, USA, excluding the mobility expenses requested in the proposal;
d.8. Actions to add to the impact of the exchange in the research activity in the State of São Paulo and in Tennessee, USA, by means of seminars, short courses, visits to other institutions that carry out research activities in cognate areas.
e) Timeline of each mission, provided that the total amount of missions per year do not surpass the funds stipulated in the seventh clause of this call for proposals.
f) Official document stating the formal commitment of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE participate, 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).
g) Official document stating agreement with the provisions of Clause 2 of the Memorandum of Understanding, related to “Confidentiality” and “Intellectual Property and Protection of Results”, respectively, and also including the following statement: "It is not anticipated that any intellectual property will be made or created in the performance of the proposed work set forth in the proposal, but if the situation changes and it becomes apparent that intellectual property may result, the research Institution in the State of São Paulo and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE will address the protection and allocation of such intellectual property in a separate written agreement."
9. Submission of proposals
a) Each proposal must be submitted, before the deadline specified in section 5, both to FAPESP by the Principal Investigator from the State of São Paulo and Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE by the Principal Investigator from Tennessee, USA.
a.1. The Research Proposal, described in item 8.d must be in the form of one single 10 pages document written by the PI in State of São Paulo and the PI in Tennessee, USA.
a.2. Submissions to FAPESP must be in the form of a Regular Research Award related to the ongoing project (information required as item 6 of the Research Proposal submission form). This grant must be exclusively directed to this call and abide to its rules. Submissions to FAPESP can only be accepted in paper, via mail (not through the on-line system SAGe).
a.3. Submission to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE must be in the form of standard internal grant submissions used by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE, and submitted to the ORNL Institutional Planning Office.
b) Proposals not received by both Parties before the deadline or not in conformity to the specifications herein will not be reviewed.
c) Each Party will select the proposals according to their own procedures.
d) Only the proposals selected by both Parties will be funded.
e) 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 or Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE.
f) Submission must be sent to:
f.1 On the FAPESP side: All proposals either related to grants processed via FAPESP’s electronic system (SAGe), or not, 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, with “Chamada FAPESP/OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY - UT-BATTELLE 2012” written on the envelope
f.2. On the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE side: All proposals should be sent to: Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE. Dr. Shaun Gleason, Director of Institutional Planning. E-mail: gleasonss@ornl.gov.
g) Proposals submitted by any other means will not be accepted.
10. 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) The Director of Institutional Planning of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE will convene a similar ad hoc review committee that includes the ORNL LDRD Manager and other relevant subject matter experts to consider proposals received at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE.
c) The proposals will be pre-qualified and, subsequently, reviewed by way of a competitive process which will evaluate the merit and relevance of the project and the academic excellence of the candidate, 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.
d) Proposals which do not comply with the terms of this Call for Proposals will be considered “not qualified”.
11. Result of the analysis
Final results will be announced on FAPESP (www.fapesp.br) and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE web portals and by means of a communication to the interested parties.
12. Contract for selected projects
a) The selected proposals will be the subject of a research agreement in writing to be signed by FAPESP and the Principal Investigator in São Paulo and an agreement between the Principal Investigator in the U.S. and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE
b) For signature of the grant agreement with FAPESP and of the grant agreement with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE it will be necessary for both PIs to present a signed agreement between the Sao Paulo research institution and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE covering the items under item 2 of the FAPESP-Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE Memorandum of Understanding (www.fapesp.br/6849).
13. Grant cancellation
FAPESP may cancel funding if, during grant implementation, a fact is of sufficient gravity to justify cancellation, at the Scientific Board of Directors’ discretion, without prejudice of any other appropriate actions.
14. Information about the Call for Proposals
All questions related to this Call for Research Proposals must be directed to:
a) FAPESP:
Alexandre Roccatto, Area Director
E-mail: chamada-fapesp-ornl@fapesp.br
b) Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT-BATTELLE
Dr. Shaun Gleason, Director of Institutional Planning
E-mail: gleasonss@ornl.gov
(The FAPESP e-mail above, used specifically for this call for proposals, is no longer valid)