Call for proposals "Education, Research & Outreach": European Teaming project
This call for proposals 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 in research, development, and innovation in the fields of biodiversity, agrobiodiversity, and ecosystem services.
This center will be based on an existing laboratory, CIBIO. The University of Montpellier (UM) and its associated supervisory bodies are partners in this capacity-building project and are involved in all aspects of the Center of Excellence's development.
Objectives
This call for proposals aims to provide financial support for skills transfer activities from 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 the Biopolis Center of Excellence's activities (WP6).
Proposals may include:
Training activities for young researchers (doctoral and postdoctoral students), technical or administrative staff, and non-academic professionals wishing to acquire skills related to biodiversity, 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-party projects, national or international), 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 the activities of the Biopolis Center of Excellence.
Eligible expenses include travel costs between Montpellier and Porto (round trip), event organization, human resources costs for staff involved in organizing and implementing the actions, and, in some cases, laboratory expenses generated by the proposed action.
Project eligibility
Two types of proposals are eligible:
- Proposals jointly developed by the CIBIO and UM research units must be approved by the management of both parties and submitted by the lead/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 for the call. The scientific project must correspond to at least one of the main research pillars of Biopolis (biodiversity, agrobiodiversity, and ecosystem services). All scientific disciplines are welcome. - Proposals developed solely by UM members are also welcome, but they will be evaluated in two phases. First, a statement of intent will be submitted for evaluation. If the statement of intent is deemed sufficiently interesting for the Biopolis project, applicants will then be invited to submit a full proposal based on the recommendations of this initial evaluation.
Actions and events may take place either in Montpellier or Porto. The selection committee may recommend one location over another, depending on funding opportunities and the expected impact for Biopolis.
Submission guidelines
Proposals must be submitted by the lead/host research unit. Applications must be completed using the template provided, in PDF format, and sent by email.
Amount and eligible expenses
- Travel expenses between Montpellier and Porto, in both directions, for event organizers, trainers, participants, and trainees employed by CIBIO or by UM research units participating in Biopolis.
- The salary costs of UM human resources dedicated to event organization and knowledge transfer (based on timesheets submitted monthly by the research and technical staff involved).
In order to encourage the participation of UM staff, the corresponding funds* may be transferred to UM laboratories upon request (provided that a compatible agreement from their employer allows the transfer). In all cases, monthly timesheets will be required for all UM staff (and associated institutions) involved in the project.
*NB: Projects involving the co-supervision of PhD students or young researchers as part of Biopolis funding are excluded from this scheme. - Expenses related to organizing events, such as venue rental, technical support, catering, inviting external members, etc.
- Contribution to the research costs of UM laboratories dedicated to the activity (in particular for laboratory training). The allowance for doctoral students or postdoctoral researchers employed by CIBIO and co-supervised by researchers from UM and CIBIO, as part of a collaborative project, can reach €10,000 per year per project.
Please note that a given application may combine several of the above-mentioned expense categories. Depending on the nature of the project, expenses 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 applicable, the budget must be adjusted accordingly.
Calendar
This call for proposals is open from July 7, 2023, to August 6, 2024. Its possible extension will depend on the remaining budget. Once the project has been submitted and selected, it will have an implementation period of one and a half years.
Selection criteria
Proposals will be evaluated upon submission by a selection committee composed of representatives from UM research governance, the Biopolis coordination team in Montpellier, and the CIBIO/Biopolis executive committee.
The results for a given project will be communicated within two months of the application being submitted.
The selection of proposals will be based on the following criteria:
- Added value of the activity for education and training, development of CIBIO's strategic research program, or communication, dissemination, and exploitation of CIBIO's activities.
- Quality of the organization and content of the action.
- Balance between the cost and potential impact of the action.