MEXICO/SOUTH AFRICA RESEARCH FOUNDATION COLLABORATION CALL FOR JOINT PROJECT PROPOSALS (2017) CLOSING DATE: 28 July 2017 A MAXIMUM OF FOUR JOINT PROJECTS WILL BE FUNDED FOR THIS CALL On 19 April 2010, South Africa and Mexico entered into a science and technology (S&T) agreement which resulted in the development of a Programme of Cooperation (PoC) which serves as an implementation plan for joint programmes between the two countries. As a result of this PoC, joint researchers workshops on astronomy, oceanography and advanced manufacturing were held during 2015 to 2017. Following the success of these joint workshops the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT) are pleased to announce the first joint call for research proposals, and herewith invite all interested parties to submit their applications, by a date no later than the indicated closing date. Aims of the programme To contribute to scientific advancement in both countries through the funding of joint research activities in specified research fields; To provide an opportunity for young researchers in the two countries to engage; To support the advancement of basic research; and To contribute meaningfully to research capacity development. Areas of cooperation Joint research proposals may be submitted in the following prioritised thematic areas: Advanced Manufacturing Astronomy Oceanography In terms of human capital development, South African applications from historically disadvantaged individuals are encouraged, as is the involvement of historically disadvantaged higher education and research institutions. Duration of projects The projects will be supported for three years from January 2018 to December 2020. 1
Who may apply? South Africa: This call is open to employed researchers residing in South Africa and affiliated with a recognised higher education or research institution such as a university, university of technology or science council. The South African PI must be in possession of a PhD. Mexico: This call is open to Mexican researchers who will act as counterpart of South African researchers. Mexican researchers must comply with CONACYT s eligibility criteria to act as Principal Investigators and counterpart to his/her South African peer. An application must designate two Principal Investigators (PIs), one in South Africa and one in Mexico, who will bear the main responsibility for the project including its technical and administrative coordination as well as scientific and financial reporting. Please note: Applications must be submitted by consortia of at least two institutions from each country. All partners should be equally involved in the proposal development and the execution of the project. There are no limitations to the number and kind of partners that may join a project, but they should be justified within the proposed framework of the project. Therefore, only joint proposals that took a consortia approach and involved more than one institution from each country will be considered for funding. Each Consortia must present two PIs from the two countries. The PIs should be senior researchers with recognised experience of managing collaborative research projects. They will serve as consortium leaders and will be responsible for carrying out and managing the project. They will further serve as contact points for funders throughout the application phase and will be responsible for communication with other partners in their respective consortia. The PIs will also be responsible for the intellectual agenda and coherence, as well as all the reporting duties. The participation of private / industry partners and inclusion of other stakeholders (such as NGOs) are strongly encouraged. However, from the South African side these non-academic partners are expected to meet their own participation costs in the joint projects. In terms of South Africa s transformation agenda applications involving previously disadvantaged individuals and the involvement of historically disadvantaged higher education and research institutions will be prioritised. How do I apply? Mexican and South African applicants shall write a joint application to be submitted to both CONACYT and the NRF. The joint application must be written in English. South Africa: Applicants can apply by following the steps below: Applications must be submitted electronically to the NRF on the NRF Online Submission System at https://nrfsubmission.nrf.ac.za/. Register/Login using your ID/passport number and password. Go to My Applications and select Create Application. Select the call for which you are applying for: Mexico/ South Africa Joint Science and Technology Research Collaboration Call 2018. Complete all compulsory sections and the CV sections in full. Please attach the required documents in PDF format in the following order: CV of partner, budget of partner, a signed letter from the Partner Principal Investigator, work plan and a student exchange programme plan. 2
Remember to submit your application on completion. Complete applications will go to the host institutions for verification before being forwarded to the NRF for further processing. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be considered (please refer to the above section called Who may Apply for details on eligibility). Please contact your research office or Designated Authority if you have any queries. Applications submitted outside the NRF Online Submission System will not be accepted. No hard copies will be accepted and will automatically be disqualified by the NRF. Only applications endorsed by the research office or its equivalent at higher education or research institutions will be accepted. Mexico: Instructions for the Mexican applicants are available on the CONACYT website at http://www.conacyt.mx/index.php/el-conacyt/convocatorias-y-resultados-conacyt/convocatoriasfoncicyt/convocatorias-abiertas-foncicyt The onus is on the applicants to find their own research partners. Consortia Proposals must be received in both Mexico and South Africa. Proposals which have only been received in either South Africa or Mexico, but not both countries, will not be considered for funding. The call process is highly competitive therefore application does not guarantee funding. The evaluation of applications from both countries should have positive ratings before consideration for funding. Neither the NRF nor CONACYT will be held responsible for non-submission of the application in the partner country. Which activities may I apply for? The purpose of this call is to support the research by senior researchers, scientists, postdocs and shortterm research placements of doctoral students between the two countries. In this regard, funding will be made available for visits and exchanges of leading