NSFC-TUBITAK CALL FOR COLLABORATIVE PROPOSALS IN COVID-19 RESEARCH 

Guidance for Applicants

Call status: Open

Start of the Applications: June 12, 2020 (09:00 am Turkish Time and Beijing Time)

Closing date for Applications: August 7, 2020 (04:00 pm Beijing Time and 05:00 pm Turkish Time)

Contents

I.          Summary

II.        Scope of the Call

III.       Funding available

IV.      Eligibility

V.        Application

VI.      Evaluation

VII.     Additional Considerations

VIII.    Reporting

IX.      Timetable 

X.        Contacts. 

I.              Summary

On March 11, 2020, the coronavirus outbreak was declared a global pandemic by the WHO. The spread and potential lasting existence of the COVID-19 pose severe threats to the world. In face of the global challenge, joint efforts of science funding agencies, based on the principles of equality, openness and mutual benefits, are urgently needed to accelerate the R&D activities against the novel coronavirus. To mobilize scientific communities and facilitate research responses to COVID-19, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) are opening a call for collaborative proposals in COVID-19 research.

The purpose of the call is to build on the combined strengths of academic research groups within China and Turkey to work together on collaborative research that will advance the understanding of the coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2) and the illness it causes (COVID-19), in order to contribute to the global response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Applicants are invited to submit bilateral collaborative research proposals comprising eligible researchers from China and Turkey. This call for proposals will require applicants to work together in partnership within transnational teams on research projects where each country’s component is funded by the respective funding agency. Eligibility to apply is determined by each agency’s eligibility rules and the nature of the resources requested must also adhere to each agency’s guidelines. Further information is presented below and within Annex. Applicants wishing to apply to the call must use the specific Joint Project Description (JPD) Template associated with this call.

Project duration is 24 months.

The deadline for receipt of proposals is: 7 August 2020 for applicants.

II.            Scope of the Call

Based on the research agenda defined by the WHO[1], the priorities identified by the participating funding agencies, as well as the research capacity in China andTurkey, the scope of collaborative research will include:

·         Screening and development of broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus drugs;

·         Research and development of anti-coronavirus vaccine;

·         Etiology and pathogenic mechanisms of animal-derived viruses and protective immune mechanisms against virus;

·         New technologies for rapid and precise diagnosis of coronavirus;

·         Public health management, operational sciences, health delivery sciences and social and behavioural aspects of emergency public health response. 

The funding agencies wish to develop and strengthen transnational collaborations and to support collaborations which will have a real impact in this field. Applicants must successfully demonstrate the sustainability of the collaboration and the potential impact of the activities proposed.

III.           Funding available

The projects will be supported with grants in accordance with the respective national funding regulations. Details are set out in the relevant country annex.

NSFC:

Chinese partners that are eligible for funding can receive up to ￥1.5 million for projects of 24 months. NSFC-funded costs of each grant will be issued and managed by NSFC according to its funding guidelines and procedures.

TUBITAK:

TüB?TAK funds up to 720.000 Turkish Liras (excl.  overhead and Project Incentive Premium-PIP) per project under the financial principles of TüB?TAK 1071 Program (please check the application rules for Turkish side：

https://www.tubitak.gov.tr/sites/default/files/3125/1071_arastirma_projeleri_surec_dokumani.pdf   

IV.          Eligibility

Each collaborative research proposal must involve at a minimum one eligible Principal Investigator based in the China and one eligible Principal Investigator based in Turkey.

All applicants must adhere to national eligibility rules for research proposals as set out in the relevant country annex. Any queries concerning eligibility should be addressed to the contact persons of the respective funding agencies.

Principal Investigators need to ensure that they and any Co-Investigators included on the application are eligible. Applications involving any ineligible applicants (from China or Turkey) will result in the whole application being rejected.  

