[ Transformation towards global sustainable development (TRANSFORM) - SDC | Research funding ]

With TRANSFORM, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) intends to support applied research initiatives conducted by consortia of researchers in Switzerland and the Global South/East, and implementation partners, to develop and test innovative solutions to sustainable development challenges in developing countries. Initiatives should directly respond to the needs and interests of implementation partners. Impact evaluations and other scientific methods, which help assess the impacts of international cooperation, can also be funded.

No specific thematic orientations. SDC is particularly interested in initiatives which aim to contribute to the four medium-term strategic objectives of Switzerland’s International Cooperation (see Annex 4) and addressing emerging issues and opportunities such as e.g. digitalisation, migration and cross sectoral approaches.

Three specific objectives have been defined:
- generate and validate transformative knowledge and technology that meet the needs of practitioners and contribute to sustainable development in the global South and East;
- foster and support the utilisation and scaling-up of research-based knowledge, technologies and innovation in development policies and interventions, through engaging implementation partners from the onset of research projects;
- enhance scientific skills and know-how in conducting transformative and transdisciplinary research on systemic and complex development challenges.

The initiatives should address concrete development challenges as identified by implementation partners and refer to policy frameworks at national/regional/global level. The initiatives shall facilitate the validation of research findings and up scaling of research-based innovation with tangible results in the next 3 to 5 years. The initiatives have to address several Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), on top of contributing to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the goals) and SDG 1 (no poverty).

TRANSFORM will not provide additional support to specific projects already (co)-financed by SDC.


Who can apply
Interdisciplinary consortia with at least a Swiss research institution, a research partner in the Global South/East and a non-research implementation partner (government, civil society, private sector). For private sector partners, please check SDC exclusion criteria. Further (research) partners from the global North can also be included in the consortium.

Duration
Max. 60 months (earliest possible start: 1 October 2020)

Funding
In principle up to 50% of the total budget, and up to 70% if required by the initiative. SDC’s contribution will indicatively be approx. 1 MCHF / year, i.e consortium partners match approx. 1 MCHF / year (50% matching fund) or 0.4 MCHF / year (30% matching fund). The consortium should prove that in-cash and in-kind financing is secured for at least half of the duration of the initiative and explain how further funds will be raised.
SDC might fund up to 4 proposals.

Deadlines
Submission of pre-proposals: 13 April 2020, 8:00 pm CET (postponed from 5 April 2020)
Submission of full-proposals (upon invitation): July 2020


Submission
Submission to the following e-mail address: [email protected]
See chapters 4.2 and 5.2 of the Call document to prepare your pre-proposal.  See also Questions and answers

For further information: please have a look at the TRANSFORM webpage, Call document, Questions and answers, Applicants information template, Budget template, or contact [email protected]