Biodiversa+: Nature-Based Solutions for Biodiversity, Human Well-being and Transformative Change - BiodivNBS

1. OBJECTIVES

The BiodivNBS Call aims at supporting research on biodiversity to gain a better understanding of the tipping points and trade-offs and underlying mechanisms affecting Nature Based Solutions, and their successful implementation with respect to the benefits for nature, human well-being and societal transformation. The three main themes of the Call are:

• Synergies and trade-offs of nature-based solutions in the context of human well-being
• Nature-Based solutions mitigating anthropogenic drivers of biodiversity loss
• The contribution of nature-based solutions for just transformative change

These call themes are overlapping and non-exclusive, and each project may address one or several themes, noting that the role of biodiversity shall underpin the research in all themes. Also, the call covers transnational, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral research on Nature-based Solutions in all parts of the world and all realms (i.e. terrestrial, marine, coastal, and freshwater) are eligible.

Please refer to the BiodivNBS Call Text for detailed descriptions of the research themes.

2. CHARACTERISTICS

The maximum amount to be awarded for Québec teams is $100,000 CAD per year up to a maximum of 3 years. This grant is non-renewable.

Indirect costs of research (ICR) will be paid to managing institutions. The ICR will equal 27% of the grant awarded and will be in addition to the grant amount.

3. ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible, proposals must meet all of the criteria described below. Any proposal that does not meet these requirements will be considered as not eligible.

3.1. Biodiversa Call Eligibility

For this Call, research consortia must include teams from at least:

• Three countries financially participating in the call.
• Two of these countries must be from the EU Member States or EU Associated Countries.

Please visit the Biodiversa Partner Search Tool to find potential partners for your projects.

The BiodivNBS Call Text outlines other eligibility criteria for all projects and teams. Please read these eligibility requirements carefully.

3.2. FRQNT Eligibility Requirements

Only researchers affiliated with Quebec university establishments recognized by the FRQ are eligible to apply for funding from the FRQNT. Quebec applicants must comply with the following eligibility requirements in effect at the time of application for funding and for the duration of the grant:

Principal Investigator

The principal investigator (PI) from Québec will be in charge of managing the funding provided by the FRQNT. To be eligible for funding, the Québec PI must:

• Meet Research Status 1(i) (university researcher) as defined in the CGR, and
• Be from a research area covered by the FRQNT.

Contracted researchers who meet the CGR’s Status 1(i) definition and hold a non-tenure track position at their university are eligible as a PI; however, a letter must be provided from the academic institutions indicating that the researcher in question will maintain this status throughout the duration of the grant. Retired researchers are not eligible to act as a PI.

Team composition

The Québec team must include at least:

• One eligible PI, AND
• One co-investigator that is a university researcher (Status 1(i), as defined in the CGR)

These two researchers must be from a research area covered by the FRQNT.

Co-investigators (CI)

To be eligible as a co-investigator (CI), the researcher must meet Status 1, 2 or 3, as defined in the CGR.  A CI can be from a research area covered by the FRQNT, FRQSC, or FRQS.

CIs may be working under contract or retired, provided that 1) they have an affiliation with a university that allows them to supervise students on their own, and 2) a letter is provided by the academic institutions indicating that the researcher(s) in question will maintain their status throughout the duration of the grant. Retired college researchers are not eligible for this program.

Collaborators

Any person meeting Status 1 to 4 as defined in the CGR may join the team as a collaborator.

4. APPLICATION

4.1  Submission via the Biodiversa+ Electronic Proposal Submission System (EPSS)

The Biodiversa+ Call includes a two-step process, and all applicants must submit proposals via the Biodiversa+ EPSS :

• Step 1: Pre-proposals by November 10, 2023 at 9 am Eastern Time (ET)
• Step 2: Invited applicants will be invited to submit full proposals by April 9, 2024

Please refer to the BiodivNBS Call Text for complete information regarding the submission of proposals via the EPSS.

4.2. Submission via the FRQnet Electronic Portfolio for Québec applicants

In addition to completing the application process as described in the BiodivNBS Call Text, a separate, simplified pre-proposal must be created in the FRQnet Electronic Portfolio by November 10, 2023 at 4 pm (ET). Please note the following instructions regarding the FRQnet pre-proposal:

• All Quebec PIs and CIs and must create and/or update their user profile in the FRQnet Electronic Portfolio.
• Québec PIs must create and complete a simplified pre-proposal form available in FRQnet Electronic Portfolio and submit it by November 10, 2023 at 4 pm (ET).
• In this form, Québec applicants will be asked to provide information, in French, such as:

–   Project title

–    Abstract

–    Budget summary

–    Team members: The PI must complete and submit the FRQNT version of the Canadian Common CV (CCV) and detailed contributions. CIs must complete the CCV in the version the FRQ corresponding to their field of research, such as FRQNT, FRQSC or FRQS. These documents must be updated as of June 2022. No CCV is requested for collaborators.

For complete instructions regarding the CCV, please consult the documents Instructions for detailed contributions and the Canadian Common CV – FRQNT and the Presentation Standards for files (PDF) attached to FRQnet forms. Both documents are found in the “Portal Access” section of the FRQ website as well as in the FRQnet Electronic Portfolio under “Documents.”

PIs of projects that are invited to the Step 2: Full Proposals will be requested to complete a similar form in the FRQnet. More details will be provided at that time.

4.3 Key timelines

5. EVALUATION

Proposals will be evaluated by a scientific evaluation committee established by Biodiversa+. To learn more about the evaluation process and assessment criteria, please refer to the BiodivNBS Call Text.

6. EXPENSES

Grants awarded to Québec teams must be used only for expenses directly related to the conduct of the current research project. See Section 8 of the CGR for eligible and ineligible expenses.

7. MANAGEMENT AND FOLLOW-UP

Grants will be paid according to the schedule outlined in the award letter addressed to the PI of retained projects. All funding grants awarded by the FRQ are subject to the CGR, including the requirement to submit an annual financial report in the FRQnet.

In addition, funded projects will be required to submit, to Biodiversa+, a mid-term report and a final report on research and activity progress. Please refer to the BiodivNBS Call Text for more details regarding the management of the program.

8. OPEN ACCESS DISSEMINATION POLICY

Peer-reviewed publications resulting from the research made possible by this award shall be published as immediate open access (without embargo), under an open license, in accordance with the FRQ Open Access Policy for the Dissemination of Research (revised in 2022).

9. EFFECTIVE DATE

These rules will apply for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

10. CONTACT

Leslie Walsh
Program Officer
Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature and Technologies
Telephone: 418 643-8560, poste 3457