V.            Application

For each proposal, the Chinese PI must apply using NSFC’s ISISN system (http://isisn.nsfc.gov.cn/egrantweb/) by completing a standard NSFC grant application along with the JPD in English. The Call Guidance in Chinese is at http://bic.nsfc.gov.cn/Show.aspx?AI=1320. The Turkish PI must apply using details are set out in the relevant country Annex.

Please note the JPD must be jointly composed by the consortia. The applicants must submit the JPD to their country’s funder respectively. The JPD will be the most important material for evaluation.

The deadline for receipt of proposals is: 7 August 2020.

Collaboration Agreement

As the research projects will be carried out by bilateral project partners, the basis of collaboration between the project partners, including ownership of intellectual property (IP) generated during the project and rights to exploitation, and IP management is expected to be set out in a collaboration agreement between the Principal Investigators involved. It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigators to put such an agreement in place before the research begins. The terms of collaboration must not conflict with the funding agencies terms and conditions and national law.

Arrangements for collaboration and/or exploitation must not prevent the future progression of academic research and the dissemination of research results in accordance with academic custom and practise and the requirements of the funding bodies.

Details of key issues included in the Collaboration Agreement, for example management of IP, should be described in JPD. The full Collaboration Agreement must be available to be shared with the funders once the project is approved.

VI.          Evaluation

Each funding agency will carry out eligibility and internal checks and agree which proposals will go forward for assessment. Only proposals that fit the call topics mentioned in Part II of this call will be evaluated and funded. 

Eligible proposals will be subject to the independent evaluation by the funding agencies. Each funding agency will first establish its respective ranking list of proposals according to the evaluation result. Then a common ranking list will be developed based on a joint panel meeting organized by NSFC and TüB?TAK with panellists recommended by the two funding agencies. The final decision on projects to be funded will be made based on the common ranking list and within available budget of funding agencies.

 Assessment Criteria

To be funded, proposals must be internationally competitive and at a standard equivalent to that normally expected to be supported by each funding organisation.

Assessment criteria for NSFC include:

·         Relevance of the proposal to the call

·         Scientific and technical quality of the proposal

·         Project management, methodology, work plan, milestones

·         Quality of the consortium

·         Mobilization of resources

Assessment criteria for TüB?TAK include:

·         Scientific/Technological Excellence

·         Methodology

·         Project Management

·         Importance of International Collaboration

·         Impact

For further information about the assessment process, please refer to Country Annex.

In addition to the assessment criteria, applicants should carefully demonstrate within the JPD that their projects:

·         Represent true collaborative partnerships between transnational research teams; the added value of such collaborations should be clearly highlighted within the proposals.

·         Contain an integrated work plan and an equal commitment to the project (in terms of hours dedicated to the project rather than project costs). Projects that appear to be working in parallel with little interaction between countries will not be supported.

Applicants who receive funding from this call must be prepared to contribute to workshops and/or other networking activities associated with this call.

VII.         Additional Considerations

Ethical issues

Proposals that involve experiments on animals and/or human must be conducted in such a way that is in accordance with the laws and regulations that is applicable in each country.

All countries where research will be undertaken should be identified. The following special issues should be taken into account:

·         If the project involves ethical content, the applicant must provide the Ethical Approval from Ethics Committees of their own or relevant authority as the attachment to the proposal for Chinese side. Turkish side shall provide the Ethical Approval Form only if their project is selected to be funded.

·         If the project involves Informed Consent Form, the relevant regulations must be followed. 

Data management and transfer of materials

Collection and exchange of data and materials must be in strict compliance with the funding agencies terms and the legislation in effect in the respective countries.

VIII.        Reporting

The projects will be monitored through progress reports and the final report by respective funding agencies for its content and progress.  

IX.          Timetable

X.            Contacts

XI.           

Annex 1： Additional guidance for Turkish applicants

Annex 1： Additional guidance for Turkish applicants.docx

Annex 2:  Joint Project Description Form

Annex 2  Joint Project Description Form.doc