Agreements

FAPESP - Nottingham and Birmingham call for proposals 2013

FAPESP – UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM AND UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

CALL FOR RESEARCH PROPOSALS – 2013

Public call for proposals for the support of research projects involving research collaboration, workshops and the exchange of researchers and post-doctoral fellows under the Scientific Cooperation Agreements between the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Brazil and the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom (UK), and between FAPESP and the University of Birmingham, UK.


1. Introduction

The University of Nottingham (Nottingham) and The University of Birmingham (Birmingham) in association with FAPESP make public this Call for Proposals (CFP) and invite academics holding permanent positions in Nottingham, academics holding permanent positions in Birmingham and researchers affiliated with Higher Education and Research Institutions in the State of São Paulo, to submit research proposals for the exchange of researchers between institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil and, Nottingham and/or Birmingham under the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

2. Objective

2.1 The purpose of this CFP is to define the conditions for submission of proposals for the collaboration of researchers from the State of São Paulo, Brazil and researchers affiliated to Nottingham and Birmingham, United Kingdom, within the scope of the Scientific Cooperation Agreement between FAPESP and each of the referred Universities. This CFP is being announced simultaneously by all Parties.

2.2 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.

3. Researcher Eligibility

3.1 Researchers regarded as eligible to submit proposals within the scope of this Call are:

3.1.1 By FAPESP: a) Principal Investigators of ongoing research projects funded by FAPESP within the following funding lines: Regular Research Awards, Thematic Projects, Young Investigators, Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers CEPIDs/RIDCs), Public Education Research Program, Research in Public Policies, and Research Partnership for Technological Innovation (PITE). Co-Principal Investigators of ongoing Thematic Projects, CEPIDs/RIDCs and PITEs are also eligible to apply.

b) FAPESP will only accept one application per related ongoing research project. Likewise, each Principal Investigator can present only one proposal to this Call.

c) The ongoing FAPESP research project linked to this proposal must have a minimum of six months left at the scheduled beginning of the mobility project. FAPESP may accept proposals submitted to this call linked to research proposals that are still undergoing merit review. However, if the research proposal is still under analysis or has not been approved by the time the proposals in this Call are selected, the related mobility proposal will be cancelled.

3.1.2 By Nottingham: Principal Investigators from Nottingham.

3.1.3 By Birmingham : Principal Investigators from Birmingham.

3.2 Eligibility for the exchange activities within the scope of this Call:

3.2.1 By FAPESP: Principal and Co-Principal Investigators of the ongoing research projects funded by FAPESP as well Associated Researchers from Higher Education and Research Institutions in the State of São Paulo directly involved in the ongoing research project. The eligible post-doctoral fellows must have an ongoing FAPESP fellowship during the planned exchange mission.

3.2.2 By Nottingham: any academic employed full or part-time by Nottingham or members of their research group.

3.2.3 By Birmingham : any academic employed full or part-time by Birmingham or members of their research group.

3. 3 The proposals must aim to respect the principle of reciprocity with regard to academic qualifications of those who will take part in the exchange activities.

4. Fields of knowledge

The present Call invites Research Proposals in all fields of knowledge.

5. Timeline

Call announced on FAPESP and Nottingham and Birmingham websites

October 10, 2013

Closing date for submission of proposals

February 20, 2014

Successful proposals notified after

June 30, 2014

6. Duration of the project for the exchange of researchers

The maximum duration of each project is 24 months, non-extendable.

7. Funding principles :

7.1. The funds available for this call are £240,000.00, divided between FAPESP (50%), Birmingham (25%) and Nottingham (25%).

7.2 FAPESP, Nottingham and Birmingham awards will be up to an absolute maximum of £80,000.00 (up to £40,000.00 from FAPESP; up to £20,000.00 from Nottingham and up to £20,000.00 from Birmingham) per proposal 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 between FAPESP and Nottingham (www.fapesp.br/6307) and between FAPESP and Birmingham (www.fapesp.br/en/6719).

7.3 For the sake of clarity when the project is between two Parties (FAPESP and either Nottingham or Birmingham), the maximum funding available is £20,000 from each party. Where both Nottingham and Birmingham are involved in the project the maximum UK funding will be £40,000 and the maximum FAPESP funding will be £40,000.

7.4 The funds from FAPESP will be used to cover the mobility expenses of researchers from the State of São Paulo that will visit Nottingham and/or Birmingham. FAPESP will provide the selected proposals with funds to cover workshop realization (within the rules of FAPESP) expenses and research costs (including by way of example, laboratory consumables, and small equipment items, services).

7.5 The funds from Nottingham will be used to cover workshop realization, research costs (including by way of example, laboratory consumables, and small equipment items, services) and mobility expenses of researchers from the Nottingham that will visit São Paulo, Brazil.

7.6 The funds from Birmingham will be used to cover workshop realization, research costs (including by way of example, laboratory consumables, and small equipment items, services) and mobility expenses of researchers from the Birmingham that will visit São Paulo, Brazil.

8. Proposal characteristics:

The proposal, in English, consists of an identical research project to be submitted to all Parties involved (FAPESP and Nottingham and/or Birmingham) and the required documentation for each Party (FAPESP and Nottingham and/or Birmingham), under the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth. The exchange activities to be carried out by the researchers and fellows from São Paulo must be thematically related to the ongoing research project funded by FAPESP.

