North Driven Development Research Projects: Denmark South Driven Development Research Projects: Ghana, Tanzania, and Nepal

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1 Call 2014 Phase 1 Applications (Prequalification) North Driven Development Research Projects: Denmark South Driven Development Research Projects: Ghana, Tanzania, and Nepal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consultative Research Committee for Development Research Deadline: Wednesday, September 25, 12 noon (Danish Time), 2013 Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs April 12, 2013, 3 rd edition May 16, 2013

2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction Objectives and Prioritised Areas Instrument Special Strategic Aspects Assessment Criteria Required Format for the Application Finances The Overall Application Process Responsibilities, Publication, etc Supplementary Information rd edition, May 16, 2013: Page 6, Instruments Following added: In the south driven development research projects it should be indicated in the application the extent to which the research cooperation partnership might have perspectives for south-south cooperation. Page 9, Phase 1 Assessment Following added: As stated in the General Conditions for Grants to Development Research Supported through Denmark s International Development Cooperation MFA may make the processing of new applications by the project coordinator conditional on compliance with the terms and conditions of previous grants, including the total time allocation for a researcher on several projects exceeding what is considered feasible. 2 nd edition, April 25, 2013: Alterations in Relation to first edition Page 14, last paragraph Consultation procedures for the south driven development research application: Only the application prequalified by the NSC will be going through the consultation procedure. Page 15, Responses to Phase 1 application Applicants will be informed by the end of December2013. Page 18, E-application System, 2 nd dash The name of the call is not out yet. The ruling is to select the relevant call. 2

3 1. Introduction Introduction and Financial Framework The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (MFA) provides grants for development research activities as part of Denmark s international development cooperation. The objective of the Danish support to development research is to generate new knowledge capable of alleviating development problems and strengthening research capacity in the Danida priority countries 1. The Consultative Research Committee for Development Research (FFU) is appointed by the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and is responsible for ensuring the research quality and the strategic use of competitive funds designated for development research. The Danish Council for Strategic Research (DSR) provides consultation and approves the proposals for support. Since 2008 Denmark has, in addition to supporting north driven development research projects, supported south driven development research projects on a pilot basis (earlier named the Pilot Research Cooperation Programme). A third phase of the south driven development research cooperation programme is being initiated from 2014 including three of the Danida priority countries: Ghana, Tanzania, and Nepal. In the south driven development research cooperation programme the institutions in the south take the lead in defining the projects, selecting Danish research partners, and managing the research projects. The MFA has outsourced the administration of the support to development research to Danida Fellowship Centre (DFC). See the DFC website for the General Conditions regarding on-going projects, calls, e- application forms, etc. at Within the framework of Danish development cooperation, the MFA hereby invites Phase 1 applications (prequalification) for research grants related to development research. The Call is applicable for both north and south driven development research applications. The total grant available for this Call is DKK 125 million (approx. USD 22 million), on the condition of approval of the 2014 budget. Deadline for E-applications Applications must be completed and submitted electronically via DFC s e-application system. Submission of Phase 1 applications: September 25, 12 noon (Danish Time,) 2013 Application form will be available on May 31, 2013 at See also Section 10 for information on how to gain access to the e-application system. Who is Eligible for Funding? Applications can only be submitted by an institution, e.g. a governmental institution, private-sector enterprise or private organization in Denmark for the north driven research projects, and in Ghana, Tanzania or Nepal for the south driven research projects. The main applicant must be attached to the applicant institution, which will be responsible for the approved project. 1 Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burma, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine Territories, Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. 3

