Capacity-building à la carte - Frequently asked questions
1. How can we apply for a grant?
2. What happens if we miss the deadline for applications?
3. Will the Programme support scientific activities?
5. Then what type of activities does the Programme fund?
6. Will GCP always grant the maximum amount (US$40,000) for each and every proposal?
7. Can part of the award be used to complete MSc or PhD studies?
8. Does individual training exclusively have to be at institutions in the South?
9. Will this Programme give our institution capacity to carry out GCP research in the future?
10. What does our institution need to do prior to receiving the grant, if our proposal is selected?
11. Where will the grant funds be deposited?
13. Are we required to submit reports?
14. Will the Programme fund consumables?
15. Will the Programme consider training scientists from the North?
1. How can we apply for a grant?
First of all, you must know that this grant is for teams, not individuals, and that the Programme mainly targets institutions collaborating in ongoing GCP projects.. Equally important, the institution must be a non-GCP Consortium member. The full requirements are spelt out in the section ‘Preparation and submission of proposals’ in the call for proposals.
Proposals must be elaborated by a Team leader from a developing country GCP partner national research institution, in conjunction with:
a. the Principal Investigator (PI) of the associated GCP project;, or,
b. a project collaborator designated by the PI in a) above.
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2. What happens if we miss the deadline for applications?
Your team has to wait until the next call. Normally this may take up to one year. We therefore highly recommended that you prepare and submit your proposal well in advance of the deadline. Please note the proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
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3. Will the Programme support scientific activities?
Yes, but we do not fund consumable supplies. Such supplies should be funded by the associated GCP project or your institution (as an in-kind contribution, which also demonstrates proof of commitment to long-term engagement). Since this is one of the points of greatest confusion from our experience, before you incur such expenses, we strongly advise that you first contact the Subprogramme 5 Assistant for clarity and to pre-empt potential problems.
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4. If my team wants to organise a workshop for NARS scientists on a relevant subject, will GCP fund the workshop?
Not necessarily, and workshops per se will not be funded because the Programme does not cover events. Instead, it aims to strengthen teams by filling gaps in knowledge, skills and/or equipment. As such, the Programme may cover participation of team members in a workshop on a case-by-case basis. It could also cover a small internal workshop if this is part of the technical expert backstopping. However, please note that such activities must be part and parcel of a broader capacity-building plan.
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5. Then what type of activities does the Programme fund?
Formal or informal training, mini-grants for equipment, hands-on research opportunities in advanced research institutions and on-site technical backstopping. We advise teams not to limit their proposals to just a single one of these categories (ie, mini-grants for field equipment, mini-grants for laboratory machinery, etc.), but rather to present a comprehensive plan to fill as many gaps as possible in all the categories. The proposed plan should respond to the question: “If we want to continue, and enhance, our engagement in this project, what does our team need in terms of capacity?
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6. Will GCP always grant the maximum amount (US$40,000) for each and every proposal?
No. This figure (US$40,000) is the maximum award per project per year. The budget must be rationally calculated, depending on the number and type of proposed solutions in the proposal. In addition, GCP will carefully review the budget, and the team may be requested to revise the budget before receiving the grant. See also ‘Are we required to submit reports?’
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7. Can part of the award be used to complete MSc or PhD studies?
Yes, but there are conditions and this would not be a scholarship. The programme may provide partial support for ongoing long-term postgraduate studies, as long as the proposal to fund such individual study demonstrates multiple and simultaneous benefits to the project, the team and the home institution.
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8. Does individual training exclusively have to be at institutions in the South?
GCP’s primary choice is South-South training. However, in some cases, the specialised instruction is only found at advanced research institutions in developed countries. In such cases, GCP will support South-North training.
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9. Will this Programme give our institution capacity to carry out GCP research in the future?
This is indeed one of the core purposes of this Programme. Once the institution completes the proposed activities, the expectation is that Programme will strengthen the institution to more readily access, use and apply GCP results and products. This also means the institution has the advantage of being better positioned for further collaboration either in GCP projects, or to help further GCP goals through related projects.
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10. What does our institution need to do prior to receiving the grant, if our proposal is selected?
The lead institution must enter into a contractual agreement with the GCP’s Host Agent. The grant funds will only be deposited after acceptance of the terms and conditions of the agreement.
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11. Where will the grant funds be deposited?
The funds must go directly to the lead institution’s bank account. Funds will not be transferred to an account that does not bear the name of this institution.
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12. The implementation of activities in our proposal may take more than a year. Can GCP guarantee funding for a second year?
This may be possible, though not a guarantee. Continued funding will depend on performance and support to GCP by the funder community.
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13. Are we required to submit reports?
Reports are necessary for all GCP-funded activities, and not just for this Programme (see Reporting responsibilities and Reporting schedule in ‘GCP project management policies’. Two progress reports will be required: one due 9 months after inception and the final report after one year.
Most Capacity-building à la carte projects run for one to two years. In exceptional cases, additional funding may be granted under certain conditions, one of them being a positive performance assessment of the project by GCP.
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14. Will the Programme fund consumables?
No. Consumables (eg, DNA extraction) are beyond the scope of this Programme.
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15. Will the Programme consider training scientists from the North?
Unfortunately no. But please note we do not entirely shut the door: scientists from the North are welcome to participate in the Programme by training fellow scientists in the global South!
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