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Call for Proposals: FAPESP Young Investigator Grant on South Atlantic Ocean and Antarctic sciences

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Call announcement: September 16, 2024
Deadline for submission of pre-proposal: November 25, 2024
Selection result of pre-proposal announcement: December 13, 2024
Deadline for submission of full proposals: March 10, 2025
Final results announcement: June 30, 2025
Project Start Date: August, 2025
FAPESP Support Opportunity: Young Investigator Grant (PROASA Program)
Maximum duration of the projects: 60 months
FAPESP Contact: proasa@fapesp.br

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Introduction

The FAPESP Program for the South Atlantic Ocean and Antarctic sciences (PROASA) aims to contribute to the generation, dissemination, and application of knowledge through scientific, technological, and innovative approaches in two interconnected yet still little-known planetary compartments (the South Atlantic Ocean and Antarctica). These compartments modulate processes that positively and negatively influence the potential for sustainable development in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, and the world. Therefore, PROASA considers initiatives focused on coastal and marine environments in the South Atlantic, under and beyond national jurisdiction, and on Antarctica, which includes the Antarctic continent and the Southern Ocean (or Antarctic Ocean). The PROASA aims to contribute to the advancement of knowledge and its application to confront planetary crises and promote sustainable development.

With this Call for Proposals, the São Paulo Research Foundation – FAPESP – wants to bring in up to five researchers who are early in their careers and excel in their specific fields of knowledge. Proposals will be received under FAPESP's Young Investigator Grant support opportunity, aimed at establishing new scientific leadership in the state, only through the SAGe system. This Call is open for proposals from researchers working abroad (Brazilian or not) who wish to start a research career at a research institution located in the State of São Paulo. It seeks to stimulate the creation of opportunities, under internationally competitive conditions, for young researchers with exceptional research backgrounds. Proponents must demonstrate achievements after their doctorate research that indicate leadership capacity and great potential for developing new research groups. A clear international insertion is important, along with an impact on the ongoing research at São Paulo State. Priority is given to topics not yet covered by researchers in the state or that complement themes already being explored.

It is also expected that the research projects foster the formation of highly qualified human resources, with undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows pursuing high-quality and impactful research. Partnerships with companies may also be considered if they are dedicated to the scientific theme of the project.

Successful applicants are expected to actively participate in the PROASA networking meetings and workshops aimed at strengthening the oceanic and Antarctic scientific community within São Paulo and Brazil.

1. Research themes

PROASA supports the knowledge to overcome sustainability challenges, integrating scientific discoveries and benefits for society aimed at combating pressures, promoting resilience, and generating and sharing prosperity through the following principles:

• Fostering inter and transdisciplinary, integrative, and inclusive approaches, with emphasis on the rapprochement between natural and human sciences;

• Valuing different knowledge systems, such as scientific and traditional, local and/or Indigenous;

• Supporting agile, responsible, and replicable approaches, contextualized in society’s demands;

• Promoting knowledge co-design and co-production processes, enhancing the integration of knowledge producers and users, and strengthening institutional partnerships and dialogues between social actors;

• Overcoming barriers to diversity and equity, including gender, generational and geographic diversity;

• Ensuring that all resulting data and knowledge is shared and accessible.

Considering the principles above, proposals will encompass all areas of ocean sciences (e.g. biological, physical, geological, chemical, and social oceanography), which are exemplified by but not limited to the thematic areas listed in Annex I, justified within the general PROASA scope and mission. Proposals focused on Antarctica will only be considered if not dependent on fieldwork (e.g. studies with samples already collected and based on modeling and theoretical approaches).

2. Eligibility criteria

A researcher must comply with the eligibility requirements of FAPESP’s Young Investigator Grant, as specified in fapesp.br/jp, while the following modifications of the guidelines apply to this Call:

a) In this Call for Proposals, applicants with at least 2 years of successful international postdoctoral experience are sought. A non-exhaustive list of success indicators are: publication of articles in journals with high editorial quality, leadership in these publications, invited talks at consolidated conferences and institutions, relative impact in the research field, awards and honors;

b) Be fluent in English.

