The Netherlands – CGIAR research programme Call for SEP Candidates, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek

Senior Expert Programme

WOTRO Science for Global Development

This call is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands as part of the Strategic Partnership between the Netherlands Government and the CGIAR. The call is implemented by NWO-WOTRO Science for Global Development, in collaboration with the CGIAR System Office and the Food & Business Knowledge Platform.

August 2019

Dutch Research Council Science

Contents

1	Introduction		1
	1.1	Background	1
	1.2	Available budget	2
	1.3	Validity of the call for SEP Candidates	2
2	Aim		2
3	Guidelines for applicants		3
	3.1	Who can apply	3
	3.2	What can be applied for	4
	3.3	When can applications be submitted	6
	3.4	Preparing an application	6
	3.5	Submitting an application	7
4	Assessment procedure		7
	4.1	Procedure	7
	4.2	Criteria	8
5	Contact details and other information		8
	5.1	Contact	8
	5.1.1	Specific questions	8
	5.1.2	Technical questions about the electronic application system ISAAC	9
6	Annexes		9
	Annex 1 – List of all CRPs and CGIAR Platforms		9
	Annex 2 – Instructions for applicants		11

1 Introduction

The Netherlands – CGIAR partnership aims to enhance international agricultural research in view of contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals. Successful partnering of CGIAR Research Programmes, Platforms and Centers with Dutch research organisations is one of the objectives of the strategic partnership. This call for Senior Experts will contribute to the mutual benefit of partnering by supporting the participation of Dutch research organisations in CGIAR. The Senior Expert Programme (SEP) funds part of the personnel costs of Senior Experts from a Dutch research organisation who participate within a CGIAR Research Programme or Platform with linkages to one or more of the three for this round selected priority knowledge domains of the NL-CGIAR strategic partnership. The SEP is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), WOTRO Science for Global Development.

1.1 Background

The Senior Expert Programme (SEP) is one of the four instruments in the Netherlands (NL) – CGIAR research programme. The research programme is related to the partnership agreement between the Government of the Netherlands and the CGIAR System Organization¹ to cooperate on contributing to transformational change in agriculture around the world by advancing food system knowledge and joint public and private innovation. The partnership agreement consists of core funding for certain knowledge domains within the CGIAR System Organization, as well as a number of instruments that focus on strengthening Netherlands-CGIAR research cooperation. Four of the five instruments, including the current call for SEP candidates, are managed by NWO-WOTRO² via the NWO NL-CGIAR research programme.

The NL-CGIAR partnership is aimed at facilitating successful partnering between CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs), CGIAR platforms and CGIAR Centers and Dutch research organisations and stakeholders from the public and private sector, both for-profit and not-for-profit, as well as enhancing mutual research priorities. The research programme which supports the overall partnership is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented through NWO-WOTRO.

This call for SEP candidates is implemented in close collaboration with the CGIAR and with the Dutch Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), as well as the Food & Business Knowledge Platform (F&BKP). It is open for Senior Experts employed at a Dutch research organisation who participate in a CGIAR Research Program (CRP) or Platform with linkages to one or more of the three for this round selected domains of the MoU (see Section 2). Eligibility is described in detail in Section 3 and Section 4.2.

Policy context

Sustainable development of agri-food systems in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) is regarded by the Dutch government as an important contribution to achieving its goals for sustainable global development in the world. Both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) are responsible for implementing Dutch policies in this field. For Global Food Security, three themes were formulated in November 2014: 1. Eradicating existing hunger and malnutrition (‘people’); 2. Promoting inclusive and sustainable growth in the agricultural sector (‘profit’); 3. Creating ecologically sustainable food systems (‘planet’). Within this policy, emphasis is placed on international demand-driven agricultural research via the CGIAR System and via European research collaboration, including increased Dutch participation in international research programmes, in order to foster new knowledge.

In 2015, a strategic partnership between the CGIAR System Organization and the Government of the Netherlands was established with a view to jointly work towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 21 September 2015. The partnership also envisions a better use of the strength and quality of Dutch agricultural research to the benefit of CGIAR and achievement of common objectives. The MoU provided the basis for a consultative process to further operationalise the partnership, which resulted in a Framework for a strategic partnership between the Netherlands and CGIAR. This framework was developed in collaboration with a Working Group consisting of MoFA, LNV and F&BKP, supporting the implementation of the MoU, and representatives of the CGIAR System Organization. This has resulted in a more focused and strategic collaboration of Dutch knowledge institutes with various CRPs and Platforms. The NL-CGIAR research programme 2017–2021 is one of the resulting activities, aimed at strengthening the collaboration.

