"ELSA-GEN" Initiative
Multinational call for collaborative research projects on "ethical, legal, socio-cultural
and economic aspects of genomics and related sciences"
The call will be opened in the respective ELSA-GEN Partner countries at different publication dates. The submission of proposals will be centrally managed by the Joint Call Secretariat, representing the ELSA-GEN partner countries. The guidance for preparing and submitting proposals is given in the general call text, applying to all countries participating in the call (Austria's participation is still pending formal approval). Applicants must refer and adhere to their own specific national regulations as detailed in the national announcements or national annexes to be found in table 1.
| Partners | Publication date |
Documents, national annexes and contact |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | BMWF |
02.04.2009 | Please click here |
| Germany | BMBF | 13.02.2009 | Please click here |
| Finland | AKA | 19.01.2009 | Please click here |
- Motivation
- Aim of the call – Objectives
- Research Area
- Financial modalities and funding prerequisites
- Funding recipients – Eligibilit
- Submission of proposals
- Evaluation procedure
- Contact persons
- Reporting requirements
1. Motivation
This document announces the first transnational joint call for proposals on "ethical, legal, socio-cultural and economic aspects of genomics and related sciences".
The “ELSA-GEN” Initiative aims to bring together relevant researchers and research teams from Austria, Finland and Germany to jointly design and carry out research projects in the field of ethical, legal, socio-cultural and economic aspects of genomics and related sciences (i.e. “post- genomics” such as proteomics, other –omics or other systems- oriented approaches). The initiative intends to promote high-quality multi- and interdisciplinary research collaborations among researchers in the participating countries, to stimulate networking and mobility of researchers between the countries, and to promote research training.
The following funding bodies have agreed to participate in this multinational funding initiative (hereinafter referred to as the Parties):
- Austria, BMWF (FFG)
- Academy of Finland (AF)
- Germany, BMBF (DLR)
The present joint call for proposals is opened simultaneously by all Parties in their respective countries. In addition to this joint call text, which is identical and binding for all applicants, national annexes outlining specific national requirements will be published
ELSA (ethical, legal, societal aspects) of technical scientific research is an increasingly important research area. This is especially true in genome and post- genome research, which on the one hand will significantly enhance our understanding of human nature while on the other hand may enable us to directly interfere with and change that very nature.
ELSA Research, by its nature of looking at technical scientific research with a view to effects on society, ethics, and economy, requires a high degree of interdisciplinarity. Furthermore, due to the international nature of the scientific research whose effects are investigated, and due to the fact that different cultural, socio-cultural and economic, and political backgrounds cause different ways of looking at and dealing with these effects, ELSA- research increasingly needs to transcend national and socio-cultural borders and become international in order to provide the basis for informed decision making of societies and policy makers across the world.
2. Aim of the call – Objectives
Proposals to be submitted within the present call shall focus on ethical, legal and social aspects of genomics and related sciences, (e.g. functional genomics, systems biology and related aspects of synthetic biology), with special focus on human welfare and enhancement of human capacities.
The objectives of the “ELSA-GEN” Initiative are:
- to promote high-quality, multi- and inter-disciplinary, innovative collaborative research projects in ELSA genomics and related sciences in the participating countries focusing on (recent) advances in genomic research, that are based on sharing the work load between the partners across countries and disciplines,
- to stimulate mobility of researchers between the participating countries,
- to promote training of researchers (e.g. summer schools for interdisciplinary training of young researchers),
- to present convincingly the “use” of the project results (e.g. influence on research policy) and demonstrate a clear benefit to the public,
- to improve dissemination of scientific knowledge among researchers as well as among researchers and stakeholders like policy makers, media, or the public. However, activities like dissemination and discourse should not be the main focus of the project and must be subordinate to its scientific research focus. This does not exclude research on discourse and/or dissemination as such.
3. Research Area
The "ELSA-GEN" Initiative focuses on ELSA research on developments within the field of genomics and related sciences which are characterized by genome-wide or systems- oriented approaches, (as opposed to classical genetics or studies on single genes or other factors) covering proteomics, lipidomics, metabolomics and other –omics- sciences, as well as systems biology and synthetic biology.