3. Characteristics of proposals under this Call

a) Candidates must follow the FAPESP’s rules and guidelines for submitting proposals for the Young Investigator Grant (fapesp.br/jp); exceptions in the eligible budget items are outlined in item 3.2;

b) Although collaborations with established groups at specific topics are allowed and encouraged, a competitive proposal must have a clear and independent line of research;

c) Research project must be written in English.

3.1. Duration of the Grant

a) The duration of the proposed project must be 60 months, including a fellowship (see below);

b) During the development of the research project, it is desirable that the Young Investigator apply for open permanent positions at the host or other institutions in the State of São Paulo (tenure track option);

c) After the conclusion of the project, if the Young Investigator obtained a permanent position in a university or research institution in the State of São Paulo, he/she can continue his/her research activities by applying for funding through FAPESP regular funding options, including the prestigious Young Investigator Grant – Phase 2.

3.2. Support offered by FAPESP:

a) Each application should not exceed five million Reais (5.000.000,00 BRL) , including the Young Investigator Fellowship and fellowships (for students and postdocs). Fellowship costs, computers, equipment, and others may be included in the SAGe system. Successful applicants delivering outstanding results are eligible to request additional funds by the end of the third year;

b) A Young Investigator Fellowship, to be paid up to the total duration of the grant or until the Young Investigator obtains a permanent position at an institution in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The monthly value of the fellowship is announced at www.fapesp.br/3162;

c) Items allowed by FAPESP are described in item 7 of the Young Investigator Grant Guidelines (fapesp.br/jp);

d) For this Call, a few exceptions to scholarships and post-doctoral fellowships applies relative to the usual guidelines for the Young Investigator Grant (see item 7.1e in fapesp.br/jp):

i. Up to two Post-Doctoral (PD) fellowships are allowed and may be included in the budget. Outstanding postdoctoral fellows will be selected by the successful grantees, which must satisfy FAPESP's guidelines for the Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program, described at fapesp.br/en/5427;

ii. In addition to the usual fellowships allowed in the Young Investigator Grant (e.g. DD, MS, IC), regular PhD (DR) will also be allowed. As usual, the usual FAPESP guidelines apply for each fellowship. The graduate scholarships will only be implemented after the Young Investigator becomes officially accredited in a graduate Program in the destination institution;

iii. To enhance collaboration with local companies based in São Paulo State, eligible candidates will have the opportunity to apply for Technical Training Fellowships (TT) upon finding suitable industry partners. These fellowships aim to facilitate technological research and innovation endeavors in public or private companies, with a particular focus on technology-based startups within the State of São Paulo. Applications can be submitted after the research plan is initiated and may access additional funding opportunities following merit review by FAPESP.

e) Successful applicants living abroad will be granted traveling stipends to cover air tickets to support the applicant and family, following the rules outlined in fapesp.br/7771/auxilio-instalacao.

4. Proposal submission and evaluation

The proposal submission will occur exclusively through FAPESP's SAGe system and will be split in three steps:

a) Pre-proposal submission. Candidates with selected pre-proposals will be invited to join a virtual Q&A Call to support the full proposal elaboration and submission;

b) Full proposal submission;

c) Online presentation & Interview. Candidates receiving positive reviews on their full proposals will be then invited for an online presentation (12 min) followed by an interview with members of the Evaluation Committee.

4.1. Pre-proposal

The pre-proposal must be submitted in English exclusively via the SAGe system. The required documents are:

a) The SAGe menu path for this Call is: Nova Proposta Inicial > + Outras Linhas de Fomento > + Programas Especiais > + PROASA> + Projeto de Pesquisa – Jovens Pesquisadores > + Chamada de Propostas (2024);

b) Summarized CV in English (up to 5 pages) including the following key information (exceptionally, in this Call FAPESP will accept a summarized cv in format different from usually required):

i. Researcher identification:

a. Scopus ID;

b. Google scholar profile;

c. Scopus ResearcherID.

ii. Short career summary (<400 words);

iii. A brief summary of outstanding scientific achievements and how they may contribute to the current proposal;

iv. List of 5 most important publications; Indicate leadership role in the research results obtained and justify why these results are impactful;

v. Top 5 Invited talks;

vi. Degrees and previous appointments;

vii. Report any interruptions arising from medical, maternity and paternity leave, care for other people (e.g. sick, elderly, people with disabilities), indicating start and end dates. Circumstances that may have impacted school and academic performance may also be reported.