1.2 Available budget

The call for Senior Expert candidates is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a maximum budget of 2.95 Million euros.

1.3 Validity of the call for SEP Candidates

The call for SEP candidates is continuously open until Thursday 27 February 2020, 14:00 CET or earlier in case the remaining budget is not sufficient. The next assessment round is on Tuesday 1 October 2019, 14:00 CEST.

For an overview of the timeline, see Section 4.1 of this call for SEP candidates.

This is version 5 of the call text. In case adjustments to the call are deemed necessary, WOTRO reserves the right to publish these on the website of the NL-CGIAR research programme website (www.nwo.nl/CGIAR).

2 Aim

One of the foci of the strategic partnership between CGIAR and the Government of the Netherlands is a better use of the strength and quality of Dutch agricultural research to the benefit of CGIAR and achievement of common objectives. Therefore the aim of this call for SEP candidates is to support the participation of Dutch research organisations in CGIAR. This will be realised through funding part of the personnel costs of Senior³ Experts who are employed at a Dutch research organisation⁴ and participate (preferably within a management team) within a CGIAR Research Program (CRP) or Platform with linkages to one or more of the three for this round selected priority knowledge domains of the thematic strategic partnership (see below). For this round the Programme Committee has decided to focus on three of the four priority knowledge domains to achieve a more balanced spread of the selected applications over the priority knowledge domains. The focus is on domains 2. ‘Sustainable agri-food value chains & sectors’, 3. ‘Genetic improvement and propagation materials’ and 4. ‘Climate smart agriculture’. This means that applications which focus (only) on knowledge domain 1 ‘Agriculture for nutrition and health’ will not be accepted.

Based on the congruency between the goals of the Netherlands and CGIAR, as well as the areas of excellence of Dutch International Agriculture Research (IAR), four priority knowledge domains have been identified in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of this strategic partnership. The Dutch IAR strengths identified were: systems approach, public-private partnerships and enabling and scaling.

An overview of the priority knowledge domains in the context of policy priorities is presented in Table 1. An overview of the CRPs and Platforms is presented in Annex 6.1.

Table 1. Priority knowledge domains for strategic partnerships between the Netherlands and CGIAR, in the context of policy priorities of the Netherlands and CGIAR.

NL Global Food Security Policy Priorities	CGIAR SRF* System Level Outcomes	Priority Knowledge Domains for Strategic collaboration
Eradicating existing hunger & malnutrition	Improved Food and & Nutrition Security for Health	1) Agriculture for nutrition and health
Promoting inclusive & sustainable growth in the agricultural sector	Reduced Poverty	2) Sustainable agri-food value chains & sectors
		3) Genetic improvement and propagation materials
Creating ecologically sustainable food systems	Improved Natural Resource Systems and Ecosystem Services	4) Climate smart agriculture

* CGIAR SRF = CGIAR Strategy and Results Framework 2016–2030

3 Guidelines for applicants

3.1 Who can apply

An application can be submitted by a Senior⁵ Expert employed at a Dutch research organisation⁶ who participates within a CGIAR Research Program (CRP) or Platform with linkages to one or more of the three for this round selected priority knowledge domains of the MoU (see Section 2 and Annex 6.1). The applications must focus on priority knowledge domains 2, 3 and/or 4 (sustainable agri-food value chains & sectors, genetic improvement and propagation materials, and/or climate smart agriculture knowledge domain). It is emphasized that there is a preference for applications that have linkages with the water-food nexus and/or the gender platform, and target focus regions⁷ for development cooperation of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Further, the added value of the senior expert should relate to the Dutch IAR strengths.

The Senior Expert should:

• have at least a MSc/MA when in a senior management position in a CGIAR Research Program (CRP), Flagship or Platform; and have a PhD when involved in research;

• have at least ten years of demonstrable relevant working experience⁸ (for senior experts involved in research this is required for the period after the PhD);

• have a permanent position at a Dutch research organisation;

• be in a CGIAR Research Program (CRP) or Platform⁹ (preferably within a management position, although a scientific position is also allowed) with linkages to one or more of the three for this round selected priority knowledge domains¹⁰.