4 PhD and Postdoc projects cannot be supported individually, but can be included in a larger research project. The main applicant researcher must at the time of submitting the application hold a PhD or equivalent qualifications, documented clearly in the CV. It is important that the main applicant and the research team document relevant scientific merits/qualifications and research background within the research topic applied for. The application must list the proposed research partner institutions. The north driven research project applications must list partners in the Danida priority countries while the south driven research project applications must list partners in Denmark. As a minimum, the names of the partner institutions must be stated in phase 1 applications, while the names of individual researchers may be left out if not yet identified in phase 1. In Phase 2 all researchers must be named and their CV s attached. International research institutions and research institutions in countries outside the Danida priority countries can only be included as secondary partners and can only be supported by the grant for their direct services to the research institutions in the Danida priority countries. Partners from the private sector, who participate in a proposal, can only receive support if it is documented how they will contribute with additional resources to the research. All potential applicants in Denmark are invited to attend information meetings where the MFA, FFU and DFC will provide information regarding requirements and procedures in relation to the Phase 1 and 2 applications. Further information on these meetings will be available at 2. Objectives and Prioritised Areas Grants will be awarded to strategic research cooperation projects, which generate new knowledge relevant to the needs and strategies of Danida priority countries and to Denmark s development cooperation and contribute to strengthening research capacity in these countries. The current Call invites Phase 1 south driven development research applications that address relevant development research themes including research capacity building in the specific country included in the south driven development research programme (Ghana, Tanzania and Nepal). Themes are not specified. The current Call invites Phase 1 north driven development research applications that address one of the themes described below. Applications should explicitly and comprehensively address one of the following themes: Theme 1: Governance in fragile and unstable environments In countries where the state as a central nation state may be failing or is fragile, society and local communities are often seen to find functional ways to cope, to solve their conflicts and to ensure the provision of at least a minimum of social services. In the absence of a functioning state, societies often manage to perform public good functions, and modes of self-governance appear. On the other hand, there might be limits to how much local communities are able to do. There is a need to better understand these processes and to get a more detailed insight into what happens in such societies and particularly in local communities when the state or other formal structures are partly or entirely absent for a variety of reasons. 4

5 Key questions are: what replaces state functions or what exists already - such as traditional and customary structures and how are these accommodated in the regional and national systems and structures. Should they be further strengthened? What are the challenges with regard to these phenomena, e.g. in terms of maintaining basic human rights standards? And how do factors external to the societies (e.g. remittances and the diaspora) influence the processes? Theme 2: Green economy, inclusive growth and employment The notions of green growth and green economy are increasingly seen as answers to unsustainable and inefficient growth patterns. A green economy is often understood as one that is efficient in the use of natural resources, clean in that its activities minimize pollution and negative environmental impact, and resilient in that it accounts for natural hazards and the role of environmental management and natural capital in preventing physical disasters. A green economy is based on growth that is sustainable and inclusive, and has the potential to generate positive employment effects, and maximize the benefits for, and minimize the cost to, poor and vulnerable people in developing countries. While the potential of a green economy is clear, it is not inherently inclusive and pro-poor. Its positive effects hinge on: set economic and political incentives; appropriate institutional frameworks; technological development, adoption and adaption capabilities, and business models that are operational and implementable. In a developing country context, there is urgent need to better understand the dynamics of green growth, how incentives play out, and how institutions and business models may be designed to promote a greening of economies that generates employment and is pro-poor. Across all relevant areas of research, attention should be paid to employment generation and pro-poor strategies as well as to the economic and political incentives and the types of institutions and business systems that can be operationalized and are implementable in a developing country context. Theme 3: Rights to natural resources Rights to natural resources in developing countries are under increasing pressure and represent an important cause of conflict between and among international, national, regional and local interests. This research theme is focused on new perspectives in relation to the nexus between access to natural resources, rights, and the political economy of resource exploitation and addresses rights in relation to land, water, minerals, and forests. Among new issues in relation to this agenda is the land acquisition by foreign investors in developing countries for food and fuel production which increases pressure on natural resources and raises concerns regarding poor local people s access to and control over land on which they depend. The increased exploitation of mineral resources is another factor which puts pressure on natural resources and gives rise to conflict over land and which may lead to violations of labour rights. Other rights issues under this theme relate to the issue of rights and conflicts in relation to forests and to water use. Beyond contributing to a deeper understanding of on-going processes related to natural resources, focus should be on research that explores and analyses the implications of legal, regulatory, political and economic interventions at local, national and international level aimed to regulate access to and use of natural resources for poor men and women s access to natural resources and more broadly to livelihoods of their choice. Researchers are encouraged to consider poor and marginalised groups and gender equality aspects of resource rights. 5

