Bilateral Call for Collaborative Research Proposals in Agro-processing and Renewable Energy in Botswana and Mozambique

7 Jun 2023, 00:00 → 8 Jul 2023, 23:59 Africa/Maputo

MAPUTO

The Fundo Nacional de Investigação (FNI) of the Republic of Mozambique and the Botswana Innovation Hub from the Republic of Botswana are participating in the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) for Sub Saharan Africa. 

The SGCI seeks to strengthen the capacities of the participating SGCs in supporting research and evidence-based policies that will contribute to socio-economic development of the countries. The Initiative is jointly funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF), the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).

In contributing to their national research systems, the SGCs (in the two countries) secured a Grant from the International Development Research Centre under the auspices of the SGCI. The said Grant which aims at supporting research projects in Agro-processing and Renewable energy is based on a co-funding arrangement between the ACTS on one hand and the FNI and BIH on the other. 

The Fundo Nacional de Investigação (FNI) of the Republic of Mozambique and the Botswana Innovation Hub from the Republic of Botswana are participating in the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) for Sub Saharan Africa. 

The SGCI seeks to strengthen the capacities of the participating SGCs in supporting research and evidence-based policies that will contribute to socio-economic development of the countries. The Initiative is jointly funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF), the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).

In contributing to their national research systems, the SGCs (in the two countries) secured a Grant from the International Development Research Centre under the auspices of the SGCI. The said Grant which aims at supporting research projects in Agro-processing and Renewable energy is based on a co-funding arrangement between the ACTS on one hand and the FNI and BIH on the other. 

 

Bilateral Call Advert for Research Proposals _Moz and Botswana.docx

Bilateral Call Guidelines for Research Proposals_Moz and Botwana.docx

Project Proposal Template_Moz and Botswana.docx

Wednesday, 7 June

00:00 → 00:10 RATIONALE AND SCOPE OF THE JOINT CALL

The demand for energy in the region has been rising due to economic activities in the countries, particularly in the mining, manufacturing and agriculture sectors. Energy generation in the region relies almost entirely on hydropower, however, the recent droughts experienced in the region have caused serious electricity supply deficits. Governments are now actively seeking to enhance the renewable energy sector which has abundant renewable energy resources yet to be fully exploited. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) through its Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan recommends that member states must achieve energy security by closing the current supply/demand deficit in the power sector and enable future economic growth and industrialization through transitioning to and/or increasing the use of renewable energy sources and developing innovative ways of using energy to drive sustainable development. Agro-processing and Renewable Energy was identified as National Research Priority Areas in Mozambique and Botswana.To contribute towards efforts to enhance the agroprocessing and renewable energy sector in the two countries, FNI and BDIH will fund collaborative research projects in both areas. The objective of this Bilateral Joint Call is to generate critical knowledge that will help in strategic development and utilization agriculture production and energy sources to diversify the energy mix and accelerate achievement of the countries’ energy generation targets, increase industry competitiveness, improve service delivery and reduce poverty.

00:10 → 00:23 THEMATIC FOCUS

The researchers in the area of agriculture and renewable energy in the two countries will collaborate to prepare joint research proposals in the priority areas named below. The FNI and BIH will, therefore, co-fund demand-led, collaborative research projects that address issues of relevance in the following priority areas in which research project proposals are invited;
(a) Agroprocessing
(b) Renewable energy: resource efficiency; sustainability of renewable energy systems; management of renewable energy systems for socio economic development

00:30 → 00:50 FUNDING LEVEL

The budget limit for project activities in each research proposal will be no more than 2000 000MT for the research team in Mozambique. The budget limit for project activities for the research team in Botswana will not exceed BWP850 000. This means that a budget for one joint proposal will have two components: Budget for project activities for the research team in Mozambique and the budget for the research team in Botswana. Collaborative research projects will be implemented for a period not exceeding twenty four months (22) months. Permissible budget items shall include the following:
• Material costs, if they are directly linked to the research project, in particular material of enduring value, the cost of expendable items, field expenses, travel expenses or third party charges.
• Direct costs incurred through the use of research infrastructure linked to the research.
• Costs of organising conferences and workshops in connection with the funded research.
• Costs of national and international co-operation and networking activities directly associated with the funded research.

Note:Salaries of applicants, purchase of fixed assets and overheads are not eligible costs.

01:02 → 01:22 APPLICATION GUIDELINES AND ELIGIBILITY

The application guidelines and other requirements including eligibility criteria are downloadable from any of the following website and links;
• https://eventos.fni.gov.mz/event/16/
• www.bih.co.bw/sgciphasetwo

01:22 → 01:42 SUBMISSION AND PROCESSING OF PROPOSALS

Submission of an application package should be in a form of electronic copy. The deadline for submission is 7th July, 2023. Application package shall include full proposal specified herein; Principal Investigator’s covering letter; letter of support from an institution of the Principal Investigator; and CVs of the Principal Investigators. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. When the full application package is duly completed save the document as last names of principal investigators-BDIH-FNI Call for Proposals 2023”. The electronic copy should be in PDF.

(a) The Joint full application package should be submitted electronically in the prescribed template to the following:
Upload on https://eventos.fni.gov.mz/event/16/ for principal investigators from Mozambique under a heading “Full Joint Proposal BDIH and FNI-area (renewable energy or agroprocessing)” clearly specified.

For Botswana BDIH, Full Research Proposals should be submitted electronically to researchfund@bih.co.bw.

(b) All applications will be reviewed based on their quality and merit. A full proposal template is downloadable on any of the following website links:
(c) https://eventos.fni.gov.mz/event/16/
(d) www.bih.co.bw/sgciphasetwo

Note: Principal investigators from Mozambique will have to first download the application template, fill it and then upload it on the FNI online system together with other required documents as specified herein.
For Botswana, Principal investigators, will have to first download the application template and forward to the research fund email address.

(e) All documents (full research proposal, CV, detailed budget, letters of support) have to be submitted in PDF
(f) The review, selection of proposals and communication to applicants will done by 7th July 2023, 2300 hrs CAT.
(g) All proposals will be received and processed in confidentiality with acknowledgment of intellectual property rights of the applicants.
(h) Decision of BDIH and FNI will be final.

01:42 → 02:02 ENQUIRIES

Any enquiries from researchers shall be directed as follows;

(a) Enquiries from researchers in Botswana should be directed to Tiroyaone Tshukudu on tiroyaone.tshukudu@bih.co.bw (Tel No. 267 360 6420) and Matthews Gaadingwe on matthews.gaadingwe@bih.co.bw (Tel No. 267 3696409).

(b) Enquiries from researchers from Mozambique should be directed to Dirce Madeira on dirce.madeira@fni.gov.mz or dmadeiramac@gmail.com (Tel No. 258-845-633807) and Edson Faria on edson.faria@fni.gov.mz or edsonlffaria2012@gmail.com (Tel No. 258-844-122705)
C) IT support- jcjornal.mbebe@fni.gov.mz or Jornal.mbebe@gmail.com(Tel No. 843083831)