Call for projects Biopolis 2022 – 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. The project funds mobility and events that contribute to the development of the center, but also and primarily human resources, including doctoral students and young researchers, who are the subject of this call for proposals.
Objectives
This call for proposals aims to recruit doctoral students and young researchers using Teaming project funds managed by the UM (i.e., recruitment by the UM).
It is part of WP5 of the Teaming project. We are targeting situations where these young recruits will be able to train in Montpellier (supervised by one or more researchers from Montpellier), as part of projects co-developed with one or more researchers from CIBIO (co-supervision). These young researchers (doctoral students and young researchers) will thus participate in the transfer of knowledge from Montpellier to CIBIO and in the development of the project at CIBIO (ideally leading to future recruitment at CIBIO).
This first call for proposals will support projects arising from existing collaborations between Montpellier and CIBIO. Future calls will allow time for new collaborations to be established (bearing in mind that the Teaming project ends in September 2027).
In total (across all calls for proposals), UM will be able to fund at least five PhDs and ten years of young researcher contracts. Biopolis Montpellier funds will also cover the mobility of young recruits, their supervisors, and Montpellier-based collaborators from France to Portugal. The mobility of partners from Portugal to France will be covered by Portuguese funds and is not included in this call for proposals. A limited budget will also be allocated to each recruit for research expenses and personal computer equipment.
Project eligibility
The 10 joint research units involved in Biopolis (AGAP, AMAP, CEFE, CEEM, CBGP, DIADE, IHPE, IPSIM ISEM, and MIVEGEC) are eligible to apply. The scientific project must correspond to one of the main areas of focus of Biopolis (biodiversity, agrobiodiversity, and ecosystem services). All scientific disciplines are welcome.
Submission guidelines
Projects originating from each unit must be submitted exclusively by the Unit Directors (UD). Files must be submitted in PDF format using the attached template and sent by email.
Amount available
This call may fund the salaries of one to three doctoral researchers for three years each) and one to three young researchers (for up to two years each). The volume will be adjusted according to the number of projects already in the pipeline, bearing in mind that a similar call for proposals will follow in spring 2023. Each recruit will receive a budget for research and another for mobility to the Portuguese laboratory (see eligible expenses below).
Calendar
- Official opening: December 14, 2022 (Reminder – Advance notice given to Biopolis correspondents in the UMRs on November 28, 2022)
- Submission of proposals by Unit Directors: before January 30, 2023, 12:00 p.m.
- Final decisions: February 2023
- Start of recruitment procedures: April 2023, in coordination with doctoral schools (for doctoral researchers)
Eligible expenses
Salary for a doctoral student (valued according to the UM remuneration scale, currently €125,500 for three years) or a young researcher (valued according to the UM remuneration scale, currently between €51k and €55k/year, depending on recruitment level and experience) for a maximum period of 24 months; a budget for research expenses expressly justified by the project, which may include consumables, services, the purchase of a personal computer, and missions other than to the Portuguese laboratory
, for a maximum amount of €10k per year; a budget for mobility expenses to the Portuguese laboratory (short and long stays) for recruits and their supervisors in Montpellier, expressly justified and for a maximum amount of €9,000 per year. These two budgets are not fungible and may be distributed over the duration of the project as needed.
Selection criteria
Resources will be allocated taking into account the following criteria:
- Adequacy of the project with the main scientific objectives of the Teaming project.
- Effectiveness of existing collaboration.
- Contribution of the UM partner to the development of the project at CIBIO (scientific or technical expertise, financial or material resources, etc.).
- Prospects for the development of the project for CIBIO, within this collaboration and/or more broadly.
- Clarity and relevance of objectives and expectations.
- Feasibility (material and financial) of the recruit's project An evaluation committee will analyze the eligible applications and propose a ranking of candidates for final selection.
Download the call for projects in PDF format – Download the form (.docx)