The subsidy will be paid to the Dutch research organisation which employs the SEP candidate. It is intended to compensate the employer for an increase of the SEP-candidate’s participation in the CRP or CGIAR Platform and/or to reduce the costs for the CRP or CGIAR Platform. The subsidy can thus be used:

• for candidates from universities: a) to cover the costs for the temporary replacement of the SEP candidate, who due to the increased engagement in CGIAR is unable to perform usual tasks; b) the subsidy may also be used to reduce the financing by the CRP or CGIAR Platform; and, c) in case the candidate has a part-time appointment at the university, to increase the fte of the candidate for the time to be spent on the CGIAR CRP or Platform;

• for candidates from all Dutch research organisations other than universities (such as applied research institutes): a) to cover the costs of their increased participation in the CRP or CGIAR Platform, and/or b) to reduce the financing by the CRP or Platform.

In case the subsidy is used to replace a part of the financial contribution by a CRP or CGIAR Platform, the reduced financing needs to be acknowledged in a support letter from that CRP or Platform.

3.2 What can be applied for

The grant offers the possibility to fund part of the personnel costs of Senior Experts from Dutch research organisations in order to spend (additional) time on the CRP or CGIAR Platform. What can be applied for differs between candidates from a Dutch University and for candidates from Dutch research organisations other than universities; see Section 3.1.

The funding is based on existing practice: the Senior Expert already participates in a CGIAR Research Program (CRP) or Platform and the grant allows for spending (additional) time on the CRP or CGIAR Platform and/or to reduce the costs for the CRP or CGIAR Platform. Subsidy can be requested between at least 20% and a maximum of 50% (corresponding to 0.2 and 0.5 fte¹¹) of the actual gross salary costs of the Senior Expert for the period that the Expert (additionally) works for the CRP or CGIAR Platform, at a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 2 years:

• The grant is an addition to the payment by CGIAR, for the increased time-investment and for travel, subsistence and accommodation cost when needed, with a maximum of 200.000 euros for 2 years and for 0.5 fte.

• The grant offers also the opportunity to reduce the costs for the CRP or CGIAR Platform, because the SEP grant compensates the costs for part of the time-investment of the Senior Expert on the CRP or CGIAR Platform, with a maximum of 200.000 euros for 2 years and for 0.5 fte. The Dutch research organisation receiving the grant is required to forward this (part of the) grant.

If the proposed (additional) time requested of this grant is to be of shorter duration and/or less fte than the maximum of 50% for 2 years, the maximum amount must be reduced accordingly¹². The Senior Expert should be hosted by a CGIAR Institute involved with the relevant CRP or CGIAR Platform.

3.2.1 The following conditions apply for funding requests within this call

Reimbursable costs

The applicant can budget only for costs that directly attribute to the costs of the (additional) time and/or replacement via this call.

The following reimbursable costs categories are distinguished:

I. Salary costs

Subsidy can be requested to cover between at least 20% and a maximum of 50% (corresponding to 0.2 and 0.5 fte¹³) of the gross salary costs of the Senior Expert.

• Personnel from a Dutch university

  Salaries of personnel for candidates from Dutch universities are guided by the VSNU-agreement with the Labour Unions for the Dutch Universities¹⁴ (the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch universities – Dutch acronym: CAO). The personnel costs should be used for replacement and/or additional time in case of part-time employment.

• Personnel from research organisations other than Dutch universities (including applied research institutes and applied universities)

  Salaries for personnel should be guided by the organisations’ norms and legal regulations, based on the salary of the candidate (non-commercial full cost rates). NWO reserves the right to ask for the wage specification in the organisation of the Senior Expert. Note that VAT and all other taxes are included in the grant.

II. Travel, subsistence and accommodation costs

Travel expenses (economy class), subsistence and accommodation costs for the Senior Expert directly related to the assignment via this call and that are not covered by the CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) or Platform can be requested, with a maximum of 20,000 euros per year, depending on the duration of stay. Per month the maximum rate for accommodation and subsistence is 2,500 euros.

III. Audit costs

For Dutch research organisations other than universities the costs for a required audit report, with a maximum of 5,000 euros.

Co-funding/hosting

The CGIAR Research Program (CRP) or Platform concerned, through its hosting CGIAR Institute should provide the research costs and hosting of the Senior Expert (office space and office costs etcetera). It is encouraged but not required that the Expert spends his/her time at the hosting CGIAR Institute. Other costs that will be covered by the CRP or CGIAR Platform can be counted as in-kind contribution. The hosting and in-kind contributions should be acknowledged in a letter of support.

3.2.2 Additional conditions for applications within this call

The following additional conditions are requested for applications within this call:

• Both the Dutch research organisation and Host Institute of the CRP or CGIAR Platform concerned should provide a letter of support. The letters of support should be addressed to the SEP candidate, not to NWO-WOTRO.

