Financing institutuion:

National Science Centre

Subject of the competition:

The National Science Centre (NCN) in cooperation with the European Biodiversity Partnership (Biodiversa+) has announced a call for transnational, interdisciplinary research projects in the field of biodiversity conservation science.

Purposes of the Call:

• promoting nature-based solutions and the integration of these solutions into policy-making at local, regional and national levels;
• supporting research to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms affecting nature-based solutions and their successful implementation with respect to the benefits for nature, human well-being and societal transformation;
• educating and involving the public in measures to protect the environment and biodiversity.

Proposals should address one or more of the 3 following themes:

1. Synergies and trade-offs of Nature-Based solutions in the context of human well-being.
2. Nature-Based solutions mitigating anthropogenic drivers of biodiversity loss.
3. The contribution of Nature-Based solutions for just transformative change.

Terms and conditions of the application procedure are available on the websites of:

• BiodivERsA+ Partnership: https://www.biodiversa.eu/2023/06/05/2023-2024-joint-call/
• the National Science Centre: https://www.ncn.gov.pl/ogloszenia/konkursy/biodiversa-plus-2023  
• The Research Support Centre: www.cwn.uj.edu.pl →  “Open calls”  →  “Open calls of other institutions - international”

Information on drawing up proposals:

• Research projects may be planned in the call for a period of 36 months.
• Both the minimum and maximum amount of funding are not specified (costs must be justified in relation to the subject and scope of research).
• Funding proposals may be submitted by international consortia composed of at least 3 and from at least 3 countries participating in the call. The principal investigator of the Polish research team must hold at least a PhD degree.

Countries participating in the call: 

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, Canada (Québec), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey.

Requirements for the principal investigator:

• the principal investigator must hold at least a PhD degree.
• a person named as the principal investigator in an NCN proposal under the CHANSE call must not be planned for a research activity in any proposal which has been submitted to the MINIATURA call and for which the funding decision has not yet become final.
• The principal investigator in a national proposal in the BIODIVERSA+ call must not be a person for whom, on the last day of submitting proposals, the total number of ongoing NCN projects and proposals recommended for funding or being under evaluation at the NCN is greater than or equal to 3 (excluding proposals submitted or projects funded under: PRELUDIUM BIS and DISCOURI).
• The principal investigator may only be employed over the entire course of the project’s implementation at the entity planned as the host entity, pursuant to a contract of employment for at least half time of the full-time work.
• The project’s principal investigator shall spend at least 50% of the project’s time on the territory of the Republic of Poland, and shall be available for the project’s host entity. This requirement does not apply to travel documented by business trips directly related to the implemented project as well as holidays, time off work and other absences from work regulated by generally applicable regulations.

Terms of funding:

• Under the BIODIVERSA+ call, funds can be applied for to cover salaries for members of the research team, salaries and scholarships for students and PhD students, purchase or manufacturing of research equipment and other costs crucial to the research project.
• The budget for the Polish research team in the joint proposal must be the consistent with the budget in the national proposal in the OSF submission system.
• A purchase of a qualified electronic signature should be included in the project’s budget under direct costs, amounting ca. PLN 370 (a signature valid 2 years + validity extension kit valid 2 years). 
• The EUR budget of the Polish part of the project in the joint proposal must be calculated according to the following exchange rate: 1 EUR = 4.7728 PLN.
• Indirect costs may not exceed 20% of direct costs.
• Additionally, indirect costs of up to 2% of direct costs may be spent on open access to publications and research data. When the project is carried out, the host institution must arrange with the principal investigator for the distribution of at least 25% of the indirect costs’ value. Please include these costs in the planned budget in the maximum.

Basic data of the entity (JU) required for the completion of the proposal are available on the website of the RSC: https://cwn.uj.edu.pl/projekty/dla-wnioskujacych/dokumenty  

Rules, deadlines and form of submitting proposals:

• international level: 

an Outline Proposal is prepared by the Polish research teams in cooperation with the international partners and submitted by the Project Leader on behalf of the international consortium. PLEASE NOTE: At this stage, Polish applicants submit no documents to the NCN. We recommend that Polish applicants consult the budget table with the NCN, as the budgets prepared at this stage are binding for joint full proposals.

1. Submission deadline for joint pre-proposals in the EPSS submission system: 10 November 2023 (3:00 p.m. CET).
2. Submission deadline for joint full proposals in the EPSS submission system:  9 April 2024 15:00 CET
3. Submission deadline for NCN proposals in OSF submission system: 16 April 2024 (4 p.m. CEST).

• national level:

Preparation by the Polish research team of a national proposal for the Polish part of the project, which should be submitted to the NCN in electronic form via the OSF system within 7 days after the deadline for submitting joint full proposals at international level. 

PLEASE NOTE: The information provided in national proposals and in joint proposals must be consistent. Joint proposals annexed to domestic proposals must be consistent with joint proposals submitted at international level.

JU internal regulations: 

Pursuant to the Ordinance no. 129 by JU Rector of 10 November 2022 on: The procedure for drawing up and implementing projects funded from external sources at Jagiellonian University and hiring and rewarding personnel of the project persons interested in entering the call (not applicable with JU MC) are asked to deliver to the RSC: 

• by 2 November 2023 
• sending a joint proposal to the address of the call assistant at the RSC along with the project budget for formal verification; 
• a Research Project Entry Form and a VAT Eligibility Form filled out in the electronic system JU Project Zone at: https://strefaprojektow.uj.edu.pl/
•  
• If the proposal is qualified for the second stage, please contact with the call assistant at RSC, who will set with the author/project principal investigator the deadlines for submitting subsequent project documents resulting from the qualification of the proposal for the second stage of the call.  

Dodatkowe informacje:

RSC Information