8.1. A research project with a maximum of five (5) pages of scientific content, with one copy sent to all parties involved, one copy to Nottingham, one copy to Birmingham and another copy sent to FAPESP, including the following items:

8.1.1 A description of the foreseen exchange activities (four pages maximum), including:

a) A substantive description of the activities, emphasizing their relevance;

b) A timeline for each specific exchange mission, considering the limit of missions and resources established in this Call;

c) Performance indicators for the planned activities;

d) A description of each candidate’s contribution to the mission, explaining their expertise to carry out the foreseen activities;

e) Foreseen actions adding to the impact of the exchange for the UK and for the Host Institution in the State of São Paulo, e.g. by means of seminars, short courses and visits to other institutions that carry out research activities in cognate areas;

f) If the proposal includes direct research activities, please add a description of the research activities and research costs for this proposal (equipment, materials and supplies).

8.1.2 Summary (one page) of the FAPESP funded research project to which the mobility proposal relates, including:

a) Current and expected results;

b) A description of the project activities that will benefit from the exchange activities;

c) A description of the expected academic gains for the research project resulting from the proposed exchange activities;

d) A description of the infrastructure and financial resources available for the research project, excluding the mobility expenses requested in the proposal.

8.2 In addition to the research project above referred, the proposal must include the following items:

8.2.1. To FAPESP:

a) Research Proposal Form;

b) Researchers Registration Form to be filled in by the PI and by all candidates for the exchange activities;

c) CV Summaries of the Principal Investigators on both sides and of all candidates for the exchange activities (guidelines at www.fapesp.br/en/6351);

d) Budget forms (if the proposal includes items towards researches costs (equipment, materials and supplies), annex a description and justification of each item).

f) Worksheet with the candidates for the exchange missions;

g) A Letter of Agreement between Nottingham and/or Birmingham and the Higher Education and Research Institution in the State of São Paulo to which the PI from São Paulo is affiliated, including Intellectual Property rights, confidentiality, and publication agreement, in observance of the policies of each funding Party.The Letter of Agreement is not mandatory for the submission of proposals, but no approved project will be contracted before the presentation of a copy of the signed Agreement;

h) For proposals related to ongoing FAPESP PITE projects, the PI must present a Statement of Consent by the partnering company agreeing with the application to this CFP.

i) A signed letter of recommendation from the relevant Head(s) of School at the University of Nottingham, 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. For researchers at Birmingham, only the Letter of Agreement is required noting that researchers must complete their College/School based approval process prior to the Letter of Agreement being signed by the authorised signatory.

8.2.2. To Birmingham:

At the same time as the application forms are submitted to FAPESP all completed forms associated with the proposal and a separate summary of the total amounts of funding requested from Birmingham including all travel, accommodation, consumables, equipment and any other eligible costs, should be submitted to: fapespcall@contacts.bham.ac.uk

8.2.3 To Nottingham:

At the same time as the application forms are submitted to FAPESP all completed forms associated with the proposal and a separate summary of the total amounts of funding requested from Nottingham including all travel, accommodation, consumables, equipment and any other eligible costs should be submitted to: alan.burbidge@nottingham.ac.uk

9. Submission of proposals

9.1 The proposal as specified in the previous section must be submitted by the deadline stated in section five above, both to FAPESP by the Principal Investigator from the State of São Paulo and to Birmingham by the Principal Investigator from Birmingham and to Nottingham by the Principal Investigator from Nottingham.

9.2 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, Birmingham or Nottingham.

9.3 Submissions to FAPESP must to be sent by mail, to the following address: Rua Pio XI, 1500, Alto da Lapa, CEP 05468-901 – São Paulo/SP, with “ Chamada FAPESP/Nottingham and Birmingham, 2013” written on the envelope. Only proposals with a stamped postmark date within the deadline of this Call will be processed.

9.4 Submissions to Nottingham can only be accepted via e-mail - alan.burbidge@nottingham.ac.uk

9.5 Submissions to Birmingham, can only be accept via e-mail - fapespcall@contacts.bham.ac.uk

9.6 Proposals submitted by any other means will not be accepted. Late submissions will be returned.

10. Analysis and selection:

10.1 Each Party will select the proposals according to its own procedures. Only the proposals selected by all Parties involved will be funded.

10.2 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, the relation of the proposed project to the ongoing project funded by FAPESP, the capacity of the proposed project to leverage further research funding, and the strategic research aims of Nottingham and Birmingham.

10.3 Proposals that do not comply with the terms of this Call will not qualify for analysis.

10.4 Whilst the call can support bilateral collaboration, trilateral collaboration is strongly encouraged and favoured. Proposals will in any case be evaluated on the basis of excellence and quality.

11. Result of the analysis:

Final results will be announced on FAPESP (http://www.fapesp.br), Nottingham (http://www.nottingham.ac.uk) and Birmingham (www.birmingham.ac.uk) web portals and by means of a communication to the interested parties.

12. Contract for selected projects:

The selected proposals will be the subject of a research grant in writing to be signed by FAPESP and the Principal Investigator in São Paulo; and an agreement between the Principal Investigator and Nottingham and/or Birmingham.

13. Grant cancellation:

FAPESP, Nottingham and Birmingham may cancel funding if there is a case of mismanagement or a lack of performance, 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:

FAPESP: Dr. Vera Viviane Schmidt

E-mail: chamada_uon-uob-fapesp@fapesp.br

NOTTINGHAM: Alan Burbidge Business Engagement and Innovation Services

E-mail: alan.burbidge@nottingham.ac.uk

BIRMINGHAM: Marion Fleming-Froy, International Partnerships Co-ordinator; Xavier Rodde, Research and Innovation Services

E-mail: fapespcall@contacts.bham.ac.uk

FAQs for Nottingham and Birmingham applicants is available at https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/finance/ris/research-support/eu/fapesp.aspx

 


Page updated on 10/10/2013 - Published on 10/09/2013