Besides using descriptive approaches, projects should also aim at identifying effects of genomics and related sciences on society, investigate and analyze the effects of genome research and genomic/post-genomic concepts on society, as well as research the possibilities of society and governments to react to these developments.
Specific research questions from within the above mentioned field of research must be addressed by interdisciplinary, international research networks that are constituted by a researcher- driven, bottom-up process. Projects should not stop short at descriptive research. Comparative studies should be encouraged (e.g. differences between countries and their impact on ELSA policies or the reception of research results, comparisons of the impacts of different research approaches etc). Approaches relating to public health or technological impact assessment could be considered. Besides scientific publication, it is expected that the research results are also utilized in conferences, discourse (stakeholder/public), recommendations / guidelines for policies, etc in order to maximize their benefit. However, the main aim of projects should be original research, and not merely the formulation of guidelines or recommendations on the basis of existing results.
The call is open to researchers from the fields of Humanities, Philosophy, Ethics, Social, Cultural and Political Sciences, Law, Economics, Life Sciences, Medicine and Engineering. A participation of researchers from all these fields in the particular research projects is not mandatory but the application must clearly state an interdisciplinary approach that can convincingly display the availability of the expertise required for the proposed research. Although life scientists, engineers and clinicians should be integrated into projects where their expertise is required, lab experiments themselves should normally not be funded.
The promotion of young researchers by the inclusion of specific international exchange activities (preferably Ph.D. students, possibly across disciplines) into projects should be encouraged.
Research projects must include multi- and interdisciplinary approaches in a collaborative manner to create a maximal synergy between the members of the research teams. In all areas, gender specific aspects should be addressed if relevant and possible.
4. Financial modalities and funding prerequisites
Applicants are urged to contact the national contact point for information before designing / submitting an application. Please note that the national project parts will be funded separately via the respective national funding organizations participating in this call. Different rules and regulations will apply. National annexes to this call text are published in addition to this joint call text. These will provide further information and outline specific national requirements for funding.
Applicants are required to fulfil any national requirements for funding and follow the general regulations of their respective funding organization. Applications that do not meet these requirements will not be considered.
Funding within this initiative will be available for multilateral collaborative research projects consisting of a minimum of two researchers/ research groups from at least two of the partner countries.
Each collaborative consortium should have the critical mass to achieve ambitious scientific goals and should clearly show an added value from working together. Within the research consortia, each national funding organization will fund only the project part that is carried out within its own country.
Funding is granted for a maximum of three years in accordance with national regulations.
Within a collaborative project researcher mobility between the partnering countries is encouraged (e. g. research visits for 3 – 6 months) and can be supported by funding travel expenses and housing costs subject to national regulations.
Within a joint proposal, each group leader will be the contact person for the relevant national funding agency. Each consortium must nominate a project coordinator to represent the consortium and to be responsible for its internal management.
Filing an application does not constitute a legal title to a grant even if positively evaluated. Rather, the funding organisations will decide independently within the framework of the budget funds available.
5. Funding recipients – Eligibility
Please refer to national annexes to this joint call text for specifics concerning eligibility. In general, research proposals may be submitted by higher education institutions, non-university public research establishments and commercial companies or by scientists according to relevant national regulations.
Partners from non-participating countries may be included in a project if their expertise is indispensable for reaching the objectives, but must provide independent funding to participate.
6. Submission of proposals
The language of the call text, the proposals and the reports pertaining to this call will be English. The Parties will publish additional call documents (national annexes or additions to this call text setting out specific national regulations). Nevertheless, the international call text will be binding upon all participants.
The application will be a one-step process with the following deadline for submission of proposals:
May 29th 2009
Proposals are to be submitted to the Joint Call Secretariat. This Secretariat will be the central contact point for all project coordinators.
Joint Call Secretariat Contact Information:
Nicole Firnberg
FFG Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH
Sensengasse 1
A-1090 Wien
tel.: +43-(0)5 77 55-5054
fax: +43-(0)5 77 55-95050
e-Mail: nicole.firnberg@ffg.at
Any collaborative project must be submitted as one complete application (including subprojects and annex) by the identified project coordinator. The proposal and annex must be submitted in 2 hard copies and one pdf-version on CD by mail (no E-mail or Fax).
The indicated page limits should not be exceeded and no additional documents will be considered (see below).