c) Short Research Project (max 5 pages, single-space, font size 12);

d) A hyperlink to a 12-minutes or less recording (presentation/screencast) on the main goals and challenges of proposed research projects. Longer presentations will not be considered; presentations must be in English and a pdf file should be included in SAGe system as an annex in the documentation section. Candidates are encouraged to provide a short overview (~1 slide) of their relevant past activities;

e) Budget items to be included through SAGe system; it is not necessary to include vendor quotations at this stage;

f) It is not mandatory to have selected the host institution at this stage;

g) At least 2 letters of recommendation from senior researchers about the candidate. The candidates will indicate the senior researchers' contact information in the SAGe system. They will be contacted directly by FAPESP requesting the recommendation letter with the subject "Recommendation Letter for (CANDIDATE FULL NAME)". Candidates will not have access to the content of the submitted recommendation letters.

4.2. Pre-proposal evaluation

An evaluation committee will judge the submitted proposals considering the following criteria:

a) Originality & innovation;

b) Project importance and contribution to scientific knowledge around the themes and principles presented in section 1;

c) Suitability of investigators’ scientific background to the project, including the eligibility criteria outlined in section 2.

5. Submission of full proposal (for those approved in the pre-proposal phase)

The full proposal must be submitted through FAPESP’s proposal submission platform SAGe. Researchers selected in the pre-proposal evaluation will be requested by email to submit additional documentation in the SAGe system.

a) The applicants must ensure they have company-issued quotations for each capital equipment to be purchased in Brazil or abroad whose value is ten times higher than the minimum wage in Brazil. It is not necessary to submit invoices at this stage;

b) The full proposal must describe which activities will be tackled in each solicited fellowship (PhD, MsC, Scientific Initiation, Postdoc etc.). A short 1-page summary describing research goals and schedule must be submitted for each requested fellowship.

5.1. Full proposal evaluation

The review process will follow the guidelines:

a) All proposals will be sent to at least two external reviewers and, a FAPESP evaluation committee will weigh their evaluations and rank the proposals;

b) The reviewers will evaluate the proposal’s potential impact on the field; its relation to or differences from existing works; how it may provide new routes for the relevant open research challenges;

During this phase, along with the reviewer’s proposal evaluation, the committee will consider the following items:

i) Likelihood of having a high impact on the field if the project is successful;

ii) Proposal of alternative and effective experimental/theoretical strategies;

iii) Proponent’s capacity to initiate new strategic cooperation with research institutions at local, regional, and international level while preserving the research independence.

5.2. Final results

a) Upon receiving a final positive recommendation of the proposals, the awarded candidates will be invited to a virtual interview;

b) The nomination of the selected candidate is final and therefore no appeal for reconsideration is possible.

6. Timeline

Event	Date
Call announcement	September 16, 2024
Deadline for submission of pre-proposal	November 25, 2024
Pre-Proposal evaluation result sent to PIs	December 13, 2024
Questions and Answers Meeting	Feb, 14, 2025
Submission of full proposals	March 10, 2025
Evaluation Committee Interview	May, 2025
Selection result announcement	June 30, 2025
Start of Project	August, 2025

7. FAPESP’s Research Networking Tool

The Virtual Library (bv.fapesp.br/en) includes FAPESP’s database of awarded research grants and scholarships. In it, you may search for information on grants and fellowships funded by FAPESP, including abstracts as well as the name of participating researchers and their institutions.

8. Contact information

Questions related to this Call must be directed to:

1. Email proasa@fapesp.br using the subject: "Young Investigator Grant on South Atlantic Ocean and Antarctic sciences";

2. Frequently asked questions will be available at the PROASA Program website fapesp.br/proasa.

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Annex 1. Examples of thematic areas within ocean sciences encompassed by the FAPESP Program for the South Atlantic and Antarctica.

