1. THE ARCP PROGRAMME FOR REGIONAL GLOBAL CHANGE RESEARCH & 2. THE CAPaBLE PROGRAMME FOR SCIENTIFIC CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FOR FUNDING FROM APRIL 2012

INTRODUCTION

Countries within the Asia-Pacific region support more than half of the world’s population, and changes in the Earth’s bio-geophysical system are clearly impacting the societies and economies of these countries.

Recent research and supporting observations have provided new insights into some of these changes and their impacts but have, at the same time, opened a number of new and challenging scientific issues and questions. APN seeks to identify these scientific issues to promote, as well as encourage, regional cooperative global change research.

The Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) is an inter-governmental network whose mission is to enable investigations of changes in the Earth’s life support systems and their implications for sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.  The APN, therefore, supports investigations that will:

1. Identify, explain and predict changes in the context of both natural and anthropogenic (human-induced) forcing;

2. Assess potential regional and global vulnerability of natural and human systems; and

3. Contribute, from the science perspective, to the development of policy options for appropriate responses to global change that will also contribute to sustainable development.

The core strategies of the APN are to:

1. Promote and encourage research that can improve understanding of global change and its implications for the region and contribute to sound scientific basis for policy-formulation and decision-making; and

2. Identify and help address, in consultation with policy-makers and other end-users, present and future needs and emerging challenges.

The APN defines Global Change Research as “research regarding global change (the set of natural and human-induced processes in the Earth's physical, biological, and social systems that, when aggregated, are significant at a global scale) and its implications for sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.”

APN’s activities promote research that improves understanding of the physical, biological and human dimensions of change in Earth system and science that informs adaptation and mitigation decision-making in the following specific areas: Climate Change and Climate Variability; Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Land Use; Changes in the Atmospheric, Terrestrial and Marine Domains; and Resources Utilisation and Pathways. These themes are interrelated and involve the interface of natural, social and political sciences. Thus, APN will also support research on crosscutting issues, science-policy linkages and the human dimensions of global change.

THE CALLS FOR PROPOSALS

The APN is inviting proposals under two separate programmes, the ARCP Programme and the CAPaBLE Programme, for funding from April 2012, and is able to provide a limited amount of financial support [1] for research and capacity development activities that fall within its areas of interest.  

GENERAL INFORMATION ON NEW PROCEDURE
FOR THE CALLS FOR PROPOSALS PROCESS

ADVISORY SERVICE (Voluntary)

A potential proponent can consult with the APN Secretariat, with a carbon copy to the national Focal Point (nFP) and to the SPG member from his/her country, by sending a Letter of Intent by Friday 11 June 2010. The APN Secretariat will respond back to the proponent, as appropriate, by Friday 25 June 2010.

PROPOSALS SUBMISSION AND REVIEW PROCESS

The proposals submission and review process consists of 3 main stages:

Stage 1 – Submission and review of Summary Proposal (compulsory) Stage 2 – Submission and 2-step review process of Full Proposal (by invitation) Stage 3 – Final Decision-Making

Stage 1: Submission and Review of Summary Proposal (compulsory)

A proponent submits a Summary Proposal with carbon copy to the nFP and to the SPG member from his/her country by Friday 30 July 2010. The Summary Proposals will undergo a screening process performed by the SPG Sub-Committee (SPG-SC), who will select proposals that will proceed to the next stage. This screening was introduced for the first time in 2007 to avoid wasting proponents’ and reviewers’ valuable time. All proponents are notified of the results of the preliminary screening by the end of August, and only those proponents that pass Stage 1 will be asked to submit a Full Proposal for further consideration.

Stage 2: Submission and Review of Full Proposal (compulsory and by invitation)

This stage is by invitation only. Successful proponents from Stage 1 are invited to submit their Full Proposals to the APN Secretariat by Tuesday 12 October 2010.