and young scientists, technical personnel or other experts conducting joint research within the above-mentioned thematic area of cooperation. Support will be provided for collaborative basic, applied and innovation research projects. Funds can be used to cover the following costs: Research-related costs - activities to be supported may include expenses relating to field work such as conducting interviews, research-related trips, and research equipment (small equipment). The funds can also be used for consumables, accessories, publication related costs, etc. Exchange programmes - short term mobility or travel expenses (i.e. transport and accommodation costs) of the research teams between the two partnering countries. Doctoral and Postdoctoral Research Placements - The placements should enable young researchers to (1) learn valuable new skills or techniques; (2) access facilities or resources not readily available at home; (3) build relationships with potential new collaborators; and (4) advance complementary collaborative research. The duration of each placement is expected to be 3-6 months; with flexibility to split the placement into several shorter visits. Longer placements may be undertaken where this would add value and these should be justified within the application. Placements must enhance, not replace, the standard training and study support that both the doctoral and postdoctoral researchers receive. Knowledge sharing costs - In support of activities organised by the consortium, such as joint workshops, seminars, conferences, symposia, lecture presentations, capacity building sessions, meetings, local/regional dissemination of results aimed at involving stakeholders, and/or end users from outside the consortium with a minimum of 10% of the grant budget. 3
The PhD placements must be managed to fit within the original funded period of the studentship. Additional funding will not be made available through this call or by the funders to support studentship extensions for those undertaking international placements. Applicants should include information about how these exchanges will be managed within their proposal. In the case of meetings, research visits and exchanges of scientists, personnel, experts and students, as well as reciprocal visits undertaken as part of joint research projects and the attendance of seminars, symposia and other meetings funded under this agreement, the sending Investigator will be responsible for financing international travel, visas, and medical insurance. Fees relating to accommodation, ground transport, living expenses, and the organisation of events (venue, catering, audio-visual equipment etc.) will be the financial responsibility of the host investigator which is to be paid from his / her allocation of the joint funding. The following may NOT be funded from the funds allocation: Consultant s fees Educational expenses (scholarships and/or bursaries, etc.) Large equipment Project management fees Salaries and temporary staff fees. How much may I apply for? South Africa: The total amount of funding requested from the NRF should not exceed R2.5mil. Funding will be made available for a maximum of three years, to be paid in annual instalments (R830 000 per year) and exclusively for research activities commencing in 2018. Mexico: Instructions for the Mexican applicants are available on the CONACYT website at http://www.conacyt.mx/index.php/el-conacyt/convocatorias-y-resultados-conacyt/convocatoriasfoncicyt/convocatorias-abiertas-foncicyt Please do take note that: should you be successful you will only be funded for the activities within the scope of the guidelines; Not more than four joint projects will be funded for this call; and scientific and financial reporting on the project is an OBLIGATORY condition of funding in subsequent years. How are applications evaluated? Following the closing date indicated, applications will be subject to a scientific peer review by recognised experts, organized by each side. The experts will evaluate each proposal based on the following criteria: Scientific and technical merit Suitability and feasibility Value addition by the collaboration Potential for promoting equity and redress Capacity building (student involvement/ doctoral & postdoctoral research placements) Composition and suitability of the consortium in addressing the identified research question The adequacy of the proposed knowledge sharing and research uptake approach 4
Particular emphasis is to be placed on the training of students to be achieved through research and the transfer of knowledge and know-how for capacity development of young researchers. Applicants are urged to ensure the involvement of young researchers from previously-disadvantaged communities. Following local evaluation, a shortlist of projects to be funded will be constituted through consultations between the NRF and CONACYT based on the results of the evaluations done in both countries. Please note that, although the two Parties undertake to execute the evaluation and selection process as quickly as possible so as to notify applicants of the results as soon as possible, the nature of the bilateral process requires the alignment of the commencement of each phase of the process with the partnering country, whose schedules may differ significantly. Project follow-up and reporting A final scientific and financial report will be submitted in English by both the South African and the Mexican Principle Investigators no more than 3 months after the end of the project. The report will mention the outputs of the projects compared with the objectives and aims of the proposal. The joint publications by the researchers will mention the support from the NRF and CONACYT. Intellectual property The researchers of each country, particularly the leaders, must take adequate steps to ensure protection and sharing of the intellectual property that could result from the joint projects. When is the closing date for applications? Applications must be submitted by 28 July 2017. Applications received after this date will not be considered for funding. Please note that the NRF or CONACYT will not be held responsible for applications that were not received. Researchers are also advised to ensure that their research partners applications are submitted and have also been received in the partner country. Where can I obtain more information? For South Africa (NRF) Ms Nombuso Madonda Professional Officer: Overseas Cooperation International Relations and Cooperation Tel: +27 12 481 4285 Email: nombuso.madonda@nrf.ac.za For Mexico (CONACYT) Ms Gloria Valencia Project Coordinator: International Cooperation National Council for Science and Technology Tel: +52 55 5322 7700, ext. 1739 Email: gvalencia@conacyt.mx 5