GCBC Research Grant Competition 2

Theme – Unlocking Nature: Driving innovation in how biodiversity can support climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods through practice and governance.

Understanding the evidence gaps in the potential of nature-based solutions using less utilised species (plants, animals, insects, fungi, trees, etc.) to:

• improve poor livelihoods through more resilience to climate change;
• meet resource or ecosystem service demands; and
• protect and conserve traditional knowledge and biodiversity;
• is critical to finding innovative approaches to guide practice and governance.

Focus Areas

GCBC invites project concept submissions that focus their research at the intersection of the GCBC’s three focus areas:

• Climate change
• Livelihoods and poverty alleviation
• Biodiversity

Theme Areas

Under this theme, the RGC is focused on seven sub theme areas. They are:

• Land/water use – Innovative solutions for replacement land/water use practices and materials to achieve climate resilience and livelihood improvement.
• Habitat/species conservation – Balancing the need to conserve habitats and wild species in the face of extractive industries (e.g., farming, mining, logging, hunting and fishing operations) – in practice and policy.
• Sustainable production and consumption – Reversing unsustainable anthropogenic consumption and exploitation patterns through innovative ways to value biodiversity more wisely.
• Biodiversity potential – Realising the potential from plant, fungi and wildlife resources to improve livelihoods in the face of climate change; and raise awareness of the value of biodiversity to incentivise conservation.
• Incentives – How can and what types of incentives can contribute to the sustainable use of biodiversity for different income streams by local communities to improve climate resilience and livelihoods.
• Knowledge and data – Filling knowledge and data gaps on land use and marine systems of LMICs and building capacity of scientists and institutions to engage with the science policy interface.
• Ecosystem resilience – Identifying and addressing the interactions and cumulative impacts of existing stressors and climate change on natural ecosystems, and the implications of those for managing biodiversity in a way that builds resilience of ecosystems and local livelihoods to climate change.

Funding Information

• Grants must not exceed a total value of £1m, and be of a minimum value of £100k. They are looking for grants sizes that fit into one of the following 4 pools:
  • £100k – 250k
  • £250k – 500k
  • £500k – 750k
  • £750k – £1M
• Note: the value of any individual grant may not exceed 25% of the applicant’s or Lead Consortia’s Partner’s average income/turnover for the past 3 years.
• Research Period
  • The research period will run for up to a maximum of 36 months from no later than November 2024.
  • GCBC will consider project concept notes that range between 12- 36 months.

Geographic Focus

• Any proposed offer must be from, or include as a Partner in a consortium, an Organisation from an ODA-eligible country in the target geographic areas. A UK-based Partner or a presence in the UK is not essential.
• GCBC will accept applications for projects with activities in ODA eligible countries in Latin America (including Central America), the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South-east Asia and the Pacific and Small Island Developing States.
• Activities taking place in countries subject to UK sanctions are unlikely to receive funding. (Please note: Russian organisations are ineligible to be a Lead Applicant or Partner).

Organisation Eligibility

• Applications are encouraged from many different types of potential Delivery Partners, both local and international, including, but not limited to:
  • non-government organisations,
  • civil society organisations,
  • multilateral organisations,
  • social development organisations,
  • academic institutions,
  • private sector partners.
• Funding can also be awarded to parastatal organisations if the proposed activities are not receiving funding from other governments. UN bodies are eligible under the same terms and conditions as other applicants.
• Applicants must not be under any debarment or exclusion due to professional or fiduciary malpractice.
• Any proposed activities must be eligible (primary purpose to promote the economic development and welfare of developing countries) for ODA funding.
• Any proposed offer from a consortium should be headed by a single Lead Delivery Partner. Prospective Lead Delivery Partners will lead and submit applications on behalf of all members of their consortium.
• Applications for project concept(s) must be:
  • led by an Organisation with offices in an ODA eligible country, or
  • led by an Organisation which forms part of a consortium with Organisations that have an office in an ODA eligible country or countries.
• The GCBC encourages applications from the Lead Delivery Partners/Organisations based in the target ODA-eligible country. New and equitable partnerships involving local project Partners are also encouraged.
• Private sector partners may be consortia members, but are ineligible to receive grant funds for profit, or act as consortia Lead Delivery Partners.
• PhD Students are not eligible for funding under this grant competition.

For more information, visit GCBC.