6 3. Instrument Duration of the grants is up to 5 years, and the grant amount is up to 10 million. This Call invites proposals for strategic research projects that aim to find solutions to a restricted set of strategic research issues, and which for the north driven research projects specifically address the prioritised areas described in section 2 of this Call. In addition, successful proposals should enhance the research capacity of participating research institutions in the Danida priority countries, including their capacity to engage in and contribute to innovation partnerships that involve public and private stakeholders, and where feasible broader international research environments. In the south driven development research projects it should be indicated in the application the extent to which the research cooperation partnership might have perspectives for south-south cooperation. The FFU highly welcomes and encourages relevant interdisciplinary research. Co-financing In the north driven development research projects co-financing from participating public and privatesector partners in Denmark and abroad is expected. Such co-financing is also encouraged in the south driven development research projects. Co-financing may be provided in the form of monetary contributions or as payment in kind, i.e. by making equipment, staff, etc. available. While a large co-funding from various sources is encouraged, co-funding from Danish government research institutions should preferably be about and not exceed 10 per cent of the total activity budget for the research project (not measured against the individual budget items). 4. Special Strategic Aspects Strategic quality The FFU assesses applications on the basis of three equally important and necessary criteria: the scientific quality, relevance, and potential effect of the research. Taking the point of departure in the definitions by DSF 2, the criteria are defined as follows: Scientific quality: The scientific quality is evaluated on the basis of the application s originality, how it situates itself within current research, and the expected achievements from an international standard Relevance: In the evaluation of the relevance of the applications it is considered, whether the research topic is relevant to the priorities of the country included in the south driven development research programme/south partner country, to the priorities of the Danish development cooperation, and for the north driven research project, only, also to the themes of the Call. 2 See the DSF memorandum Strategic research principles and instruments of 1 January

7 Effect: The potential effect of the research is evaluated on the basis of the potential effect to the relevant public and private users, including how the research is expected to be communicated to the intended public and private users. Interaction between research and innovation The FFU wishes to promote interaction between research and innovation and consequently emphasizes the involvement of public and private sector stakeholders in the research activities. Equal partnership between Danish research institutions and researchers in priority countries Research collaboration is considered an important means to strengthening research capacity of institutions in the Danida priority countries. In order for research partners to benefit from the collaboration, partnerships should be equal, and partners should be able to contribute actively to the preparation of research applications both in phase 1 and phase 2. Research applications which have been prepared without the active involvement of partners in the Danida priority countries will not be approved. Other important aspects of equal partnerships include joint fieldwork, joint publishing, knowledge sharing, access by partners to databases and libraries, etc. In particular joint field work should be indicated in some detail in both time allocations for researchers and in respective work packages. Arguments for the choice of countries Please, provide an explanation for the choice of a particular Danida priority country in the research project. Projects in which two or more countries are included often represent a particular challenge in terms of establishing equal partnerships. If more than one Danida priority country is chosen, the rationale for this and added-value and importance for the project should be clearly argued. It is not necessarily considered an advantage in the evaluation of a research proposal that many countries are included. Role of the main applicant researcher Experience shows that the main applicant researcher has a key role to play in ensuring that a research collaboration project is successful. It is difficult to play this role with a limited time allocation, but normally an effective engagement/involvement of the main applicant researcher would entail a work load of at least 12 months. Interdisciplinary research The aim of strategic research is to clarify or resolve prioritized challenges in society. Due to the complexity of these challenges, it will often be necessary to address the issues from many different disciplinary perspectives ranging from those of the natural, health and technological sciences to the social sciences and humanities. The societal challenges are often cross-cutting in nature and therefore they often require cross-cutting (interdisciplinary) research initiatives. Research capacity strengthening It is important that the funded activities driven from north or south - include substantive elements of research capacity strengthening, which focus on national priorities and ownership in developing countries. Support to research capacity strengthening of the institutions in the Danida priority countries may be north-south research cooperation that increases competitiveness and quality of participating research environments, research-based education, e.g. support to PhD students, facilitation of access to and use of scientific literature, training of senior researchers and teams to design and manage research and produce, document and disseminate the research results, participation in international research conferences and networks and, to a limited degree, support to establishing and managing research laboratories and other facilities. The increased research capacity must further contribute to development. 7

