FUNDING CALL

MBIE Catalyst: Strategic - New Zealand-China Strategic Research Alliance 2022 funding round

The Purpose of the fund:

This Catalyst: Strategic funding round is a bilateral initiative funded by the New Zealand and Chinese Governments.

Key Things to Note

Priority research areas: New Zealand and China have agreed to support two projects through this funding round, one in each priority area of:

• Food Science; and 
• Environmental Science.

A separate Call and subsequent assessment process will be administered by the Health Research Council (HRC) on behalf of MBIE in the third priority area: Health and Biomedical Science. 

Note: Applicants’ Chinese counterparts must apply for their own funding through China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) parallel Call for Proposals.

Grant value: Up to $300,000 (excluding GST) over three years is available for each successful project. Total pool of funding available is up to $600,000 over three years. 

Eligibility criteria: 

• Proposals must be made by a New Zealand-based research organisation or a New Zealand-based legal entity representing a New Zealand-based research organisation.
• The Science Leader must be employed by a New Zealand-based research organisation, or a New Zealand-based legal entity representing a New Zealand-based research organisation. 
• The proposal must involve collaboration from a leading Chinese research organisation (your Chinese counterparts must apply for their own funding through China’s MoST).
• Applicants must not submit multiple applications based on the same project. 

Proposals which also involve world class partners from other countries will be accepted, where these demonstrate the potential for increased excellence and impact beyond what is achievable through a New Zealand and Chinese partnership alone. Proposals which involve private sector partners are also eligible.

Internal Deadline: 

• Registration: 12pm, Thursday 21 April 2022.
• Full Proposal: 12pm, Friday 6 May 2022.

Funds Categorisation Information

• Support Tier: Supported
• Process Map: Link 
• ResearchHub support materials: Not applicable

For help developing your application, please contact your local support (FIRST) team. If you have any funder specific queries or require funder portal help, please contact the UniServices Funds Advisor Team.

Submission Process

Submission portal

• Applications are submitted via the MBIE IMS Portal.
• Returning applicants log in using your existing login details.
• New applicants contact the Funds Advisor Team submissions@auckland.ac.nz to create your User Profile. 

IMS portal opens on 5 April 2022. 

Submission steps 

Step 1: Registration

1. Register your interest (above button) and notify your FIRST (research support) of your intent to apply for this scheme as soon as possible.
2. Complete your registration in IMS and submit for a Quality Assurance (QA) check by 12pm, Thursday 21 April 2022. 
3. Once your registration is deemed fit for submission, the Funds Advisor Team will submit the application on your behalf in time to meet the Funder's deadline.

NOTE: An RFM Record is not required at Registration Stage.

Step 2: Full Proposal 

1. Manually create your full proposal in IMS by clicking on the 'new application' icon and follow the prompts. 
2. Complete your full proposal in IMS and submit for a Quality Assurance (QA) check by 12pm, Friday 6 May 2022. 
3. Create a record in the Research Funding Module (RFM), upload a copy of your application and submit for faculty sign off by 12pm, Friday, 6 May 2022.
4. Once your full proposal is deemed fit for submission, the Funds Advisor Team will submit the application on your behalf in time to meet the Funder's deadline.

Please note: Applications are required to be received on or before the above-mentioned Funds Advisor Team deadline to allow time for our Quality Assurance process and any associated rework/revision of the application by the Principal Investigator. Only Faculty approved applications can be submitted by the Funds Advisor Team to MBIE.

Submission  of the full proposal to the funder is conditional on fully approved RFM record in InfoEd.