  • a) The letter of the Dutch research organisation should confirm:

    • the permanent position (including the amount of time in fte) of the Senior Expert at the Dutch research organisation;

    • the existing practice: the amount of time in fte and the number of months the Senior Expert spends on the CRP or CGIAR Platform which is covered by the budget of the CRP or CGIAR Platform;

    • if applicable: the additional amount of time in fte including the number of months that the Senior Expert will spend on the CRP or CGIAR Platform which is not covered by the budget of the CRP or CGIAR Platform and for which financing is therefore requested via this call. Please indicate whether it is within the current appointment of the Expert to the university (replacement) or it is an expansion of the appointment of the Expert.

    • if applicable: the reduction of financing in fte, including number of months, by the CRP or CGIAR Platform for which financing is requested via this call.

  • b) The letter of the CRP or CGIAR Platform should:

    • confirm the duration and size of the current participation of the Senior Expert that is and will be paid for by the CRP or CGIAR Platform;

    • if applicable: confirm the duration and size of the intended additional participation of the Senior Expert;

    • if applicable: the reduction of financing in fte, including number of months, by the CRP or CGIAR Platform for which financing is requested via this call;

    • describe the in-kind contribution that is offered to facilitate the work of the Senior Expert, for example: the hosting (office space and office costs etcetera), additional research costs.

• The extra assignment can be between 0.2 and 0.5 fte for a minimum period of 1 and a maximum of 2 years. The actual time spent may be one or more uninterrupted periods, corresponding with the monthly time-investment in fte.

• The funding is for the period requested in the application or as long as the position is available at the CRP or CGIAR Platform, in case this is before the end date of the SEP grant.

• The Senior Expert position should meet the following criteria:

  • The added value to the CRP or CGIAR Platform of the (additional) time should be clear;

  • The contribution to one or more of the three for this round selected priority knowledge domains should be clear;

  • Management and/or scientific tasks and duties should be clearly specified;

  • It should not lead to the piling up of subsidies in the context of Dutch Government financed projects;

  • It should not be intended to replace an expert currently working for the CRP or CGIAR Platform.

Monitoring & Evaluation

Progress and outcome of the assignment via this call will be monitored and evaluated. Awarded Senior Experts must provide an annual update of the assignment. Furthermore, at the end of the assignment’s running time, Senior Experts must provide a final report. This should be accompanied by a financial report including the costs (if applicable) for the actual replacement(s) for which the subsidy has been used, the increase in fte, and/or the subsidy that replaces previous CRP or platform financing.

General NWO condition on granting

The NWO Grant Rules 2017, the WOTRO regulations¹⁵ and the Agreement on the Payment of Costs for Scientific Research apply to all applications.

3.3 When can applications be submitted

Applications for the call for SEP candidates can be submitted continuously until Thursday 27 February 2020, 14:00 hrs CET or earlier in case the remaining budget is not sufficient. The next assessment round starts on Tuesday 1 October 2019, 14:00 CEST.

For an overview of the procedure, please see Section 4.1.

Please start submitting your application on time. Applications submitted after the deadline on Thursday 27 February 2020 14:00 hrs CET will not be taken into consideration. See for more information about submitting an application Section 3.5.

3.4 Preparing an application

Download the application form from the electronic application system ISAAC or from NWO’s website (on the NL-CGIAR grant page);

• Complete the application form;

• Save the application form as a pdf file and upload it in ISAAC.

For technical questions, please contact the ISAAC helpdesk (see Section 5.1.2).

3.5 Submitting an application

An application can only be submitted to NWO via the online application system ISAAC. Applications not submitted via ISAAC will not be taken into consideration.

An applicant (Senior Expert) must submit his/her application via his/her own ISAAC account. If the applicant does not have an ISAAC account yet, then this should be created at least one day before the application is submitted to ensure that any registration problems can be resolved on time. If the principal applicant already has an NWO-account, then he/she does not need to create a new account to submit an application.

When you submit your application to ISAAC you will also need to enter additional details online. You should therefore start submitting your application at least five days before the deadline of this call for SEP candidates.

For technical questions please contact the ISAAC helpdesk, see Section 5.1.2.

4 Assessment procedure

4.1 Procedure

The first step in the assessment procedure is to determine the admissibility of the application. This is done using the conditions stated in Chapter 3 of this call for SEP candidates.