8 PhD students and double degrees Please pay particular attention to the requirements for enrolment of PhD students from the Danida priority countries. PhD candidates from the Danida priority countries included in the project must seek enrolment at a university in their home country, alternatively at a university in the region. Enrolment in Denmark can only be considered if enrolment in the Danida priority country or the region is not possible and if sufficient justification for this is provided. In cases where study periods in Denmark are found necessary, this must be under a sandwich programme with studies at the Danish institution for a limited period of time, studies at their own institution, and fieldwork in their home country. Master students Please observe that Master students in the Danida priority countries, but not in Denmark, may be supported in exceptional cases. This implies that only one or a maximum of two Master students can be included in the proposal and only if convincing arguments are presented. The inclusion of Master students in the project proposal is thus not considered in the assessment of the overall project idea as part of the contribution to capacity building. Ethical and other considerations Proposals must reflect ethical considerations and adhere to requirements in Denmark and the relevant Danida priority countries about research permissions, provision of information to relevant authorities, etc. Dissemination Importance will be attached to the results of the funded research activities being disseminated to all relevant stakeholders including the wider public in a concise, comprehensible and meaningful way. Apart from conveying the results of the research, dissemination should also cover their societal relevance and impact. At the end of the research a policy brief of approx. 5 pages must be produced. It should summarize in clear and non-scientific language the research findings and provide recommendations to decision makers in partner countries, to Danida, and to other relevant stakeholders. 5. Assessment Criteria Phase 1 Assessment In the assessment of a Phase 1 application, the following criteria will be applied: The scientific quality is evaluated on the basis of the application s originality and innovativeness, how it situates itself within and contributes to further the relevant research field and the expected achievements from an international standard. The relevance of an application is assessed in respect of the extent to the research topic is relevant to the priorities of the Danida priority country and to the key priorities of Danish development cooperation (human rights and democracy; green growth; social progress; and stability and protection). Furthermore, and only for the north driven research projects, the relevance of the proposed research to the themes of the Call is evaluated. The effect of the research is evaluated on the basis of the potential effect to the relevant public and private users, including how the research is expected to be communicated to the intended public and private users. 8

9 In addition to the three equally important and necessary criteria, the feasibility of the proposed research will also be assessed. This includes the management structure for the research project, and the managerial competence and experience from research in developing countries possessed by the principal investigator and the feasibility of the activities. As stated in the General Conditions for Grants to Development Research Supported through Denmark s International Development Cooperation MFA may make the processing of new applications by the project coordinator conditional on compliance with the terms and conditions of previous grants, including the total time allocation for a researcher on several projects exceeding what is considered feasible. The Phase 1 applications will be forwarded to the relevant Danish embassies for their review of the relevance of the proposed project. Phase 2 Assessment In the assessment of the Phase 2 applications, the three criteria for strategic quality i.e. scientific quality, relevance, and effect of the research are weighted equally. The assessment in relation to the scientific quality of the proposed project will comprise the following elements: The originality and innovativeness of the hypotheses or research issues argued by situating the research in relation to existing research in the area; Innovative use of the theories applied and the research method employed argued by situating the research in relation to existing research in the area; Publications; Scientific competence possessed by the principal investigators and other key team members; Managerial competence and experience in development countries possessed by the principal investigator and the establishment of a competent management structure for the activities (including timetable, milestones, resources and risk and contingency plans); Assessment of whether the method of research is well-suited to the investigation of the issue in question; Incorporation of a sufficient body of expertise on the issues to be addressed, including relevant interdisciplinary expertise; The assessment in relation to the relevance of the project will comprise the following elements: Relevance of the activities in relation to one of the research themes in the Call (see the theme descriptions in Section 2) as well as the special strategic aspects mentioned in Section 4 (applicable to north driven research projects only); Relevance of the project in relation to development problems and national priorities of the Danida priority country/countries in question; Relevance of the project in relation to overall objectives and priorities of Danish development cooperation The contribution of the proposed project to the advancement of postgraduate education and research training; Involvement of all relevant stakeholders, including a good cooperation between researchers based in the north and the south. 9

