Request for proposals for the ELIXIR Bioschemas Travel Grants and Staff Exchange Programme

Rolling application process, fund will close in June 2019.

Introduction

The Bioschemas (http://bioschemas.org) Travel Grants and Staff Exchange Programme is now open. The purpose of this programme is to encourage data providers to implement fully-compliant Bioschemas markup within their web resource. The ELIXIR Hub has allocated 100,000 Euros for the Bioschemas-focused Travel Grants and Staff Exchange Programme for the funding period of 1 June 2018 to 31 May 2019. The programme will support

  1. Travel Grants - Travel to Bioschemas events to:
    • Provide Bioschemas development and implementation support, e.g. in the role of an invited Bioschemas expert to give tutorials, or to implement tools and markup of Bioschemas for specific resources at the European Biohackathon.
    • Attend a Bioschemas workshop or tutorial, e.g. those being held in conjunction with key conferences or node specific events.
  2. Staff Exchange Programme - Exchange of staff between ELIXIR Nodes for a specific period with the aim of delivering Bioschemas markup or tools.

These activities will help to increase the adoption of Bioschemas across ELIXIR. The funds may only be used to cover travel costs, accommodation and per diem. The funding cannot be used to cover salaries, bursaries or administrative costs.

Scope

Proposals for the Bioschemas Travel Grant and Staff Exchange Programme should describe the expected outcomes in terms of Bioschemas engagement, e.g. implement Bioschemas markup in a specific data resource. Priority will be given to ELIXIR Core Data Resources, Deposition Databases, ELIXIR Use Case specific resources, and emerging key collaborators. Reimbursement of the requested budget will be made on the basis of justifiable reasonable cost.

Conditions and Eligibility

  • All ELIXIR Nodes (including those that have not yet concluded the Collaboration Agreement as well as prospective Nodes from ELIXIR observers) are invited to participate.
  • For Travel Grant application - funds can be used to support:
    • Attendees traveling to an event to deliver Bioschemas markup or tools of specific resources
    • Attendees traveling to an event with the aim to learn about Bioschemas
    • Bioschemas experts traveling to deliver Bioschemas tutorials or workshops
  • For Staff Exchange Programme - staff exchange projects must involve a minimum of two ELIXIR Nodes and must have approval from the HoNs of the participating nodes.
  • Projects involving Hub participation will not be considered.
  • Financial eligibility is justified based on the budget outline proposed by the applicant.
  • Applications should be submitted as soon as possible and must be submitted no later than one month before the event date, unless otherwise agreed with the Bioschemas Steering Committee.

Details of proposal

  • The proposal web form must be used and all sections must be completed.
  • The expected Bioschemas outcomes must be clearly articulated.
  • The proposal must describe how it aims to support adoption of Bioschemas.
  • For Travel Grants:
    • Details of the Bioschemas event must be given.
    • Purpose of travel must be clearly stated and accompanied with the statement of expected outcome, e.g. “the applicant is expected to gain an understanding in Bioschemas and how to deploy it for resource R”, “the applicant will be delivering a Bioschemas tutorial at event E”, or “the applicant will develop tool X which will benefit Bioschemas by …”.
    • Travel grants will cover conference registration fees. Other reimbursable items include transportation, lodging, and meals (see reimbursement schedule for details). The applicable rules and regulations of the home institutions/Node must be used as a basis for the cost estimation.
  • For staff exchange proposals:
    • The length of the visit(s) is defined by the project partners and must be included in the proposal. The maximum length of exchange is four weeks.
    • The proposal may contain staff exchange in any direction that best supports the objectives of the proposal, e.g. exchange in both directions, from just one Node to another, or between several Nodes.
    • The project proposal must describe which Node leads the project and how the funds are divided between the project partners, for example between the receiving or sending organisation. It is possible that only the leader of the project receives all funds, if that has been agreed within the project.
    • The need for specific staff and their training is argued as part of the proposal.
    • The funds may only be used to cover travel costs, accommodation and per diem. The funding can not be used to cover salaries, bursaries or administrative costs.
    • The applicable rules and regulations of the home institutions/Node must be used as a basis for the cost estimation.

Submission instructions

The proposal web form must be used.

The proposal should be submitted as early as possible and must be submitted no less than 30 days prior to the proposed event/start date, unless otherwise agreed with the Chair of Bioschemas Steering Committee.

Evaluation

  • The Hub will check each proposal for eligibility. In case of an ineligible submission, the respective Head of Node(s) are notified and the application will be excluded from evaluation due to eligibility failure.
  • Proposals will be reviewed by the Bioschemas Steering Committee and will be rated based on the following criteria:
    • Potential impact resulting from adoption of Bioschemas
    • Direct benefit to ELIXIR Nodes and ELIXIR Services
    • Alignment with ongoing ELIXIR activities
    • Support for capacity building at ELIXIR Nodes
  • The final decision on projects to be funded will be made by the ELIXIR Director based on the recommendation from the Chair of the Bioschemas Steering Committee.

Implementation

After successfully completing the project, the application lead must submit an end report describing the outcomes and impact of the proposed activity within 30 days of the end of the project. This is a requirement for both the travel grant and the staff exchange. Without the end report submission, the incurred cost cannot be reimbursed. A template for the end report will be provided. The end report will be reviewed by the Bioschemas Steering Committee.

Contact person at ELIXIR Hub

Sirarat Sarntivijai, ELIXIR Interoperability Platform Coordinator

Email: proposals@elixir-europe.org