The NWO 'Code for Dealing with Personal Interests' applies to all persons and NWO staff involved in the assessment and/or decision-making process.

Planning

Applications will be assessed and selected for funding according to the following time scheme:

May 2018	Launch call
The call will be continuously open until 27 February 2020 14:00 CET or until finances are spent	Deadline for applications
1 October 2019, 14:00 CEST	Next assessment of the applications
Planning assessment procedure
3 months	Time duration assessment application and notification applicant
1 month	Formal determination of budgets of awarded assignments, formal letter of approval
Within 2 months after award letter	Start of awarded assignments

Whilst NWO-WOTRO aims to meet the target dates provided above, we reserve the right to change these at any stage.

Assessment

All eligible applications will be reviewed on the basis of the selection criteria mentioned in Section 4.2.

A small assessment committee will assess all eligible applications, using the selection criteria described in Section 4.2. This committee will formulate an advice on funding for the Programme Committee (PC).

The PC will spot check the assessment procedure and will take a final decision on which applications to fund, based on the advice from the assessment committee and depending on the available call budget. The PC is in the position to deviate from the advice of the assessment committee when prompted by the availability of resources and when this is deemed necessary to achieve a more balanced spread on the priority knowledge domains of the selected applications. In addition, longer-term assignments will be preferred above short-term ones (depending on available budget).

Composition of committees

The assessment committee has an advisory role and consists of members of the Strategic Partnership Working Group, CGIAR-System Office and NWO-WOTRO.

The existing PC of the Food & Business Research Programme of NWO-WOTRO will function as decision making body. The PC consists of representatives of the funder and the scientific community and may be enlarged with a representative from CGIAR. The composition can be found on the website of this programme.

4.2 Criteria

Formal eligibility criteria

Formal criteria include (but may not be limited to) the following:

• Application has been submitted by the applicant (the Senior Expert – preferably with management position – see for specific conditions Section 3.1);

• Application has been received timely via electronic application system ISAAC;

• Application form has been completed and correctly signed;

• Format, length of text, language (English);

• Specific (e.g. additional conditions as indicated in Section 3.2.2) conditions have been met;

• Budget conditions have been met;

• Annexes are completed:

  • CV of Senior Expert;

  • Support letter from both organisations (the Dutch employer and the CRP or CGIAR platform concerned).

All applications are evaluated according to a fixed set of criteria.

Evaluation Criteria

• Appropriateness of the Senior Expert to the SEP:

  • Has at least ten year of relevant working experience related to the selected knowledge domain(s) (for senior experts involved in research this is required for the period after the PhD)

• Level of alignment to one of the three for this round selected priority knowledge domains:

  • Alignment of current and added tasks, for which funding is requested, with at least one of the priority knowledge domains (domain 2, 3 or 4) is demonstrated

  • The expert shows experience in at least one of the focus priority knowledge domains (namely domain 2, 3 or 4) through publications and/or other experiences

• Added value of the (additional) time and tasks to the CRP or CGIAR Platform and to the Netherlands – CGIAR partnership:

  • The probability of the activities performed by the expert to contribute to the broader CRP or CGIAR Platform and to the Netherlands – CGIAR partnership

  • Feasibility of additional time spent on the Expert’s appointment for generating relevant results for the CRP or CGIAR Platform and for the Netherlands – CGIAR partnership

  • IAR-strengths – systems approach, public-private partnerships, and scaling and enabling components – are clearly demonstrated

• Value for Money: relation between budget and tasks:

  • The requested budget is realistic for the tasks performed by the expert

  • Scheduled assignments can be met within the running time of the project

5 Contact details and other information

5.1 Contact

5.1.1 Specific questions

For specific questions about the Senior Expert Program and this call for SEP candidates please contact:

NL-CGIAR – Senior Expert Programme (SEP) call secretariat

E. nl-cgiar-SEP@nwo.nl

T. +31 70 344 09 76

Academic secretary: Ms Petra Griffioen MSc

Programme coordinator: Ms Dr Gerrie Tuitert

Postal address:

NWO-WOTRO

P.O. Box 93461

2509 AC The Hague

The Netherlands

Visiting address:

Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indië 300

2593 CE The Hague

The Netherlands

Website: www.nwo.nl/cgiar

5.1.2 Technical questions about the electronic application system ISAAC

For technical questions about the use of ISAAC please contact the ISAAC helpdesk. Please read the manual first before consulting the helpdesk. The ISAAC helpdesk can be contacted from Monday to Friday between 10:00 and 17:00 hours CE(S)T on +31 (0)20 346 71 79. However, you can also submit your question by e-mail to isaac.helpdesk@nwo.nl. You will then receive an answer within two working days.