10 The assessment in relation to the potential effect of the proposed project will comprise the following elements: The potential contribution of the proposed project to contribute to the alleviation of poverty in the Danida priority country/countries in question; Dissemination of the results of the funded research activities to all relevant stakeholders including the public in a concise, comprehensible and meaningful way; The quality and future sustainability and use of the research capacity strengthening; The involvement of private and public sector actors in the project preparation and implementation.. The Phase 2 applications will be forwarded to international scientific Peer Reviewers for their review of the scientific quality of the proposed project. 6. Required Format for the Application A Phase 1 application must comprise An e-application form Appendix A: CVs of all named researchers in the application form Step 1 must be included. Appendix B: Signatures The contents of the individual appendices are described below. Other appendices/documents will not be considered. General Application Requirements Language Both the form and its appendices must be completed in English. E-application Form and Attachments (Appendices) Contents and use of the e-application form The e-application forms are available on May 31, 2013 at Project description A project description must be structured according to the following pre-written headings and in the stated order. All headings must be used and none added, but apart from the requirement regarding the maximum length of the scientific project summary there are no requirements regarding the length of each section in the project description. However, the project description as a whole must cover no more than 5 pages. Required headings in the project description: 1. Project summary (max. 20 lines). 2. Objectives - Information on the project s objectives and hypotheses. The description must include the objectives relation to state-of-the-art -literature, and the project s innovativeness. 3. Methodology - Short description of methodology and research design, including research capacity strengthening. 10

11 4. Participants, organization and management - Description of the participating parties scientific and managerial competences, contribution to the research activity, the project organization, management, and national ownership and anchoring. 5. Relevance - Description of the relevance in relation to one of the themes in the Call (applicable to north driven research projects only), to the priorities of the Danida priority country, and to the priorities in Danish development cooperation. 6. Anticipated results and outcome - Description of the activities anticipated results and longer-term effect. The research capacity strengthening initiatives must be explained. 7. New knowledge - Results from previously conducted research within the theme and how this proposal may assist in providing new knowledge in the field. 8. Main references - A reference list of principal publications etc. forming the background for the proposed activity. In addition the application should: be novel in objective and scope, in providing new knowledge, research capacity and innovative results; be clear, focused and stringent; not be too ambitious, given resources available; address clearly identified research issues; constitute a genuine research project rather than being a registration of data, commissioned research, a product development, demonstration project, technology transfer, consultancy or development project; include substantive elements of research capacity strengthening; outline a clear dissemination plan for research results and how research may influence policy and action; ensure well-defined management, coordination and collaborative structures of the project; include ethical considerations; detailed results of possible on-going projects within the same topic. Appendices The following appendices (A & B) must be attached to the e-application form as described in the form itself. The appendices must be in PDF and must not be password protected or otherwise locked. The total volume of all the appendices must not exceed 25 MB. The appendices must be named as described below before being attached. Previously uploaded appendices may be deleted and substituted by new ones as required. Naming: The appendix files must be named Appendix (letter) followed by the first three letters in the main applicant s first name (XXX) followed by the first three letters in the surname (YYY). Example: the file name of appendix A will thus be: Appendix A XXXYYY. 11

