Bilateral Scientific Cooperation Program

Between Flanders and Ecuador – 2014

Call for Bilateral Research Projects

THIS CALL IS ISSUED AS OF MARCH 21, 2014

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS IS JULY 1, 2014,

23h59, ECUADOR TIME; THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS

17h00, BRUSSELS TIME, THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS

The Republic of Ecuador and Flanders announce a call for bilateral research projects under the bilateral agreement to fund basic research in the thematic areas given in this document. The purpose of the joint program is to generate fundamental research leading to new knowledge in the chosen field, increase the competence of researchers in both countries and promote international collaboration. Duration of projects is limited to 2 years.

JointFundingOrganizations: Secretaría Nacional de Educación Superior, Ciencia y Tecnología

(SENESCyT), Ecuador and Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO), Flanders

The purpose of SENESCyT is to increase human capacity through research, innovation and technology transfer. SENESCyT governs the principles of and is the steward for public policy related to higher education, scientific research, technology innovation, and ancestral knowledge. The organization coordinates activities between the Executive Branch and higher education to strengthen academic and social productivity. SENESCyT develops, implements, and evaluates projects, programs and policies undertaken in science, technology and ancestral knowledge by promoting innovation and technology transfer. SENESCyT promotes collaboration between higher education, science, technology and ancestral knowledge at national and international levels through projects and projects in strategic areas that contribute to the country’s development in a knowledge-based society.

The Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) is the agency that supports ground-breaking fundamental research at the universities of the Flemish Community. FWO stimulates international collaboration and promotes mobility in all scientific domains by a bottom-up approach. By investing in bilateral research agreements with several partner countries all over the world, FWO gives researchers the opportunity to gain experience in international research groups, to share knowledge in international networks and scientific research communities and obtain an international profile.

Rationale for the Call

Multi-national, multi-cultural research involving cross-discipline collaboration is now the global norm and helps to insure that knowledge translation/transfer and capacities are increased for all participants. Fundamental scientific research is focused on expanding knowledge about human beings and their environment. As the level of knowledge of our society grows, so does the quality of life in general.With this in mind, FWO and SENESCyT are committed to funding cross border, fundamental scientific research that will lead to a better understanding of Earth’s systems that impact on human development and quality of life while respecting the sovereignty of the natural environment and aboriginal peoples. Moreover, fundamental science has the potential for providing the evidence needed to inform sound policy development.

Objectives of the Call

This Call strives to generate rigidly obtained scientific knowledge in the thematic areas as given in this document and should include aspects of the following:

new, fundamental scientific knowledge
increase the capabilities of the research teams and their institutions
improve networks between collaborating and other institutions in Flanders and Ecuador
produce knowledge that has the potential to inform policy – this point is central only to SENESCyT in order to comply with the Republic of Ecuador policy objectives

Acceptable Thematic Areas

The Bilateral Research Projects should meet rigorous scientific standards and must satisfy requirements for both funding agencies.

Only the following thematic areas are eligible for funding:

natural sciences; Earth sciences, agriculture, biology, chemistry, physics
climate change adaptation
engineering, material sciences, and agricultural engineering
interdisciplinary studies; environmental sciences, biodiversity, sustainability
mathematics and computer & information sciences
health & nutritional sciences
social sciences
humanities

Funding, Project Duration and Indicative Timeline

Program funding is supplied equally by Ecuador and Flanders. Project length cannot exceed 2 years. Applicants in Flanders and Ecuadorcan both apply for a maximum of €70,000/annumto their respective council, for a total of €140,000 each for 2 years, depending on the workload and proposal details.It is very importance that the budget
request is fully justified and well motivated in the proposal. Continued funding is contingent on budgetary constraints according to country rule within Flanders and Ecuador.

What Funding Will Support

The allowances are awarded exclusively for the execution of research projects approved by both the FWO and SENESCyT, hence the supervisors shall use the allowances exclusively for this purpose. As soon as their use no longer meets this requirement, the allowances - or their balances - shall return to FWO and SENESCyT. Cost categories that are allowed include:

project staff salaries as per institutional norms

equipment dedicated to producing results that are not already available within the institute
travel, accommodation and meals as per institute/government norms for visiting and host research staff
collection and interpretation of data
communication, publication fees and costs for dissemination of results including community, local and regional meeting/workshops

Evaluation Criteria

Scientific Level of the Research Team
mobility profile for members of the research team and network
scientific outputs of the candidates (publications, workshops, conferences, student supervision, past project collaboration)
current level/position of the candidates career
do the results have the potential to inform future policy in Ecuador, will they lead to new knowledge that can strengthen Governmental programs, are stakeholder engagement and sustainability considered, will they add value across disciplines and regions? These criteria will only be applied in Ecuador to satisfy the requirements of SENESCyT and the Republic of Ecuador; FWO has no stipulations for these criteria.