6 Annexes

Annex 1 – List of all CRPs and CGIAR Platforms (subject to change; current listing as of 1 April 2018)

The CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs)		No.	Flagship
The Agri-food System CRPs
1	Grain legumes and dryland cereals (GLDC)	GLDC-FP1	FP1-Priority setting & impact acceleration
		GLDC-FP2	FP2-Transforming Agrifood systems
		GLDC-FP3	FP3-Integrated Farm and Household Management
		GLDC-FP4	FP4-Variety and Hybrid Development
		GLDC-FP5	FP5-Pre-breeding and Trait Discovery
2	Fish (FISH)	FISH-FP1	FP1-Sustainable Aquaculture
		FISH-FP2	FP2-Sustaining small-scale fisheries
3	Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA)	FTA-FP1	FP1-Tree Genetic Resources for production and resilience
		FTA-FP2	FP2-Enhancing trees and forest contribution to smallholder livelihoods
		FTA-FP3	FP3-Sustainable value chains and investments
		FTA-FP4	FP4-Landscape Dynamics, productivity and resilience
		FTA-FP5	FP5-Forests, trees and agroforestry for climate change mitigation and adaptation
4	Livestock (LIVESTOCK)	LIVESTOCK-FP1	FP1-Livestock Genetics
		LIVESTOCK-FP2	FP2-Livestock Health
		LIVESTOCK-FP3	FP3-Livestock Feeds and Forages
		LIVESTOCK-FP4	FP4-Livestock and the Environment
		LIVESTOCK-FP5	FP5-Livestock Livelihoods and Agri-Food Systems
5	Maize (MAIZE)	MAIZE-FP1	FP1-Enhancing Maize's R4D Strategy for impact
		MAIZE-FP2	FP2-Novel Diversity and Tools for increasing Genetic Gains
		MAIZE-FP3	FP3-Stress Tolerance and Nutritious Maize
		MAIZE-FP4	FP4-Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Systems for better livelihoods of SH
6	Rice (RICE)	RICE-FP1	Flagship project 1: Accelerating impact and equity
		RICE-FP2	Flagship project 2: Upgrading rice value chains
		RICE-FP3	Flagship project 3: Sustainable farming systems
		RICE-FP4	Flagship project 4: Global Rice Array
		RICE-FP5	Flagship project 5: New rice varieties
7	Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB)	RTB-FP1	FP1-Discovery research for enhanced utilization of RTB genetic resources
		RTB-FP2	FP2-Adapted productive varieties and quality seed of RTB crops
		RTB-FP3	FP3-Resilient RTB crops
		RTB-FP4	FP4-Nutritious RTB foods and value added through postharvest innovation
		RTB-FP5	FP5-Improved livelihoods at scale
8	Wheat (WHEAT)	WHEAT-FP1	FP1-Inclusive and profitable wheat opportunities
		WHEAT-FP2	FP2-Novel diversity and tools for improving genetic gains and breeding efficiency
		WHEAT-FP3	FP3-Better varieties reach farmers faster
		WHEAT-FP4	FP4-Sustainable intensification of wheat-based farming systems
The Global Integrating CRPs
1	Agriculture for Health and Nutrition (A4NH)	A4NH-FP1	FP1-Food Systems for Healthier Diets
		A4NH-FP2	FP2-Biofortification
		A4NH-FP3	FP3-Food Safety
		A4NH-FP4	FP4-Supporting Policies, Programs and Enabling Action through Research
		A4NH-FP5	FP5-Improving Human Health
2	Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)	CCAFS-FP1	FP1-Priorities and Policies for CSA
		CCAFS-FP2	FP2-Climate Smart Technologies and Practices
		CCAFS-FP3	FP3-Low Emissions Development
		CCAFS-FP4	FP4-Climate services and safety nets
3	Policies, Institutions and Markets (PIM)	PIM-FP1	FP1-Technological Innovation and Sustainable Intensification
		PIM-FP2	FP2-Economywide Factors Affecting Agricultural Growth and Rural Transformation
		PIM-FP3	FP3-Inclusive and Efficient Value Chains
		PIM-FP4	FP4-Social Protection for Agriculture and Resilience
		PIM-FP5	FP5-Governance of Natural Resources
		PIM-FP6	FP6-Cross-cutting Gender Research and Coordination[1]
4	Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)	WLE-FP1	FP1-Restoring Degraded Landscapes (RDL)
		WLE-FP2	FP2-Land and Water Solutions for Sustainable Intensification (LWS)
		WLE-FP3	FP3-Sustaining Rural-Urban Linkages (RUL)
		WLE-FP4	FP4-Managing Resource Variability, Risks and Competing Uses for Increasing Resilience (VCR)
		WLE-FP5	FP5-Enhancing Sustainability across Agricultural Systems