12 Appendix A - CVs This appendix must include: At the front of the appendix A list the CVs in the order in which they appear. CVs of the applicant and all other researchers named in the application Step 1(max. 2 pages per person). The CVs must specify the scientific qualifications, managerial skills, and experience from developing countries, and must include a list of key publications and patents. It is regarded as equivalent to a PhD if it is documented in the CV that the applicant is at Professor, Assistant Professor or Associate Professor level. NOTE: The table of contents and all CVs must be compiled in a single file in which each CV starts on a new page. Appendix B Signatures This appendix must include signatures as follows: The applicants herewith confirm that the information given above is correct: Main applicant: Date: Printed name: Signature: Head of responsible institution: Date: Printed name: Signature: 12

13 7. Finances For the purposes of a Phase 1 application, only a range of the estimated amount applied for must be indicated. Applicants who, on the basis of a Phase 1 application, are invited to submit a Phase 2 application will be asked to prepare an outline budget for the project. The outline budget must include all costs including overheads and must reflect the anticipated breakdown of such costs by financing and co-financing. Successful Phase 2 applicants will be asked to submit a detailed budget broken down by partner institution and by year prior to the final letter of commitment is issued. It is preferable for the applicant, in the Phase 1 application, to bear in mind the following requirements for Phase 2 applications regarding finances, including paying particular attention to adding the correct overhead for each partner. Eligible Costs It will within a research project be possible to apply for funding for the following: Salaries for main applicant researcher and all other named researchers PhD grants Postdoc grants Combination positions, that is, salaries/salary subsidies for researchers who are employed for a fixed period of time at two institutions or at an institution and an enterprise Salaries for technical staff Guest researchers for a limited period Equipment costs Support for dialogue between Danish and research institutions in the Danida priority countries and public-sector institutions and/or private-sector enterprises etc. Subsidies for the cost of collaboration with research environments abroad Other costs, which are relevant in relation to the specific activities. Please observe that funding is awarded as framework grants, and it will not be possible to apply for supplementary grants. 13

14 Overheads For certain types of institutions, the grant may be used to cover overheads, that is, costs not directly incurred from the research activity. Overheads are calculated as a fixed percentage of direct costs, cf. the rates given below. Direct costs means costs incurred as a direct result of the research activity. Institution/enterprise type Overheads Danish institutions (including universities and government research institutes) which are subject to 44 % the rules regarding grant-funded research activities in the Danish Ministry of Finance s budget guidelines, and which are authorised to carry out grant-funded research activities Danish Authorised Technological Service Institutes (GTS-institutter) 20 % Danish institutions meeting all the following criteria: 20 % - Receive and are expected to continue receiving a fixed state subsidy of minimum 25 % (measured in relation to the total annual turnover) to cover operating costs - Are non-profit institutions which do not seek to generate profit, and where any profit may not be distributed among the owners - Carry out research as a central purpose Public Danish hospitals 3,1 % Danish state-recognised museums (cf. The Danish Museum Act) 3,1 % All other Danish institutions and enterprises 0 % Research institutions in Danida priority countries (depending on local conditions) Max. 12 % For international research institutions and partners in countries outside the Danida partner countries, the budget can only include salaries and travel expenses covering their direct services to the project activities, and no administration fees can be covered. 8. The Overall Application Process The Two-phase Application Process The application process consists of two phases: Phase 1 a concept (prequalification) phase, and Phase 2 a full application phase. The assessment of both Phase 1 and 2 will be carried out in accordance with the Danish Act on Research Advice, and in consultation with DSF. In Phase 1 (the prequalification process), applications will be submitted to the relevant Danish embassies for reviewing, and applicants will have the opportunity to comment on these external opinions in a consultation procedure. The development research applications are assessed by the FFU. The Embassy review and any consultation responses form part of the overall basis for assessment. The FFU decides which applicants will be invited to submit a final application in Phase 2 of the process. In the case of the south driven development research applications this incorporates prior assessment by national screening committees (NSC) in Ghana, Tanzania and Nepal respectively. A limited number of applications in each of the three countries will be prequalified during the national screening, and only these prequalified applications will be going through the consultation procedure. The non-prequalified applicants will be notified accordingly. 14

