Biosciences aand Environmental Research (Academy of Finland, JSPS)
The Academy of Finland and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) launch a joint call with a view to promoting Finnish-Japanese research in the field of biosciences and environmental research.
The thematic area of the call covers the following research fields: biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, ecology, biosystematics and biophysiology, forest sciences, food sciences, research into substances hazardous to the environment, research relating to the state of the environment and to environmental protection, geography and regional studies, and research relating to environmental policy, environmental economy and environmental law.
The aim is to support high-standard, long-term and systematic Finnish-Japanese research collaboration that will promote the creation and strengthening of research collaboration networks between the two countries.
This joint call is arranged every two years and the theme is different for each call, so that all research fields will be covered during four successive calls.
Funding
In this call, funding is granted to no more than four two-year joint projects. The funding is intended towards the salaries of the researchers (only in Finland), researcher mobility, the acquisition of material and research equipment (a maximum of EUR 5,000), other costs (e.g. arranging research workshops and seminars), indirect employee costs, and overheads. The Academy can grant a Finnish research team a maximum of EUR 120,000/project/year, that is, a total of EUR 240,000 for a two-year project.
Funding period
The joint projects are funded for two years. The funding period can start in April 2012–March 2013.
Review of applications
The applications are reviewed in accordance with the Academy’s and JSPS’ own procedures; for the Academy’s part, this means international peer review. The evaluation criteria are:
- scientific quality and innovativeness of the research plan
- significance of the project for the thematic area of the call
- added value generated by Finnish-Japanese research collaboration
- feasibility of the research plan
- scientific merits and results of the Finnish and Japanese researchers/research teams
- applicability of research results.
Joint research plan to national funding agencies
The application shall contain a joint research plan by the Finnish research team and the Japanese research team. The plan shall include a clear description of the planned research collaboration (distribution of work and methods of implementation) and the added value expected from the collaboration. The plan shall also include a joint budget and separate budgets for both partners. The partners shall apply for funding for their own projects from their national funding agencies. Finnish applicants applying for funding from the Academy shall follow the Academy’s general application guidelines. Japanese researchers apply for funding from the JSPS in accordance with JSPS guidelines. The Academy advises applicants to make sure that their partner is eligible to apply for funding from the JSPS. The submission deadline is the same in both countries but the Japanese researchers shall check the internal deadline for submitting applications at their university or research institute.
Appendices
Obligatory appendices:
- research plan (individual applications no more than 12 pages, consortium applications no more than 15 pages), including:
- clear description of the planned research and research collaboration (distribution of work and methods of implementation) and the added value to be expected from the collaboration
- joint budget of the project and separate budgets for both partners
- justification for the funding applied for
- description of researcher training to be carried out within the project
- mobility plan detailing the research project’s national and international mobility during the funding period, describing the involvement of foreign researchers in the project, and explaining how the project intends to transcend international, national, institutional and public/private-sector boundaries
- curriculum vitae for the Finnish applicant, no more than four pages, and curriculum vitae for the Japanese partner, no more than four pages
- lists of publications of the Finnish applicant and the Japanese partner. Clearly indicate the ten most important publications (in both lists) in terms of the research plan.
Case-specific appendices:
- invitation from foreign university or research institute, if the research or part of it will be conducted abroad
- statement by an ethics committee or the Committee on Animal Experimentation (if relevant). The ethical aspects shall always be specified in the research plan.
- statement by a Strategic Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation, confirming that the applicant is affiliated with the Strategic Centre and justifying the significance of the project for the Strategic Centre’s operations
- progress report on all Academy-funded research projects headed by the applicant that have not submitted final reports.
Only the requested appendices are appended to the application. The appendices shall be drafted in accordance with the Academy’s guidelines, see Appendices on the Academy’s website. The appendices are drafted in the same language as the application and appended to the application in the online services under “Appendices”. The only exception is the curriculum vitae, which is appended under “Personal data/CV”.
How to apply
In this call, the costs of the Finnish research project are calculated according to the full cost model. The costs of the Japanese partner are indicated only in the research plan (section 5, Implementation). Applications shall be written so as to ensure that the Academy’s contribution to funding comes to no more than 80% of the estimated total costs of the Finnish project. See guidelines on how to enter the costs in the application on the Academy’s website under Full cost model.
The deadline for applications submitted to the Academy is 30 September 2011 at 16.15. The deadline is non-negotiable. Applications are drafted in the Academy’s online services, select Open calls > Joint project call: biosciences and environmental research (Academy of Finland, JSPS).
Japanese partners submit their applications to the JSPS in accordance with JSPS guidelines.
More information
- Senior Science Adviser Tiina Petänen (Biosciences and Environment Research Unit), tel. +358 9 7748 8263
- Science Adviser Ulla Ellmén (International Relations Unit), tel. +358 9 7748 8256
JSPS
Updated according to September call 2011