Belmont Forum: Advancing Global Sustainability Through Collaborative Research Actions (CRAs)

The Belmont Forum is an international partnership that supports research addressing global environmental challenges. It aims to foster collaboration among scientists, stakeholders, and policymakers worldwide to tackle pressing issues related to sustainability and climate change. The Forum’s primary mechanism for supporting this research is through Collaborative Research Actions (CRAs), which are equivalent to calls for proposals.

Collaborative Research Actions (CRAs)

The CRAs are designed to:

1. Address Belmont Challenge Priorities: These priorities focus on global sustainability and environmental challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and natural resource management.
2. Leverage Existing Investments: The CRAs utilize the current investments and expertise of Belmont Forum members to maximize impact and efficiency.
3. Foster New Partnerships: By bringing together researchers from various disciplines and countries, the CRAs promote international collaboration and innovation.

Current Opportunities

The Belmont Forum regularly announces open CRAs, inviting researchers to submit proposals that align with the identified themes. Some of the ongoing and recent calls include:

• Africa Regional Call (ARC): This call supports the African Union’s goals for climate, environment, and sustainability, as outlined in Agenda 2063. It focuses on addressing climate change vulnerability through research on themes like the Water-Energy-Food-Health Nexus, pollution, and disaster preparedness. The call also emphasizes the integration of blue and green economies and encourages educational and awareness activities.
• Tropical Forests Call: This call seeks to understand the global implications of tropical forests and promotes actions to address urgent environmental concerns related to these ecosystems.

Proposal Requirements

To be considered for funding, proposals must:

• Be Transdisciplinary: Proposals should include researchers from social sciences, humanities, economics, natural sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and technology. They should also involve societal partners like citizens, industry, and civil society organizations, using a participatory, co-designed, and co-implementation approach.
• Include International Collaboration: Each proposal must involve collaborators from at least three different countries, ensuring a diverse and global perspective.
• Address Identified Themes: Proposals must tackle at least one of the identified themes and demonstrate cross-cutting linkages across multiple areas, such as integrating blue and green economies, education, and awareness.

Application Process

1. Accessing the Call Documents: Interested researchers can find detailed call documents in multiple languages (English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish) and the necessary registration forms and instructions on the Belmont Forum’s website.
2. Registration: Applicants must register their proposals by a specified deadline (e.g., September 2, 2024, for the Africa Regional Call).
3. Funding Annexes: These documents outline the eligibility criteria and funding availability for various countries and regions. They list the participating funding agencies, such as the French National Research Agency (ANR), the National Research Fund of Kenya (NRF KE), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United States.
4. Proposal Submission: Only one proposal is submitted per team, and researchers not eligible for funding from participating agencies must provide their monetary resources or in-kind support.

The Belmont Forum encourages researchers to contact their national funding agencies for guidance before preparing proposals and offers training modules on its YouTube channel to assist applicants.

Overall, the Belmont Forum plays a crucial role in facilitating international collaboration and advancing scientific research to address complex environmental challenges, fostering sustainable solutions for the future.

For more information, visit Belmont Forum