Funding for Coordination and Networking/Support Activities in Svalbard (Svalbard Strategic Grant)
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Important dates
01 May 2021
Earliest permitted project start
01 Oct 2021
Latest permitted project start
30 Sep 2023
Latest permitted project completion
Important dates
Purpose
Svalbard Science Forum allocates funding for cooperation activities that contribute to increased scientific quality in Svalbard research. Funding is available for workshops and collaborative activities to enhance international and inter-disciplinary cooperation, initiate pilot studies, planning of larger projects and to stimulate to open sharing of data.
The main priority of this call is to support network projects and workshops that promote the strategic objectives of Svalbard Science Forum, enhanced coordination and collaborative efforts in research activities and initiation of pilot studies and/or planning of large projects and applications.
About the call for proposals
Svalbard Science Forum allocates funding for activities that contribute to increased scientific quality in Svalbard research, and/or activities which contribute to put Svalbard research in a larger pan-Arctic perspective.
The funding is to support network projects and workshops that promote the strategic objectives of Svalbard Science Forum: enhanced coordination and collaborative efforts in research activities, open sharing of data, initiation of pilot studies and/or planning of large projects and applications.
Priority in this call will be given to activities that contribute to:
- develop existing, or establish new, scientific cooperation projects in Svalbard
- developing the existing four Ny-Ålesund flagship programs
- increase mobility between research localities in Svalbard (Longyearbyen, Ny-Ålesund, Barentsburg and Hornsund)
- workshops to be held back-to-back to the Svalbard Science Conference, 2 and 3 November 2021
- put Svalbard research in a larger pan-Arctic and global perspective
- Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) data management compliant with Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS)
- develop sustainable cooperation under the auspices of SIOS
Workshops and other activities that would benefit from a training module on data management, will be considered for additional funding from SIOS.
This call is only available in English.
Who is eligible to apply?
The grant application must be submitted by a Norwegian organisation that is on the RCN list of approved research organisations. This organisation will have the economic and scientific responsibility for the project.
All projects that receive funding must be registered in the Research in Svalbard portal (RiS).
Who can participate in the project?
Project responsible organisation
The project responsible organisation must be an approved Norwegian research organisation.
Project partners
Workshop(s) do not require project partners, but all Svalbard research parties relevant to the workshop(s) must be invited.
Network projects must include international collaboration with minimum two different partner institutions, of which one party is a Norwegian research organisation and one non-Norwegian party. The project must involve scientists from at least two of the four permanent research locations in Svalbard (Longyearbyen, Ny-Ålesund, Barentsburg, Hornsund), and should involve representatives from as many research organisations as relevant.
What can you seek funding for?
Svalbard Strategic Grant provides seed money for cooperation/network projects and workshops.
Network projects
The network projects should be designed to enhance international and inter-disciplinary cooperation. Such activities can include the initiation of pilot studies, planning of larger projects or projects that stimulate open sharing of data. The funding provides support for travel, living expenses, costs for installations and material, running expenses during testing and limited salary cost.
Workshops
Svalbard Strategic Grant also provides funding for workshops as part of such collaborative efforts. The funding provides support for direct costs related to travel (included travel costs for workshop participants), living expenses, rent of meeting venues, room and board, limited cost for installation and material and reporting/organisational costs related to networking, collaboration and/or workshops.
A maximum of NOK 250 000 can be applied for to cover direct costs related to one single workshop including organising and reporting. A grant application may include up to two workshops within a maximum of NOK 500 000. The second workshop should then be a follow-up of the first. The grant application must state why the second workshop is necessary.
Workshops must be related to research in Svalbard or contribute to connecting Svalbard research to a pan-Arctic perspective. Representatives from all relevant research locations and organisations active in Svalbard should be invited. Due to environmental concerns, Svalbard should only be chosen as a location for the workshop if it has direct relevance to the workshop and is essential for its outcome.
