INTRODUCTION

Having the capacity to conduct high quality research that provides underpinning scientific support for decision-makers and decision-making processes is vital for least-developed nations in the Asia-Pacific region and is recognised by the APN as crucial for improving the scientific and technical capabilities of these nations.

Under the Scientific Capacity Building and Enhancement for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries (CAPaBLE) Programme, leading scientists of developing nations, young and aspiring scientists, and members of the policy and civil communities are provided with opportunities to develop their knowledge and capabilities in global environmental change, including climate change, for sustainable development. One such opportunity is through the APN’s Proposal Development Training Workshops, where participants are provided with the background knowledge and some of the skills required write a competitive proposal for APN funding.  

With the above in mind, the APN in partnership with the East China Normal University and Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas (EMECS) held the Proposal Writing Training Workshop (PWTW)  in Shanghai, China on  28 October 2008.  With the great success of the PWTW, the APN held a follow-up workshop entitled Proposal Development Training Workshop (PDTW) on  7 May 2009 in New York, United States of America. The PDTW was held as a side event of the 17^th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) which was held from 4-15 May 2009.  

The Proposal-Writing Training Workshop (PWTW) was organised for young/early career scientists in the Temperate East Asia (TEA) and South Asia (SA) sub-regions of the Asia-Pacific by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) in partnership with the East China Normal University and Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas (EMECS) on 28 October 2008 in Shanghai, China. 

The workshop was structured with the goal of providing information on the Annual Calls for Proposals under the APN’s regional research programme (ARCP) and its capacity development programme (CAPaBLE) and enhancing the capacity of young/early career scientists in writing proposals intended for submission to the APN to allow them to compete effectively in the proposals process. In addition, the workshop served as an opportunity for young/early career scientists to participate in the EMECS-8 International Conference: Harmonizing River Catchment and Estuary, which was also held in Shanghai, China.  

Eighteen participants from five countries in TEA and SA, i.e. Bangladesh, China, Mongolia, Nepal and Pakistan, as well as two resource persons from the APN Secretariat, the Scientific Planning Group (SPG) member for Bangladesh and two APN Project Leaders attended the workshop. The first half of the workshop focussed on presentations and discussions on the APN Calls for Proposal Process, Writing a Competitive Proposal for the APN and Lessons Learned, Roles of Scientific Planning Group (SPG) members and national Focal Points (nFPs) in the proposals process and, lastly, on Guidelines and Advice on Proposal Writing. The second half of the workshop covered the hands-on training for the participants in writing and reviewing APN proposals followed by an open discussion and feedback session.  

The Proposal Development Training Workshop (PDTW) was held as a side event of the 17^th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD-17) which was held in United Nations headquarters in New York from 4-15 May 2009. The APN also showcased the CAPaBLE Programme during the Partnerships Fair of the UNCSD-17. The CAPaBLE Programme which was launched in April 2003, is an initiative to realise parts 107 to 114 of the Plan of Implementation for the WorldSummit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and is registered as a WSSD Type II Partnership initiative. 

Similar with the PWTW, the PDTW was organised with the goal of providing information on the Annual Calls for Proposals under the APN’s regional research programme (ARCP) and its capacity development programme (CAPaBLE) and enhancing the capacity of young/early career scientists in writing proposals intended for submission to the APN to allow them to compete effectively in the proposals process. In addition, the workshop served as a perfect venue for participants from the Asia-Pacific region to discuss common global change issues and strengthen regional collaboration for global change research, capacity development and policy-relevancy. The workshop was intended for young and early career scientists, from the Asia-Pacific region who are attending CSD-17. A total of 32 participants from the Asia-Pacific countries and other countries attended the workshop. 

For more information about the workshops, please contact the APN Secretariat at info@apn-gcr.org