Two-Step Review process Review by APN internal reviewers (SPG members) and external reviewers. Proponents above the set cut-off line respond to the questions and comments of the APN internal reviewers, and unsuccessful proponents are informed of the results of the first review (Step 1 Review: October 2010 – December 2010). SPG members submit revised ratings based on responses of the proponents at Step 1 Review (Step 2 Review: January 2011).

Stage 3: Final Decision-Making

The APN’s 16^th Inter-governmental Meeting (IGM) approves which proposals to fund, following recommendations from the SPG (late March 2011). The Secretariat informs proponents of the final decision in April 2011.

OUTLINE OF ELIGIBILITY AND GUIDELINES FOR APPLICATION

1. Activities of Interest to the APN for its ARCP and CAPaBLE Calls for Proposals:

The APN is prepared to support activities in the area of global change as relevant to APN’s thematic areas and relating to:

The ARCP Programme 1. New research which addresses knowledge gaps in key areas 2. Synthesis and analysis of existing research 3. Research planning/scoping activities 4. The development of policy products such as integrated assessments, impact assessments, climate models, etc.

The CAPaBLE Programme 1. Scientific capacity development 2. Science-policy interfacing 3. Awareness raising activities 4. Dissemination activities

2.  Items Not Supported by the APN

The APN will not support:

a. The running costs of institutions; b. The salaries of administration staff or researchers who receive or are to receive full-time salary support; c. The salaries of consultants (project leaders and collaborators should have the expertise to conduct the activities); and d. The maintenance of long-term observation and monitoring systems.

3. The APN Science Agenda

APN’s activities promote research that improves understanding of the physical, biological and human dimensions of change in Earth system and science that informs adaptation and mitigation decision-making in the following specific areas:

a. Climate Change and Climate Variability; b. Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Land Use; c. Changes in the Atmospheric, Terrestrial and Marine Domains; and d. Resources Utilisation and Pathways for Sustainable Development

The above themes are interrelated and involve the interface of natural, social and political sciences. Thus, APN will also support research on crosscutting issues, science-policy linkages and the human dimensions of global change. 

4. Deadlines Advisory Service (Voluntary). Submission of Letter of Intent: Friday, 11 June 2010, midnight (24:00) – Japanese Standard Time Stage 1. Submission of Summary Proposal (Compulsory): Friday, 30 July 2010, midnight (24:00) – Japanese Standard Time Stage 2. Submission of Full Proposal by the Successful Stage 1 Proponents (Compulsory and by Invitation Only): Tuesday, 12 October 2010, midnight (24:00) – Japanese Standard Time

5. Format of Letter of Intent and Proposals and Further Information

Guidance on the format of Letter of Intent, Stage 1 Summary Proposal, and Stage 2 Full Proposal is set out in separate guidelines for the ARCP and CAPaBLE programmes: the “APN’s 2010 Calls for Proposals Advisory Service”, the “2010 ARCP - Guide for Proponents”, and the “2010 CAPaBLE – Guide for Proponents” which give detailed explanations of the advisory service, the two separate calls for proposals, and the criteria against which proposals are judged.

PLEASE BE SURE TO USE THE APN'S THIRD STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE NEW UPDATED GUIDE THAT REFLECTS THE APN'S SCIENCE AGENDA FOR ITS THIRD PHASE.

For further information on the 2010 Calls for Proposals, please contact:

Dr. Linda Stevenson Executive Science Officer APN Secretariat, East Building 4F 1-5-2 Wakinohama Kaigan Dori, Chuo-Ku Kobe 651-0073, JAPAN Tel: +81-78-230-8017 Fax: +81-78-230-8018 Email: lastevenson@apn-gcr.org

Ms. Kristine Garcia Coordinator APN Secretariat, East Building 4F 1-5-2 Wakinohama Kaigan Dori, Chuo-Ku Kobe 651-0073, JAPAN Tel: +81-78-230-8017 Fax: +81-78-230-8018 Email: kgarcia@apn-gcr.org

You may also contact the national Focal Point (nFP) and Scientific Planning Group (SPG) member of your country for inquiries. Their contact information is available in the Structure section of the APN website.