Swedish research council calls for proposals
The research council Formas and Sida/SAREC will fund a two-year program to promote participation of Swedish scientists in sustainability research in developing countries. The overall intention is to contribute to global sustainable development in the spirit of the United Nations Conference in Johannesburg 2002. The program will start 1 July 2007 and have 10 million SEK per year, with Formas and Sida/SAREC contributing equal shares.
Formas has the mission to promote research in support of sustainable development. It funds environmental research, agricultural research, building research and research on spatial planning.
The overall objective for Sida/SAREC is to strengthen the research capacity of developing countries and to promote development-oriented research. Sida/SAREC should also promote scientific co-operation between researchers in Sweden and in developing countries.
The applications must be relevant for Formas areas of responsibility. To learn more, click on: http://www.formas.se/docs/soka_anslag/Formas_Strategi_Eng.pdf.
While the Sida/SAREC-funding is restricted to research at the institutes or field stations within the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (www.cgiar.org), the Formas-funding is open for research at other institutes or universities as well.
A project can last for one or two years and should comprise a two to four month stay per year for the main applicant from Sweden at a host research organization in a developing country. The stay could be distributed on two or more occasions, but no individual stay should be shorter than one month. This call covers research visits during from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2009.
The main applicant should have a Ph.D. and should be employed at a Swedish university or research institute when the application is submitted. The university or the institute in Sweden should administer the grant.
The project should have a co-applicant (also a Ph.D.), employed by the host organization, who will actively participate in the research. The name, role and CV of the co-applicant have to be given in the application. One short visit (maximum two months) in Sweden for the co-applicant can be included in the project.
A research plan should be included in the application. The research plan should be made in cooperation with the co-applicant. It should describe the rationale for the project and present the theoretical framework and the state of the art in the international literature. Key references should be included. The methodology should be outlined and costs specified. The importance of the project for sustainable development in developing countries should be explained. The research plan including key references must not exceed five pages.
Valid major costs are those related to the Swedish applicant, i.e. salary during the visit in the host country, traveling from and back to Sweden, accommodation and subsistence allowance in the host country. Other research-related costs in the host country may also be applied for, e.g. occasional labor, material, analyses and traveling. The CGIAR institutes are expected not to require bench fee. Salary for the co-applicant from the host organization cannot be included. However, costs (travel, accommodation and subsistence allowance) for one visit in Sweden may be applied for. A normal application should not exceed 350 000 SEK per year, the university overhead of 35 percent not included.
Applications should be submitted digitally. The last day for submitting the applications is 2 April 2007.
An authorized representative of the host organization should provide a letter of invitation that affirms that the main applicant from Sweden is welcome to perform the intended joint research and that the necessary facilities are in place. This letter of invitation should be submitted with the digital application, but a signed version should also without delay be sent to Formas by ordinary mail. The reception of this signed version, at the latest on 2 May 2007, is provisional for the final approval of the application.
An expert panel appointed by Formas, including also Sida/SAREC representation, will evaluate the applications. The Board of Formas will make the final decision on funding in June 2007.
More information at: http://www.formas.se/formas_templates/Page____3270.aspx