Deadline: 5-May-21
The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) is inviting proposals under Catalyst: Strategic. Fund Up to $1.35 million in total over three years is available for investment in joint research partnerships between New Zealand and the Republic of Korea that cannot be supported through existing funding.
Catalyst: Strategic funds strategic research and large-scale pre-research collaborations with priority partners and in targeted areas that cannot be supported through other means.
The Catalyst Fund supports activities that initiate, develop and foster collaborations that leverage international science and innovation for New Zealand’s benefit. The Catalyst Fund seeks to achieve the following objectives:
- Targeted international partnerships which maximise the impact and quality of New Zealand science and innovation
- Emerging international science cooperation opportunities are pursued and advanced to deliver benefits to New Zealand
- International science and innovation is leveraged in key areas, delivering benefit to New Zealand at a faster pace, of better quality, or of greater impact than can otherwise be achieved.
Catalyst funding is delivered through four instruments: Strategic, Seeding, Leaders, and Influence.
- Catalyst: Strategic ‐ funds strategic research partnerships and large‐scale international collaborations
- Catalyst: Seeding ‐ supports small and medium‐sized new international partnerships
- Catalyst: Leaders ‐ supports targeted international fellowships for exceptional individuals
- Catalyst: Influence ‐ supports New Zealand’s involvement in and influence of key international forums
This Call for Proposals invites applications for contestable funding under Catalyst: Strategic.
Catalyst: Strategic Objectives
The objectives of Catalyst: Strategic are to:
- Leverage international research infrastructure and capabilities in areas posing significant science- based challenges to New Zealand and their international partners
- Profile New Zealand science and innovation, and ability to contribute to global science challenges.
Funding Information
- New Zealand research teams can apply for up to $450,000 (excluding GST) of funding over three years for each proposal. Your budget should generally distribute this funding evenly across those years.
- The total pool of funding available for New Zealand research teams in this Call for Proposals is up to $1.35m (excluding GST) over three years.
Eligible Expenses
The expenses allowed under Catalyst: Strategic include the following, in connection with the project:
- Research activities-
- Expenses for consumables and other research expenses
- Expenses for personnel
- Contributions to pro‐rated salaries
- Research exchanges
- Travel is expected to be an integral part of the project.
- Flights, accommodation, visas, travel insurance, ground transport, and meal expenses are permitted and should be based on the rules of the organisations with which the individual undertaking the activity is affiliated.
- You will be asked to provide a breakdown of your project’s budget in your proposal.
Note: Contributions to pro‐rated salaries should be listed under salaries, and not personnel expenses, in your budget table.
Expenses not funded
The following expenses will not be funded under Catalyst: Strategic:
- Acquisition of real estate or construction of buildings
- Procurement of equipment
- Any capital expenditure (unless otherwise agreed with MBIE)
- Dealing with accidents or disasters during the term of the contract
- Expenses for alcoholic beverages (for example at meetings)
- Expenses unrelated to the delivery of the contract.
Eligibility Criteria
This opportunity is open to research organisations. A research organisation is an organisation that has internal capability for carrying out research, science or technology, or related activities.
For a proposal to be assessed under this Catalyst: Strategic funding round, it must meet the eligibility criteria set out below. Proposals that MBIE determines do not meet these criteria will be declined for funding on eligibility grounds:
- The proposal must be made by a New Zealand-based research organisation or a New Zealand-based legal entity representing a New Zealand-based research organization.
- The Science Leader must be employed by a New Zealand-based research organisation, or a New Zealand- based legal entity representing a New Zealand-based research organization.
- The proposal must involve collaboration from a leading Korean research organisation. Your Korean counterparts must apply for their own funding by submitting a corresponding application to the NRF (applications submitted by one side only will not be eligible under this joint programme)
- The proposal must not be made by a department of the public service as listed in Schedule 1 of the Public Service Act 2020.
- Applicants must have submitted a registration via the MBIE Portal.
- Proposals must be uploaded on time via the MBIE Portal and meet the administrative requirements of MBIE.
- Details listed in the registration must be substantively the same as listed in the proposal.
- Applicants must not submit multiple applications to this Catalyst: Strategic funding round based on the same project, where the only difference is in the duration of the proposed project or the amount of funding sought. Should the same New Zealand research team decide to submit more than one proposal they must demonstrate significant differences between those proposals. If a research team submits multiple proposals based on the same project, all proposals for that project may be deemed ineligible.
For more information, visit https://www.mbie.govt.nz/dmsdocument/13838-catalyst-strategic-call-for-proposals-new-zealand-republic-of-korea-joint-research-partnerships-april-2021-investment-round