[NSERC] G8 Research Councils Initiative on Multilateral Research Funding

G8 Research Councils Initiative on Multilateral Research Funding

The Heads of the Research Councils of the G8 states (G8-HORCs) have established a multilateral funding initiative to create a new framework for conducting international research. The initiative aims at supporting excellent research on topics of global relevance which can best be tackled by a multinational approach. Participating agencies are:
• Canada – Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
• France – Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR)
• Germany – German Research Foundation (DFG)
• Japan – Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
• Russia – Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR)
• United Kingdom – Research Councils of the United Kingdom (RCUK)
• United States – National Science Foundation (NSF)

This initiative is aimed at supporting excellent research on topics of global relevance which can best be tackled by a multinational approach. Funding should help researchers to cooperate in consortia consisting of at least three partners from three of the participating countries.

For the Funding Agencies, this gives an unprecedented opportunity to work together across a broad range of disciplines and practice joint funding activities, hoping for increasing compatibility in their funding instruments to allow this kind of science-driven funding without burdening researchers with too much bureaucracy. Finding optimal ways for the Funding Agencies to fund excellent research multilaterally will be of primary importance for this initiative.

Research Priority Area:

Interdisciplinary Program on Material Efficiency – A first step towards sustainable manufacturing

This call for proposals aims to support collaborations between experts in research areas related to the global challenge of materials efficiency to address one or more of the following seven potential strategies for reducing material demand through material efficiency:
• longer-lasting products;
• modularization and re-manufacturing;
• component re-use and re-cycling;
• designing products with less material
• rethinking products and their use(s);
• redesigning the manufacturing processes; and/or
• replacement of scarce and expensive elements, notably those critical for energy applications.

The call will support interdisciplinary projects with the potential of creating a step change in the approach taken towards the sustainable use of material resources and the contribution and impact that this will have upon the wider cradle-to-cradle design and manufacturing principles.

Within its scope, the call includes the entirety of the industrial system – from material extraction to supply chains, logistics, manufacturing, and distribution – and recognizes the global nature of that system. Proposals are expected to show how they address this global approach in a synergistic way and to justify the need for the international collaboration proposed. The call emphasizes the potential future role of manufacturing in supporting a sustainable global economy, and encompasses all parts of the materials hierarchy.

The collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of the call is expected to encourage proposals that bring different sets of knowledge together in a concerted effort toward solving a problem. Proposals that focus on basic materials science or current manufacturing processes in isolation are unlikely to meet the requirements.

Requirements:
• Each consortium must consist of at least one academic participant (Partner Principal Investigator or Applicant) from a minimum of three different countries represented by the participating Funding Agencies.
• Consortium partners should identify a Leading Principal Investigator (LPI) for each proposal for application, management and communication purposes. The LPI is officially responsible for all communications with the Call Secretariat, including the submission of the Pre-proposal and, if invited to do so, the Full Proposal.
• All Applicants must fulfill national eligibility rules for research grant applications as set by their respective Funding Agencies. At NSERC, refer to the Eligibility Criteria – For Faculty and the List of Eligible Institutions – Canadian Universities section.
• More than one partner from each country is possible in each consortium. However, consortia should aim for a balanced geographical contribution to the research project.
• Researchers from countries not represented by any of the Funding Agencies can participate in the research project at their own expense.

Value of Funding:

The total budget for this call is approximately 10 million € over three years (each partner Principal Investigators can receive approximately 100,000 €, or equivalent, per year). Funding can be provided for projects lasting for two or three years. It is expected that 8-10 research consortia will be funded in this call. It is anticipated that awards will be made by May 2012.
Critical Dates and Information:

Application to this program involves a two-step process. The first step will require the consortia to submit a Pre-Proposal using the forms provided by the Call Secretariat. If invited forward to the final step, submission of a Full Proposal,

September 23, 2011: Internal Deadline for completed Pre-Proposals. Please submit the following to Mike Folinas, m.folinas@utoronto.ca.

• Completed electronic application package, which includes an Application form for Pre-Proposal 2011 and Form 100 – Personal Data Form.
• An RIS Application Form, signed by your Chair and/or Dean (as your unit’s policies determine) is required before your application can be approved by Research Services.

September 30, 2011: NSERC’s Deadline
• Firm and Final Deadline: Your Pre-Proposal MUST be submitted online no later than 12 pm JST on September 30, 2011 (sooner if possible)
Contact Information:

Your OVPR Contact for the G8 Research Councils Initiative is Mike Folinas, Research Services Office (Tel. 416-978-7118, Email. m.folinas@utoronto.ca)

Your NSERC Contact for the G8 Research Councils Initiatives is the Call Secretariat and can be reached by email (G8initiative@nserc-crsng.gc.ca)

Additional information on this initiative can be found on the NSERC website.

Mike Folinas
Research Funding Manager
Natural Science and Engineering
Agency & Foundation Funding
Office of the Vice President, Research
University of Toronto
McMurrich Building - 3rd floor
12 Queen's Park Crescent West
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1S8
Tel. 416-978-7118 Fax. 416-971-2010
Website: http://www.research.utoronto.ca/