Research quality
does the research team have the ability to complete the work as planned?
is the methodology sound and state-of-the-art?
does the research model take into consideration cross-disciplinary and cross-regional aspects?. These criteria will only be applied in Ecuador to satisfy the requirements of SENESCyT and the Republic of Ecuador; FWO has no stipulations for these criteria.
is the research focused towards the goals of the project?
is the research original and innovative?
does the research meet national and international criteria of excellence?

Project management
are collaboration, overlap, coordination, and roles & responsibilities clearly defined?
is there a well-defined framework for knowledge sharing between collaborators and stakeholders (where applicable)? This criterion will only be applied in Ecuador to satisfy the requirements of SENESCyT and the Republic of Ecuador; FWO has no stipulations for this criterion.
is there a clear self-monitoring and evaluation plan built into the project?

Timeliness and feasibility
can the proposed work be completed within the prescribed time and budget?
is the workload realistic for the number of proponents?
what is the potential for value for money?

Proposal Format and Submission Process

The joint research teams from Flanders and Ecuador will submit one identical scientific research project. Applications should be submitted simultaneously to FWO and SENESCyT. Applications that were not received on both sides will be declared ineligible. Please take into account that the Ecuadorian researchers must submit toSENESCyT and hereby respecting the forms and regulations of SENESCyT and that the Flemish researchers must submit using the online submission tool of FWO, respecting the regulations of FWO. However, the scientific component, the workplan and the title of the project should be identical on both sides!

Each institution will appoint a Principal Investigator (PI). The funding agencies will communicate application decisions and queries through the PI. The PI will be responsible for submitting interim reports and the final project findings to the funding agencies.

Submission Process for the Ecuadorian Research Partner:

In Ecuador, application must be submitted electronically in English at http://www.educacionsuperior.gob.ec/institutos-publicos-de-investigacion/. Successful candidates will be asked to translate the proposal into Española after Dec. 1, 2014. The scientific part, the work plan and the title of the project should be identical on both sides!

Additional Permissions Required form Ecuadorian Partners

In the case of certain projects types (e.g., biodiversity) the Republic of Ecuador requires researchers to obtain permission to carry out research from the Ministry of the Environment. Ecuadorian researchers should start this process at the time of submission of proposals in July, 2014 so that all required permissions are granted prior to the start date of January 1, 2015. The following documents may be required, REQUISITOS PARA INVESTIGACIÓN EN FAUNA Y FLORA SILVESTRE. This permission is only required if the research deals with biodiversity or plans to collect samples of flora or fauna. Please check with the Ministry of the Environment as soon as projects are submitted (July 1, 2014).

Formatting Proposals Using Results Chain Model for Ecuadorian Partners

Successful applicants will be asked to convert proposals into results chain (logic model) format between the time the projects are approved and the 2rd month of implementation.

Cautions for the Ecuadorian Side

Ecuadorian partners are cautions to make sure that all document for collaborative research between Ecuadorian institutions are completed (e.g., letter so intent, up to date formats, within given time limits, properly signed, et.c,). NOT having these documents properly completed, or being late, will result in applications being withdrawn. PLEASE start this process well in advance of the project submission deadline. A checklist of required documents can be found with the online submission.

Submission Process for the Flemish Research Partner:

In Flanders, applications must be submitted electronically by the online tool e-loket ( scientific part, the workplan and the title of the project should be identical on both sides!

External Peer Review

The application will be peer reviewed on both sides following FWO’s and SENESCyT’s respective peer review procedures.

At FWO the candidates must propose 10 external referees for the external peer review procedure. Please thoroughly check the FWO Regulations on Internal and External Peer Review to see who is eligible as a referee at Noncompliance with these regulations will cause your application to be declared ineligible.

In Ecuador, an external committee comprised of Prometeo’s (from similar fields as thematic areas chosen by the candidates) and other experts will review the submissions.

Evaluation by Joint Expert Panel

Following the external peer review process, the proposals will be evaluated by a joint multidisciplinary Panel consisting of an equal number of experts from Flanders and Ecuador. The joint panel will meet in Ecuador in mid-November/2014. The joint panel will rank the proposals based on the selection criteria mentioned above and the input received from the international peers. Successful research projects will be informed on December 1, 2014