15 All Phase 2 applications will be submitted for external peer review to usually at least two internationally recognised researchers. Applicants may suggest appropriate external reviewers in the Phase 2 application. The applicant s suggestions will be included in DFC s considerations when choosing external reviewers for a possible Phase 2 application. DFC appoints the external reviewers and is not obliged to use the reviewers suggested by the applicant. Applicants will have the opportunity to comment on these external opinions in a consultation procedures. The decision on a possible grant is made by the FFU, and the external assessments and any hearing responses form part of the overall basis for assessment. The e-application for the Phase 2 application including the application guide will be made available to the applicants invited to submit Phase 2 applications. By the time of the Phase 2 application, all researchers must be identified by names, titles and institutions, and they must submit their CV s. All cooperation institutions represented by the main researchers from this institution must sign the Phase 2 application. The Various Steps in the Process and the Timetable The overall application process is carried out according to the following plan: Submission of the Phase 1 application: Submission of a Phase 1 application must be done via DFC s e-application system and must be completed by the deadline specified in Section 1 of this Call. Shortly after submitting the application, the applicant will receive an acknowledging receipt. If the acknowledgement is not received within 24 hours, the applicant should get in touch with the contacts named at the end of this Call to ensure that the application has indeed been received. An application may be rejected subsequently without substantive consideration if the deadlines or other formal requirements set out in this Call are not met or if the e-application form is not correctly completed. This is described in more detail in Section 9 of this Call. The application will be assessed on the basis of materials submitted. It is thus not possible to send in any supplementary material after submission. Responses to Phase 1 applications: Applicants will be informed of MFA s/ffu s decision by e- mail by the end of December, at the latest. Guidelines for completing the Phase 2 applications will be issued directly to the selected applicants. Applicants who are invited to submit a Phase 2 application will receive specific recommendations or requirements regarding its content. Submission of Phase 2 applications: The deadline for submission of Phase 2 applications will be 6 March 12 noon (Danish Time) Consultation procedure: The consultation procedure concerning the embassies in Phase 1and the external peer reviews in Phase 2, as described above, is expected to take place in November 2013 and May 2014, respectively. 15

16 Responses to Phase 2 applications: In the Phase 2 prioritization, which will take place in primo June 2014, only a limited number of the applications qualified in Phase 1 will be recommended for approval. Notice on the outcome of the reviews of the Phase 2 applications is expected to be sent out in late June There will then be a brief period during which the grantee will be asked to submit any additional information, including budgets broken down by partner and year. Notice of funding: All Phase 2 applicants can expect to learn the outcome of their application within the third quarter of 2014, and the approved projects can expect to start in Responsibilities, Publication, etc. Applicants should familiarise themselves with the following before using the e-application system and submitting an application. Storage of information When the e-application system is used, the system will automatically register the applicant s identity, IP address and the time at which the application was created or edited will be registered. The applicant s responsibility The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all information in the e-application is correct, that the required appendices are attached to the e-application, that the contents of the appendices are correct and that the e-application has been submitted before the deadline stated in this Call. The applicant undertakes immediately to notify the Research Unit at DFC in the event of any subsequent material changes affecting the information submitted, and especially for Phase 2 including the amount of financing for the project or fraction thereof awarded by other sources. Technical disclaimer The Danida Fellowship Centre is obliged to inform prospective applicants of any system errors that make the e-application system unavailable, affecting the applicant's possibility of submitting e-applications within any deadlines. Information on such unavailability is stated on the website of DFC at In particularly serious cases, the Danida Fellowship Centre will extend the application deadline for all relevant applicants. This will also be announced on the website at The Danida Fellowship Centre accepts no liability for incorrect information due to software errors, calculation errors, transmission errors and similar errors, or for any claims for damages due to incorrect use of the e-application system. Data Protection Act Danish privacy law (Danish Act on Processing of Personal Data, Lov om persondata, no. 429 of 31 May 2000 with subsequent amendments) accords the applicant certain rights when information concerning the applicant is processed electronically. Please note therefore that the applicant has the right at his or her request, to inspect and verify personal data if such data are processed electronically. It is not possible to make corrections to an e-application after it has been submitted, other than corrections to personal information. 16