1. Understand the structure, functioning and importance of the socio-ecological systems of the South Atlantic and Antarctica and their transscalar connections. Despite their importance, the structure and functioning of ecosystems are being altered and ecosystem services are being lost due to the increasing degradation of coastal, oceanic, and Antarctic areas. Research is encouraged in the most varied areas of marine and Antarctic sciences, with special emphasis on the integration between natural and human sciences, strengthening inter- and transdisciplinarity and leading to a systemic and evolutionary understanding of these environments and their importance and vulnerabilities, including the identification of tipping points on planetary boundaries, aiming to build the conceptual bases, considering traditional knowledge, to promote sustainable development.

2. Expand the observation and modeling system for the South Atlantic and Antarctica. To overcome this challenge, sustained basin-scale observations are needed to detect changes that could have a profound impact on the climate system and predictive models of extreme events that affect the coastal zone are needed, which depend on accurate information about oceanographic processes. Operational oceanography involves systematically obtaining data on variables considered essential to the management of coastal, marine and Antarctic environments, including physical, geological, biogeochemical, biological and ecosystem information, which must be sampled periodically at appropriate time and space scales. It also involves the mapping and characterization of the seabed, essential to promote adequate and sustainable management of human activities. It also involves the development of innovative oceanographic equipment, considering its maintenance and calibration, and technologies and strategies for collecting, curating and sharing samples and data, as well as the training of specialized human resources.

3. Create a digital representation of the South Atlantic and Antarctica and reduce society's vulnerability to ocean-related risks. Current knowledge of the ocean is limited and uneven due to highly heterogeneous conditions and the capacity to develop ocean science across countries and regions. These inequalities must be eliminated by improving access to data, with controlled quality, and information through appropriate and accessible products and interfaces for different audiences, such as the scientific community, governments, educators, the private sector, and the general public. Accessible, high-quality information will support better management, innovation and decision-making, contributing to the achievement of sustainability. As an example, this thematic axis contributes to the safety of maritime activities, such as navigation, fishing, mineral extraction and recreation, including human occupation of the coastal zone and biodiversity. This implies continuous observation of the ocean (accurate knowledge of sea conditions and state on scales from hours to months; see thematic axis 2) and the prediction, in operational mode, of extreme events and tides applied to coastal risk management, studies of maneuverability in seaports and environmental impact assessment and remediation in the event of oil spills or marine litter, for example. This approach involves advances in open science, including research in communication strategies, scientific philosophy, publishing and public policy skills, and technology development, in order to improve information dissemination and decision making. It considers components related to data science, artificial intelligence and learning systems, integrating data producers and users.

4. Understand and combat marine pollution. Science to face this challenge must make it possible to identify, quantify, prevent, reduce, and remove marine pollution, a critical issue for ocean health. Considering the source-to-sea approach, this thematic area has a strong trans scalar component, so it must design research protocols that make it possible to track and identify pollution sources within a source-destination continuum as well as identify and mitigate their effects (e.g. toxic algal blooms). It also considers contribution to the development of technologies for environmental monitoring and remediation, as well as to the understanding and formulation of national and international regulatory and economic aspects to control marine pollution.

5. Protect and restore coastal and marine biodiversity and ecosystems and develop nature-based solutions to promote ecosystem health. Strategies for environmental conservation, creation and management of marine protected areas, as well as the use of natural resources, need to consider climate change and an ecosystem approach based on a deep understanding of modern and past oceanographic processes. Some marine ecosystems, such as mangroves, salt marshes, and coral reefs, are particularly affected by these limitations. Furthermore, advances in international and national legislation are not sufficient to prevent the translocation of exotic species and their impacts. For protected areas to be ecologically representative, interconnected, and managed equitably, it is necessary to know more about how coastal and marine ecosystems function today and in the past, the processes that threaten them and how to guarantee their health and improve their resilience, particularly in the face of the expected effects of global and local environmental changes. It is necessary to consider traditional knowledge to enrich the understanding of how they work and the paths to sustainability. Based on this solid knowledge about the socio-ecological system, holistic strategies and instruments for the creation of models of interconnected and equitably managed protected areas can be proposed, dialoguing with advances in the management of protected areas (monitoring, surveillance, and control), nature-based solutions, ecological restoration, and promotion of the concept of one health that involve integration with different social actors.