Additional specific requirements are outlined in the according national annexes. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Joint proposals (in English, Arial 10 pt., 1.5 line spacing) must include the following information and be structured in the following way:
Guideline and structural template for proposals:
- Cover page with name and address of the project coordinator, followed by the names and addresses of all subproject leaders
- Joint project summary with concept, workplan, aims and expected results (1 page maximum)
- Background and state-of-the-art (2 pages maximum)
- Joint research plan with a general description of the project including scope, topic, relevance, overall approach, structure of the cooperation and synergy for the collaborative project as a whole, plus lists of milestones and deliverables (8 pages maximum)
- Overall financial plan for the joint application (on the form provided)
- For each subproject, a detailed description of the work plan to be carried out by the respective national research team, plus lists of milestones and deliverables (3 pages maximum per subproject) and financial plan (on the form provided)
- Added value of the proposed international collaboration (1/2 page maximum)
- Description of any training/exchange activities foreseen within the project, if applicable (1/2 page maximum)
- Description of how results will be “used” and disseminated (1 page maximum)
- Annex with short CVs for each leader of a subproject (2 pages maximum including 10 selected publications)
- List of ongoing projects of each participant related to the present topic, indicating funding sources and amounts, and state explanations as to possible overlaps with this proposal (1/2 page maximum per participant)
- Signatures of all project partners confirming the commitment to cooperation
7. Evaluation procedure
The evaluation process will proceed in three steps:
Formal check: The Joint Call Secretariat will assess proposals to ensure that they meet the call´s formal criteria (date of submission; number of participating partners; inclusion of all necessary information in English; observance of appropriate limits on length). Each Party will check the eligibility of their national applicants. Proposals not meeting the formal criteria will be rejected. The applicant will be notified of the rejection of a proposal within three weeks of the deadline for submission.
Peer-review: Proposals that pass the initial check will be delivered to a Peer Review Committee. Members of the committee will carry out a scientific evaluation according to the following specific evaluation criteria:
- Scientific quality, innovation and international competitiveness of the proposal
- Relevance of the proposal to the scope and aim of the call
- Scientific expertise of the consortium and prospects of success
- Feasibility of the research plan (appropriateness of the methodology, budget and timetable)
- Quality of the organisation and coordination (multidisciplinarity, appropriateness of time and work schedule)
- Competence and expertise of the researchers / research teams, international competitiveness of participating research groups in the field(s) of the proposal
- Level of collaborative interaction between the groups, effective communication and cooperation between the researchers in each country and added value of the collaboration
- Multi- and inter-disciplinary scope of the research plan
- Training aspects, if applicable
- "Use" of results, dissemination strategy, benefit to the public
Decision: The Peer Review Committee will develop a ranking list of the proposals. Based on this list the funding organizations participating in the call will propose the projects to be funded to the funding organisations. Final decisions will be made at the national level. The participants involved in the selected projects will be funded through the national programs (see specific national regulations and contact the respective national contact person). Projects are intended to start in fall 2009. The Joint Call Secretariat will inform the applicants in writing of the results of the review and, where applicable, of the following administrative steps according to the national regulations, respectively.
8. Contact persons
All matters regarding the proposals and their evaluation status are communicated directly between the Joint Call Secretariat and the project coordinator. The project coordinator will be the person contacted by the Joint Call Secretariat during the application procedure, and is responsible for forwarding this information to the other participants. Each country has national contact persons who can be contacted for information about the specific national requirements.
National contact persons
| Country | Contact person | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria Joint Call Secretariat |
Nicole Firnberg | nicole.firnberg@ffg.at | +43-(0)5 77 55-5054 |
| Finland | Mika Tirronen | mika.tirronen@aka.fi | +358 9 7748 8255 |
| Germany | Detlef Böcking | detlef.boecking@dlr.de | +49-(0)228-3821-118 |
9. Reporting requirements
The coordinators of all the funded projects must submit an annual scientific project report (in English) to the Joint Call Secretariat together with summary reports from each participant (forms available under www.ELSAGEN.at). In accordance with specific national regulations, each participant will also have to submit periodical financial reports and additional reports to its national funding agency. The coordinators will be required to present the results of their projects at annual status seminars organized by the Joint Call Secretariat.