1 The CGIAR Collaborative Platform for Gender Research is housed in the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) and serves all CGIAR research programs. It aims to increase the visibility and impact of gender research undertaken across CGIAR. The Platform supports priority setting for gender research, strategic partnerships, capacity development, and collaboration between and among CGIAR programs, Centers, and partners, building on the work of system-wide gender network established in 2011.

The CGIAR Platforms		No.	Module
1	Genebank Platform	GENEBANK-MOD1	Module 1 – Conservation
		GENEBANK-MOD2	Module 2 – Use
		GENEBANK-MOD3	Module 3 – Policy
2	Excellence in Breeding (EiB) Platform	EiB-MOD1	Module 1 – Breeding Program Excellence
		EiB-MOD2	Module 2 – Trait discovery and breeding tools and services
		EiB-MOD3	Module 3 – Genotyping tools and services
		EiB-MOD4	Module 4 – Phenotyping tools and services
		EiB-MOD5	Module 5 – bioinformatics and data management tools and services
3	Big Data Platform	BIGDATA-MOD1	Organize
		BIGDATA-MOD2	Convene
		BIGDATA-MOD3	Inspire

Annex 2 – Instructions for applicants

The application form must be completed in English. For some items on the form, a maximum number of words or pages is stated. Do not exceed this number, and fill in the number of words used. Your application may be disqualified if you exceed the maximum number of words or pages stated.

The application needs to be submitted through the ISAAC system, which can be accessed on the NWO website. Please note that the electronic application must be submitted through the ISAAC account of the applicant (the Senior Expert). Please start submitting the application five days prior to the deadline.

Filling out the application form

Explanatory notes to each question on the application form are provided below (the numbers refer to the questions on the application form). A number of details presented in this section should also be completed/copied in the application details for the ISAAC system. These are indicated on the fact sheet. Please note: In the ISAAC system it is compulsory to fill in under the tab “General Information” (Algemeen) in the section “Research fields” (Disciplines) the research field(s) that correspond(s) to the expertise of the Senior Expert. You can only refer to the descriptions and codes from the NWO research field list. Please find the list via: www.nwo.nl/researchfields. Please fill in one or more research fields and code from the NWO research field list.

• 1. Details of the applicant

  Please provide the requested information on the Senior Expert (applicant) and the employer of the applicant (the Dutch research organisation) including the head of the organisation/department.

• 2. CGIAR Research Programme (CRP) or Platform

  Please:

  • a) indicate the CGIAR Research Programme (CRP) Flaghip(s) or Platform module(s) you are involved in and please also mention the number as indicated in annex 6.1;

  • b) indicate to which (one or more) of the three for this round selected priority knowledge domains (namely domain 2, 3 and/or 4) of the MoU the CRP or Platform contributes;

  • c) provide information about the hosting CGIAR Institute.

• 3. Title of the grant

  Please fill in the name of the CRP or CGIAR Platform after ‘Senior expert at....’. Please include the whole title (including ‘Senior expert at’) in ISAAC.

• 4. Duration (minimum of 1 year, maximum of 2 years) of (extra) time spent on the CGIAR as Senior Expert

  Please provide the requested information. Information about the current engagement of the Senior Expert (candidate) with the CRP or CGIAR Platform and the proposed use of the grant. Fte stands for Full Time Equivalent and is a unit that indicates workload. 1 fte stands for someone who is a full time worker, which in this call stands for 40 hours per week. So if you will spent 10 hours per week extra to the CRP or CGIAR Platform for 1,5 year, you should indicate at ‘extra time to be spent on CGIAR’ 0.25 fte (10 hours/40 hours= 0.25) for 18 months.

• 5. Short description of how the Senior Expert will contribute to the CRP or Platform

  Please provide a short description of how the Senior Expert will contribute to the CRP or CGIAR Platform. Please note: this summary will be published on the programme website.

