Mechanisms for the implementation of a joint Developing Country call in the ERA-net BiodivERsA

Abstract

One of the aims of the BiodivERsA ERA-net (Work Package 4) is to develop a “common call in an appropriate area of biodiversity research in collaboration with developing countries”. In this report the development of procedures for a developing country call is described. The procedures and documents were not finalized because the funding was too limited to run the call. The technical documents were based on those developed for the first call in BiodivERsA, the “Pan-European Call”. The considerations regarding the specific needs in the procedures for a call targeting the research community in Africa, which was selected as the geographical focus for the call, are described. Annexes I-IV contain some of the documents in a draft version. The most important results and conclusions from this report are: • Criteria and procedures for the evaluation of proposals were described to ensure that i) science and policy aspects were both addressed separately, ii) development relevance was addressed specifically, iii) added value was addressed and described specifically, iv) budget considerations were included and v) ranking procedures were transparent and allowed differentiation among good proposals. • An important aim and added value of such a call should be the creation of new partnerships and the enlargement of existing networks. These aims should be reflected in the technical procedures of a call as for example as i) ensuring a suitable balance among partner countries in the research consortia, ii) a two-stage application process preferable to a one-stage process and iii) possibility to arrange partnering workshop. • To be able to fund DC partners some form of “common pot” would be a large advantage and should preferable be developed / agreed upon at an early stage of call development and financial negotiations. Complementary to a common pot, common rules on subcontracting should be developed to facilitate the funding of DC partners