Deadline: 15-Sep-20
The Nordic Joint Committee for Agricultural and Food Research (NKJ) hereby announces a research network call.
The aim of the call is to promote Nordic collaboration among researchers from agricultural and food sectors by networking activities including workshops, conferences and seminars.
NKJ particularly encourage networks that relate to aspects of plant health, soil health or Nordic food security and self-sufficiency in agriculture to apply for funding. However, they also encourage networks with focus on other aspects of Nordic agriculture and food research to apply for funding.
The aim of the call is to:
- Facilitate collaboration between researchers in the Nordic countries by networking activities.
- Link national research projects in agriculture and food research which otherwise would be carried out on a national level, but where considerable positive outcomes can be reached through a wider regional scope.
- Bridge gaps between research and practice.
- Encourage Nordic researchers and institutions to apply for funding from larger funds like e.g. Horizon 2020 or similar activities.
Focus Areas
- Plant health: The United Nations has declared 2020 as “The international year of plant health to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment and help boost economic development”. Climate change and human activities such as plant trade, reduced biodiversity and altered ecosystems are creating new environments where invasive organisms can thrive.
- Soil health: Soil is the base for life on land and forms a fundamental pillar for agriculture. Thriving healthy soils are a prerequisite for achieving sustainable agriculture. Soil health is defined as” the capacity of soil to function as a vital living system, within ecosystem and land-use boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and promote plant and animal health” (Doran and Zeiss, 2000).
- Nordic food security and self-sufficiency in agriculture: The COVID-19 pandemic has put a focal point on that nations have a low level of self-sufficiency and at dire times limited food security. Therefore, it is important to understand how they in the Nordic countries can utilize current food production systems to increase output in current and future crops. There are similarities between opportunities and challenges in the Nordic countries, in terms of climate change, soils, production and policies, this makes it possible to find collaboration that are highly beneficial across the Nordic region.
Funding Information
- Successful applicants may receive funds from NKJ of up to 300 000 SEK, covering at most 50% of the total budget for the network. Participants in submitted networks should represent at least three countries consisting of three research institutions in the Nordic region.
Network outputs should be useful for the Nordic community and should include knowledge exchange across national borders through e.g. arranging workshops, seminars, scientific meetings or open conferences. Networks could also produce peer-reviewed scientific papers, design policy recommendations based on research findings, write large-scale research funding applications, and create or maintain databases or websites.
Conditions
Activities and participation
- Network grants are for activities in 2021-2022.
- Aspects of the prioritized focus areas will be prioritized. However, the call is also open for networks with other focus within Nordic agriculture and food research.
- Researchers or communication officers at research institutions are eligible to apply.
- Stakeholders are encouraged to be involved but cannot be main applicants.
- Networks should include participants from at least three different countries consisting of at least three research institutions in the Nordic region.
- Each gender must be represented by a minimum of 40% of the participants in the network.
- PhD students and young researchers should be included in the network.
- Cooperation with other regions including the Northwest Atlantic region, the Baltic Sea region and other European countries is encouraged.
- The applications are expected to contribute to the strategic goals of the NKJ and to promote competitiveness and innovation in the Nordic countries.
Economic framework
- The amount applied for from NKJ can be maximum 300 000 SEK.
- The funding should primarily be spent on networking costs, e.g. costs for arranging scientific meetings, workshops and conferences including accommodation, travel and conference fees but could also cover costs for designing policy recommendations based on research findings, write large-scale research funding applications, creating or maintaining databases or websites (excluding hardware) and communication activities.
- Labour costs are not eligible for financing. This includes salary and overhead costs, and the costs of board meetings or other administrative meetings.
- Networks are expected to co-finance at least 50% of the total budget.
- Co-financing can either consist of cash or be in the form of in-kind such as working hours (salaries) or access to infrastructure or other resources.
Communication activities and reporting
- Network participants are expected to keep NKJ informed about their ongoing activities by inviting the NKJ secretariat to related events.
- Outputs of the network are expected to include publication of findings to NKJ for dissemination in various channels.
- Network participants are expected to report their activities, including expenditures, by the 1st of March 2023.
For more information, visit https://nordicagriresearch.org/a-nordic-cooperating-body-within-agricultural-and-food-research/