6. Expand understanding of the nexus between the ocean and climate and develop strategies for mitigating and adapting to climate change. A combination of local and global actions is essential to face this challenge, including numerical modeling studies with the assimilation of observations, for example, of the circulation of ocean currents on a small and large scale. This strategic and integrative approach is closely aligned with the vision of a predictable, safe, productive, and sustainably used ocean, an important expected outcome of the Ocean Decade. These challenges must be faced in a partnership regime based on scientific data, articulating institutions, and research projects to produce predictions and support actions. This initiative must be directly linked to the activities of government bodies responsible for producing responses to mitigate environmental disasters and implementing preventive actions to minimize their projected impacts. In this context, it is also essential to understand the importance of promoting relevant scientific advances in governance and management, including planning strategies for the use and occupation of territory (e.g. Marine Spatial Planning).

7. Contribute to food security in a sustainable way. The need to increase fish production, expand the number of species produced, and diversify production systems demands scientific and technological advances in fishing and mariculture. Fishing involves thousands of artisanal fishermen and women and is an important source of income and food, in addition to driving an intense export market. However, the sector is in crisis due to the depletion of fishing resources, the degradation and loss of habitats, the scarcity of technology to reduce bycatch or improve the added value of fish, and the low efficiency in governance strategies across scales. These problems are aggravated by the lack of updated information and systematic monitoring of fishing, which perpetuates the lack of knowledge about the stocks exploited in the national territory, generating losses for the entire productive sector. Fishing requires effective actions to coordinate continuous and systematic data collection and analysis, encompassing technical, socioeconomic, and ecological information, ensuring the application of the ecosystem approach to fishing. Understanding the effect of climate change and biodiversity loss on fisheries and developing innovative fishing and fisheries management technologies are challenges to be overcome. The main challenge of mariculture is the development of new technologies that contribute to the generation of new products with minimal environmental impact, more efficient production systems that use the principles of circular economy and bioeconomy, and biotechnology. To face many of these challenges, the researchers need to get closer to fishermen, producers, and the industry.

8. Develop a sustainable and equitable ocean economy by fostering transformative technologies for sustainability. The promotion of a sustainable ocean economy emerges as a relevant approach that demands strategic investments in science, technology, and innovation involving partnerships with the private sector. The maritime economy includes traditional sectors such as fish catching and processing, shipping, ports, shipbuilding and repair, deepwater offshore oil and gas production, dredging, tourism, education, and research and development. Among the emerging segments, mariculture, oil and gas exploration in ultra-deep waters in pre-salt layer reservoirs, offshore wind energy and other sources of renewable energy from the ocean (waves, tides, currents, and temperature and salinity gradients), seabed mining, defense, maritime security, marine biotechnology, and high-tech maritime products and services stand out. Therefore, there is still a vast array of possibilities to be developed, which considers the exploration of living and non-living resources, but also the exploitation of the benefits generated by the ocean to people. This requires inter and transdisciplinary research, in dialogue with society, the private sector, and policymakers so that the strategies developed are effectively sustainable. Among them, there is the need to identify the potential and develop knowledge that creates opportunities to promote an economy based on sustainable production and equitable prosperity, promoting environmental and social justice, which also demands the design of institutional and legal.

9. Understand humanity's relations with the South Atlantic and Antarctica and identify strategies to improve them. This thematic axis is transversal to the others and seeks to overcome the challenge of promoting an inspiring and engaging oceanic and Antarctic environment, involving society as an actor in promoting sustainability. Among the various inter and transdisciplinary approaches that need to be encouraged, there are important frontiers in knowledge about education and communication, including instruments and processes to enhance the promotion of Ocean Literacy in a format and language appropriate to different segments of society, improving the understanding of the role of ocean and Antarctica to society and the effect of its activities on them. Disruptive approaches to teaching at different levels to change the individual and collective relationship with the ocean and Antarctica and their future are encouraged. Understanding different knowledge systems, especially indigenous and traditional, and ways to promote collaborative governance processes are still necessary advances that require a strategic approach to the human sciences so that strategic decisions can be taken considering, for example, the different types of economic development models and the vocations and vulnerabilities of the territory.

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