• 6. Description of the application

  Please consult the assessment criteria against which the application will be assessed (Section 4.2). The description of the application should include the following aspects:

  • a) Motivation for the requested grant;

  • b) Planning of the work during the grant period ((extra) activities and time schedule);

  • c) Added value of the (additional) time of the Senior Expert to the CRP or Platform;

  • d) Motivate/describe the alignment of your work in the CRP/Platform to one or more of the three for this round selected priority knowledge domains. Please map/align the expected activities to the Flagship Theory of Change to which you are expected to contribute

• 7. Budget estimates

  Please consult Section 3.2 of the call before completing this question. Note that the total budget requested from this call could be a maximum of 200,000 euros for 2 years and 0.5 Fte. If the proposed assignment is to be of shorter duration and/or less fte, the maximum amount must be reduced accordingly. Please fill in the requested budget items. The in-kind contribution relates to the co-funding/hosting costs covered by the CRP or CGIAR Platform.

Annexes (obligatory)

Please attach:

• CV of the senior expert (max. 2 pages) – please include the CV in the pdf of the application form;

• Letter of Support of the Dutch research organisation (max. 2 pages)*

• Letter of Support of the Host Institute (of the CRP or CGIAR Platform concerned) (max. 2 pages)*.

* please upload the letters of support as a separate pdf document in ISAAC.

Signature

The application must be signed by the Senior Expert (applicant), the head of the organisation/department of the Dutch research organisation, and the head of the Host Institute. Faxed, electronic or scanned signatures will be accepted.

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1 For information on the CGIAR see http://www.cgiar.org/

2 For information on NWO-WOTRO see www.nwo.nl/wotro

3 Senior: senior experts that have a senior managerial position in a CRP, Flagship or Platform should have at least a MSc/MA and least 10 years of demonstrable relevant working experience and a permanent position at a Dutch research organisation. Senior experts involved in research should have at least a PhD and at least ten years of demonstrable relevant working experience after the PhD and a permanent position at a Dutch research organisation.

4 Research organisations include universities and higher education and/or research institutions (cumulative conditions):

• that have a public task, carry out independent research and are financed by public means;

• that have no profit motive other than that for the purpose of further research;

• whose researchers enjoy freedom of publication in the international academic literature.

5 Senior: senior experts that have a senior managerial position in a CRP, Flagship or Platform should have at least a MSc/MA and least 10 years of demonstrable relevant working experience and a permanent position at a Dutch research organisation. Senior experts involved in research should have at least a PhD and at least ten years of demonstrable relevant working experience after the PhD and a permanent position at a Dutch research organisation.

6 Research organisations include universities and higher education and/or research institutions (cumulative conditions):

• that have a public task, carry out independent research and are financed by public means;

• that have no profit motive other than that for the purpose of further research;

• whose researchers enjoy freedom of publication in the international academic literature.

7 Overview of focus regions for development cooperation of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (from page 96 onwards): https://www.government.nl/documents/policy-notes/2018/05/18/investing-in-global-prospects

8 Relevant working experience could be demonstrated for example by demonstrating the value of the experience brought by a senior scientist in a domain of expertise in which (1) (s)he can justify high quality recent ISI papers (and/or patents); (2) many competitive projects related to the topic of interest for this application (indicating duration, number of participating entities/partners, public/ private funding, amount of funding, etc...). [ISI = International Scientific Indexing]

9 See annex 6.1 for the CGIAR Research Programs (CRP) and Platforms

10 Please note the preference for the water-food nexus, the gender nexus, and the focus on the three of the four knowledge domains (namely 2,3 and/or 4) (see also Section 2).

11 Fte stands for Full Time Equivalent and is a unit that indicates workload. 1 Fte stands for someone who is a full time worker, which in this call stands for 40 hours per week.

12 For example: 1.5 year for 0.3 fte should be calculated as: 1) calculate the maximum for 1,5 year (0.5 fte): 250,000/30 months x 18 months= 150,000 euros for 1,5 year for 0.5 fte, 2) then calculate the maximum for 0.3 fte (for 1,5 year): 150.000x0.3/0.5= 90,000 euros for 1,5 year for 0,3 fte.

13 Please note the preference for the water-food nexus, the gender nexus, and the focus on the three of the four knowledge domains (namely 2,3 and/or 4) (see also Section 2).

14 Http://www.vsnu.nl/files/documenten/CAO/Salarisschalen%20per%201%20feb%202019.pdf

15 NWO: https://www.nwo.nl/en/funding/funding+process+explained/nwo+grant+rules+2017WOTRO: https://www.nwo.nl/en/about-nwo/organisation/nwo-domains/wotro/forms