It is possible to apply for workshops/meetings to be held immediately post or prior to the Svalbard Science Conference in Oslo in November 2021. The workshops/meetings must be held at the same or a nearby location to the conference.
Additional funding from SIOS
Workshops and other activities that would benefit from a training module on data management, will be considered for additional funding from SIOS.
This support is up to NOK 50 000 for one additional day dedicated to the theme "Data management as a tool for scientists", at a funded Svalbard Strategic Grant workshop or other collaborative activity. The aim is to make scientists familiar with the concepts of data management, discuss opportunities and challenges and develop skills to plan, collect and prepare their data in such a way that they easily can be deposited in data centres and preserved for the future. The programme will be developed in cooperation between the SIOS Data Management and the applicant in order to streamline the content to the needs of the participants.
Download the SIOS-dokument Workshop module “Data management as a tool for scientists”.
All workshops/events must include a dedicated session focusing on how to achieve SSFs strategic objectives through the workshop.
The SSF secretariat has the right to attend all funded workshops with one representative and have the option of bringing a second representative from the RCN at its own cost.
The funding can be used over two and a half years and must be used by 1 October 2023.
Scientific articles and research data
All projects must be registered and updated in the Research in Svalbard (RiS) portal. When relevant: a description of the data (metadata) must be uploaded to the portal http://www.researchinsvalbard.no/ as part of the report.
Research results are to be made accessible through sharing and publication in accordance with the Research Council's Policy on Open Science.
Reporting and disbursement of funding
The funding will be disbursed in accordance with the accrued budget.
The project is required to submit a progress report annually.
The project owner must submit a final academic report in accordance with the RCN template for final report. The academic report will, after approval, be made available online at SSF's webpage.
Relevant thematic areas for this call
Climate and polar research
Practical information
Requirements for this application type
The application must meet the following requirements, otherwise it might be rejected.:
- The Project Owner and the Project Manager must be within the categories set out in this call.
- The grant application must lie within the scope of this call.
- The amount sought, and any own financing must be in accordance with the requirements set out in this call.
- The budget must be filled in correctly so that it is clear what the amount sought will cover.
- The grant application must be completed in full.
- All attachments must be submitted, using the correct templates.
- The project description must respond to the call.
- The grant application, including all attachments, must be submitted in English.
- All attachments must be uploaded in PDF format.
- The applicant must fill in all relevant sections in the template for project description.
Mandatory templates
- Complete project description (the template at the end of the call must be used)
- CVs of the project manager and partners/members of the project group (the template at the end of the call must be used)
Assessment criteria
Grant applications will be assessed in relation to the following criteria:
Excellence
• The extent to which the concept is sound, credible and novel.
Solidity
• The extent to which the project objectives are clear and relevant.
• The quality of the proposed deliverables from the project.
Impact
• The extent to which the expected effects are specified.
• The extent to which expected impacts on the system and societal levels are specified.
Knowledge sharing and exploitation
• The quality of the proposed communication and dissemination activities.
• The extent to which it is credible that the proposed outputs will contribute to the specified effects and impact.
Implementation
• The extent to which the Project Manager and project group are qualified and have the necessary expertise and are positioned to implement the project.
• The extent to which management structures and procedures are appropriate.
Plans and management
• The extent to which the work plan is clear and understandable, and the time table realistic
• The extent to which objectives and measures are coherent.
• The extent to which the project has the support of the leadership of the Project Owner and any partners, and the allocation of roles in the project is clear.
• The extent to which the budget is realistic and appropriate, and resources are allocated so that each of the partners can fulfil their role.
• The extent to which potential risks have been discussed.
Applications will be processed administratively by a panel composed of in-house staff plus external expert(s) with extensive experience from Svalbard. Regular allocation meetings will be held until the funding is distributed. The final funding decision is made by the Research Council of Norway's administration.
Funding from SIOS will be processed administratively by SIOS.
The reporting deadline is three months after the project period has ended or after the (last) workshop/event.
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Messages at time of print 8 December 2024, 10:09 CET