Call for projects "Education, Resarch & Outreach": European Teaming project

This call for tenders is part of a European project funded by the H2020 Teaming program ("Biopolis"). The Biopolis project aims to support the development in Portugal of a center of excellence for research, development and innovation in the fields of biodiversity, agro-biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The center will be based on an existing laboratory, CIBIO. The Université de Montpellier - UM (and its associated tutelles) is a partner in this capacity-building project, and is involved in all aspects of the development of the Center of Excellence.

Objectives

This call for projects aims to provide financial support for skills transfer activities, from the UM to CIBIO, that contribute to the education and training of CIBIO staff (WP5), the development of the Biopolis Center of Excellence's strategic scientific program (WP4) and the communication, dissemination and exploitation of Biopolis Center of Excellence activities (WP6).

Proposals may include :

Training activities for young researchers (PhD and post-doctoral students), technical or administrative staff and non-academic professionals wishing to acquire biodiversity-related skills, in any possible format, including summer schools, advanced courses, individual laboratory training, etc.

Scientific events of all kinds and on all possible scales (individual or multi-partner, national or international projects), which will contribute to education and training, or to the development of the BIOPOLIS research program.

Events or actions contributing to the communication, dissemination and exploitation of Biopolis Center of Excellence activities.

Eligible expenses include travel costs between Montpellier and Porto (in both directions), the organization of events, human resources costs for staff involved in the organization and implementation of actions, and, in some cases, laboratory expenses generated by the proposed action.

Project eligibility 

Two types of proposals are eligible:

• Proposals co-constructed by CIBIO and UM research units must be approved by the management of both parties, and submitted by the host research unit.
  
  The 10 UM research units involved in the Biopolis project (AGAP, AMAP, CEFE, CEEM, CBGP, DIADE, IHPE, IPSIM, ISEM and MIVEGEC) are eligible to participate. The scientific project must correspond to at least one of Biopolis' main research pillars (biodiversity, agrobiodiversity and ecosystem services). All scientific disciplines are welcome.
• Proposals developed solely by UM members are also welcome, but will be evaluated in two phases. First, a statement of intent will be submitted for evaluation. If the declaration of intent is deemed sufficiently interesting for the Biopolis project, applicants will subsequently be invited to submit a full proposal based on the recommendations of this first evaluation.
  
  Actions and events can take place either in Montpellier or in Porto. The selection committee may recommend one venue rather than the other, depending on funding opportunities and the expected impact for Biopolis.

How to submit

Proposals must be submitted by the supporting/host research unit. The application must be completed using the template provided, in PDF format, and sent by e-mail.

Amount and eligible expenses

• Travel costs between Montpellier and Porto, in both directions, for event organizers, trainers, participants and trainees employed by CIBIO or UM research units taking part in Biopolis.
• Salary costs of UM human resources dedicated to event organization and knowledge transfer (based on time sheets submitted monthly by the research and technical staff involved).
  To encourage the participation of UM staff, the corresponding funds* can be transferred to UM laboratories on request (provided that a compatible agreement from their employer allows the transfer). In all cases, the submission of monthly timesheets will be required for all UM staff (and associated institutions) involved in the project.
  *NB: Projects involving the co-direction of PhDs or young researchers under Biopolis funding are excluded from this scheme.
• Expenses related to the organization of events, such as room rental, technical assistance, catering, invitations to external members, etc.
• Participation in the research costs of UM laboratories, dedicated to the activity (in particular for laboratory training). The allowance for PhD students or post-doctoral researchers employed by CIBIO and co-supervised by UM and CIBIO researchers, within the framework of a collaborative project, can reach €10,000 per year and per project.

Please note that a given application may combine several of the above categories of expenditure. Depending on the nature of the project, expenditure may be spread over several periods, potentially covering several years (until the end of the Biopolis project in September 2027).

Expenses will be covered by UM or CIBIO Teaming funds, depending on eligibility. The requested budget must mention any co-financing from other sources and/or any associated constraints. If necessary, the budget must be adjusted accordingly.

Calendar

This AAP is open from July 07, 2023 to August 6, 2024. Its possible extension will depend on the remaining budget. Once a project has been submitted, and subject to selection, it will have an implementation period of one and a half years.

Selection procedures

Proposals will be evaluated as soon as they are submitted by a selection committee made up of representatives of UM research governance, the Biopolis coordination team in Montpellier and the CIBIO/Biopolis executive committee.

The results for a given project will be announced within two months of submission.

The selection of proposals will be based on the following criteria:

• Added value of the activity for education and training, the development of CIBIO's strategic research program or the communication, dissemination and exploitation of CIBIO's activities.
• Quality of organization and content.
• Match between cost and potential impact.