Rationale
The Asia-Pacific region, home to over half of the global population, faces growing development challenges that strain natural resources and cultural heritage, and is further exacerbated by adverse environmental impacts. The Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) is uniquely positioned to address these evolving global change and sustainability issues through collaborative research and early-career professional development.
Strategy
To fulfil its mission, APN promotes understanding of global environmental change through collaborative regional research and scientific capacity building. This is achieved by implementing activities within research, scientific capacity building, and science-policy interactions, in areas of air, land, coasts and oceans; biodiversity and ecosystems; climate; food, water and energy; human dimensions; and risk reduction and resilience. These themes are interrelated and interface with natural, social, behavioural, economic and political sciences. APN’s strategic goals as outlined in the 5th Strategic Phase (2020-2026), include:
- Supporting regional and international cooperation in research on global change and sustainability issues particularly relevant to the Asia-Pacific region;
- Enhancing capabilities to participate in research on global change and sustainability and to support science-based decision-making;
- Strengthening interactions between scientists, policymakers, practitioners and members of other societal groups, and providing sound scientific information for policymaking processes;
- Continuing to enhance communication and collaboration with like-minded organisations and other stakeholder groups on issues of common interest; and,
- Enhancing the institutional, operational and financial base that is efficient, durable, equitable and able to support APN and its activities.
Annual Call for Proposals
Annually, APN invites proposals under two separate programmes supporting APN’s core activities through our Collaborative Regional Research Programme (CRRP) and the Scientific Capacity Development Programme (CAPaBLE). A limited amount of funding is available to support CRRP and CAPaBLE activities relevant to APN’s thematic areas that specifically target one (or more) themes under “priority topics”, which are determined at the subregional level by APN’s subregional committees in the Pacific, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Temperate East Asia. Annually-selected priority topics can be found in each Call for Proposals announcements and the attached documents. The Call for Proposals is typically launched in November and successful proponents commence their project activities in October of the following year.
Activities of interest under the CRRP Programme
APN promotes regional collaborative research that improves understanding of the physical, biological and human dimensions of change in the Earth system and advances actionable science that informs decision-making. APN accepts proposals that engage at least 3 member/approved countries in the region, and prioritise collaboratively designed, actionable research with non-academic stakeholders. Proposals must address one or more of the following activities:
| • Collaborative research on global change and sustainability that particularly addresses GAPS, ANALYSIS, SYNTHESIS and ASSESSMENT work. • Collaborative research that develops PATHWAYS and MECHANISMS to achieve sustainable development, and develop adaptation strategies. • Collaborative PLACE-BASED INTEGRATIVE RESEARCH, particularly from developing countries. • Collaborative research that is CO-DESIGNED to contribute to the Paris Agreeemnt, Sustainable Development Goals, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, UN Decade of Ocean Science (2021-2030), and the accumulation of scientific knowledge at IPCC, IPBES, etc. |
Activities of interest under the CAPaBLE Programme
APN supports CAPaBLE activities that enhance existing capacities of developing countries at three levels of individual-based capacity development; group, organisation, network-based capacity development; and societies, governance, and system level capacity development. APN accepts CAPaBLE proposals that engage 1 or more member/approved countries. Proposals must address one or more of the following activities:
| • SCIENTIFIC CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES that promote the following approaches related to one or more of the six thematic areas of APN: (A) Utilising and strengthening existing capacity, (B) Creating opportunities to use/instil capacity, and (C) Developing new capacity through innovative approaches. • AWARENESS-RAISING AND DISSEMINATION activities through policy- and decision-making communities, civil society, and/or the general public. • SCIENCE-POLICY interfacing in the context of the priority topics. • CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES that contribute to the capacity development components of the evolving global change arena, including the UNFCCC Paris Agreement, IPCC, IPBES, post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science, and ongoing and new global change and sustainability research programmes. • Activities geared towards using SCIENCE COMMUNICATION to disseminate knowledge generated from projects, particularly to non-science audiences. |
Eligibility information
Researchers, academics, practitioners working in institutions based in APN member countries and approved countries are eligible to apply for APN grants. Details of eligibility criteria are outlined in the CRRP and CAPaBLE Guide for Proponents, available on the APNIS system.
Special consideration: APN emphasises support for early-career professionals (ECPs) in the Asia-Pacific region and strongly encourages applications from this cohort. Eligible proposals from ECPs or ECP-majority project teams will be given priority.
Proposal submission, review process, and announcement of results
Instructions on the applications for CRRP and CAPaBLE calls are set out in separate guidelines (available in the APNIS system), providing detailed information of the two independent calls and the criteria used in the review. Proponents should also read APN’s Fifth Strategic Plan that reflects the APN’s Action Agenda (which includes its research, capacity development and science-policy agendas) in its 5th Strategic Phase from 2020-2026.
The submission and review process consists of 4 main stages:
- Stage 1: Registration on the APNIS system and submission of an online Summary Proposal for CRRP or CAPaBLE (not both). The Stage 1 proposal will be evaluated accordingly in an internal and external review process.
Timeframe: November to end February - Stage 2: Submission (by invitation only) of a Full Proposal and compulsory appendices, including a response to review feedback at Stage 1. The Stage 2 proposal and appendices will be evaluated accordingly in an internal and external review process.
Timeframe: March to June - Stage 3: Final decision-making and announcement of results.
Timeframe: June to end July - Stage 4: Project commencement for successful proponents.
Timeframe: October
Related events
APN is pleased to announce that it will be holding two virtual seminars in November 2023 to provide introductory overviews, guidance, and tutorials on submitting successful proposals to its annual Call for Proposals. We open our invitation widely to interested project proponents based institutionally in our network of 22 countries, and especially welcoming persons who fulfil our criteria for early-career professionals.
For more information on the virtual seminars and registration links, please visit the event page here.