17 Rejection of applications without substantive consideration According to section 4 of the Executive order on the granting function etc. under the Danish Council for Independent Research and the Danish Council for Strategic Research (Executive Order no of 15 December 2010), an application may be rejected without substantive consideration if the formal requirements or deadlines set out in the Call for applications are not met. If the following rules set out in the Call are not complied with, the application may be rejected without substantive consideration: The application must be submitted by the deadline set out in Section 1 of the Call. The application must be made on the correct e-application form (i.e. a form on which the correct Call title is stated) and the form must contain all the required information see the instructions on the form. The application must be submitted as an e-application via the DFC s e-application system. The application (e-application form and appendices) must be written in English. The amount applied for must correspond with the amounts specified in the overview at the beginning of Section 3 of this Call. The e-application form must be submitted with attachment of all the appendices specified in Section 6 of this Call. The project description must comply with the requirements in Section 6 of this Call. Appendix A must contain CVs for all named researchers. The appendices must not be password protected or otherwise locked and the total volume of all the appendices must not exceed 25 MB. Other data which may be obtained by official bodies The MFA and the FFU reserve the right to obtain information about any previous and current applications an applicant may have submitted to the FFU, and this information may be included in processing of the e- application. In the event that project funding has been or will be applied for from elsewhere, the MFA and FFU reserve the right to obtain information as to whether the amount has been granted. Publication Once the submitted Phase 1 applications have been processed, if the FFU finds it expedient, an announcement will be made on the as to who has been invited to submit a Phase 2 application. In support of that announcement, the following information may be published on the internet: applicant's name, title, workplace, title of application and expected application amount. The purpose of this is to enable applicants to apprise themselves of other prospective programme applicants and research activities and possibly form their own networks with a view to submitting joint applications. Information about applicants who are not invited to submit a Phase 2 application may be disclosed in the event that access is applied for pursuant to the Danish Public Records Act (offentlighedsloven). Access to such information may be granted in the form of lists of who has applied and for what purpose (applicant names and application titles). Applicants should therefore take care that their application title does not reveal information about the activity which they wish to keep out of the public domain. Use of funding for other purposes The MFA may, at its discretion, decide that a proportion of the funding available is to be used for other research cooperation. 17

18 10. Supplementary Information Documents and Information References to the appendix form and all documents referred to in this Call for applications are available at: E-application System The e-application system is accessible from DFC s website via the following link: Note: Before you can use the system, you will need to set yourself up as a user via the link If you have not previously used Danida Fellowship Centre s electronic application system click here. If you have several addresses, please note that acknowledgement of receipt of the application will be sent to the address used as your user name in the system. Shortly after registration, you will receive an containing the password needed to access the system. To start a new application, you must select the relevant Call. Once you have started an application form, you can break off from it and resume work at any time by accessing Edit, at the right of the page. If you have forgotten your password, or you try to enter with a wrong password, an will be sent to your address with your correct password. Your partners can access the application by using the same address and password. Contacts For questions concerning the application procedures and in general relating to this Call for applications, please contact the Research Unit at Danida Fellowship Centre at research@dfcentre.dk. 18