Purpose
The Multi-institutional biodiversity data mobilization grants aim to support collaborations between institutions to increase the availability and use of open biodiversity data for research and policy in the Pacific.
Specific objectives include:
- Establishing or strengthening institutional collaborations to mobilize policy-relevant biodiversity data for decision-making and to support the knowledge needs of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
- Increasing the accessibility of open biodiversity data during and beyond the project period.
- Supporting the use of biodiversity data to address national or regional priorities.
Projects must include activities in each of the following three areas:
1. Building and expanding data-sharing networks
Activities in this area should focus on creating or strengthening sustainable collaborations for biodiversity data sharing. Examples include:
- Strengthening collaborations in networks coordinated by GBIF Participant nodes.
- Developing strategies to establish new GBIF Participant nodes.
- Conducting surveys or studies to assess data holdings and user needs to inform a collaboration strategy.
- Organizing workshops to foster collaboration between institutions.
- Establishing data-publishing workflows.
- Training stakeholders on data mobilization and management.
2. Mobilizing biodiversity data
Activities in this area should focus on digitizing and sharing existing sources of biodiversity data through GBIF. Examples include:
- Compiling inventories of biodiversity data holdings, such as metadata catalogues.
- Digitizing and publishing data from biological collections, monitoring activities, DNA metabarcoding, literature or citizen science projects, and other related areas.
- Validating and publishing relevant taxonomic checklists.
3. Supporting the integration of biodiversity information into research and policymaking processes
Activities in this area should demonstrate the practical use of open biodiversity data. Examples include:
- Organizing surveys or workshops to identify specific biodiversity data needs.
- Creating user groups to guide project implementation based on priority themes.
- Promoting the use of open biodiversity data in national-level or regional-level reporting and policies.
- Hosting workshops on data analysis and application.
- Documenting and disseminating use cases and best practices in the region.
Funding
Maximum funding per project: €60,000
Eligible costs:
BID programme funds may be used to cover staff time, travel, and costs associated with the organization of meetings and events, and limited costs for IT services and equipment. Expenses should be related to activities organized by the project within the three areas identified above.
Limited eligible costs of IT services and equipment:
BID funds may be used to cover up to a maximum of €6,000 of the costs of any IT services or purchases. Such equipment includes, but is not limited to:
- Computer equipment (laptops, desktop computers, servers, hard drives, printers)
- Software licences and subscriptions
- Digital cameras and scanners
- Other electrical equipment and electronics
- Lab equipment (microscopes, sequencing equipment, etc.)
Ineligible costs:
Fieldwork, new data collection, or laboratory research are not covered by BID funding but may be supported by other sources and included as part of the co-funding committed by the applicant.
The full grant will be given to the consortium's lead organization. This organization will be responsible for managing the project's finances, operations, and delivering progress reports and supporting documents as required.
The exact amount of financial support for each selected project will depend on the detailed budget provided in the full project proposal. This budget must be submitted by the applicant and approved by the selection committee.
Eligibility Criteria
General requirements:
- Applicants must be legal entities located in eligible countries in the Pacific. Legal entities include: national government agencies, GBIF Participant nodes and their host institutions, natural history museums and collections, research institutes, universities, and NGOs. Organizations with a legal presence in an eligible country (e.g. a branch or regional office), but headquartered in a non-eligible country, will be considered eligible provided they submit their application through their local entity.
- Concept notes and full proposals must be submitted in English through the GBIF Grants Portal by the stated deadlines.
- All BID activities must be non-profit.
- Applicants must commit co-funding (in-kind or cash). Co-funding refers to real costs that are incurred by the applicants while executing the funded project’s activities. Co-funding contributions below 25% of the total budget will be regarded as poor value for money.
- Data and outputs generated by the project must be shared openly accessible under CC0 1.0 or a CC BY 4.0 licence to GBIF.
Specific requirements for Multi-Institutional Grants:
- In addition to the lead organization, projects must involve at least two partner institutions from eligible countries within the Pacific region.
- Projects must include activities in each of the three areas listed above.
- Applications must include a major component of data mobilization through the GBIF network. It is expected that at least 50% of BID funding is directed towards data mobilization activities.
- The lead organization must manage the grant and coordinate activities.
For further questions, please contact BID@gbif.org.