The GCBC Research Grant Competition 3 (RGC3) is now officially open for Concept Note applications!

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The GCBC Research Grant Competition 3 (RGC3) is now officially open for Concept Note applications!

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The GCBC Research Grant Competition 3 (RGC3) is now officially open for Concept Note applications!

Published 04 Feb 2025

GCBC

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Agriculture Agroforestry Coastal Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration Food Systems Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Natural Resource Management Nature based solutions Partnership Small Island Developing States Social Inclusion

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The GCBC Opportunities Portal is now open to receive Concept Note submissions for projects that address either one (or both) of the Third Research Grant Competition (RGC3) themes.  

The Opportunities Portal provides applicants with access to the Invitation to Apply Pack, a comprehensive range of resources to assist applications for RGC3 grant funding. Only applicants registered on the portal via www.gcbc.org.uk can access these essential documents and submit Concept Notes.   

Register Here  

The two research themes of this RGC3 are:  

  • Theme 1: Using biodiversity to improve the climate resilience of agricultural, food and bioeconomy value chains – Transforming agrifood systems at scale to incorporate nature-based solutions that build biodiversity back into production landscapes to boost climate resilience and reduce poverty (open to all GCBC focus regions). 
  • Theme 2: Biodiversity hotspots in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – Building sustainable businesses from nature to adapt to climate change, protect biodiversity, and tackle poverty (focused in SIDS). 

The Concept Note application window closes on Sunday 16 March, 2025 at 23:00 hrs, UTC.  

Following the assessment of Concept Notes, successful applicants from this first round will then be invited to submit Full Proposals for their proposed projects which align with the RGC3 themes.  

The GCBC, a UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), aims to fund a mixed portfolio of up to twenty grants in RGC3, covering a range of topics and geographies across both themes. Grants sums of between £100,000 and £1 million are offered for projects of 12-36 months duration. 

The GCBC will accept applications for projects with activities in GCBC-eligible countries in Latin America (including Central America), the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South-east Asia and the Pacific and Small Island Developing States. A list of GCBC eligible countries is available below in the Resources section. To be accepted for funding under the GCBC programme projects must demonstrate: 

  • Fit to GCBC: All proposals need to address poverty alleviation and climate resilience, focusing on approaches that better value, protect, restore and sustainably manage biodiversity. 
  • Fit to theme: Proposals must address research questions within one of the themes set out above. 
  • GESI: All proposals must incorporate clear plans to factor in gender, equality and social inclusion from the outset. 
  • R&D: Proposed work must meet the definition of research and development: creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge (OECD, 2015). 

 

Resources for RGC3 Applicants

A series of webinars to provide supporting information for Concept Note applications for RGC3 were recently completed.

Watch the Webinars here:

RGC3 Themes

GCBC Delivery Principles

Concept Note Preparation

Research for Impact

If you are considering applying but have not yet registered, the GCBC has produced several resources to assist applicants for RGC3 funding: 

Download the List of GCBC Eligible Countries here

Download the RGC3 Theme Paper here 

Download Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) here

Download the Invitation to Apply Overview here 

Download the GCBC Research Strategy here 

  

 

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Agriculture Agroforestry Coastal Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration Food Systems Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Natural Resource Management Nature based solutions Partnership Small Island Developing States Social Inclusion

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GCBC Private Sector Study Factsheet Now Available

Published 30 Jan 2025

GCBC

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Financing Nature based solutions Partnership

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A recent study by Stantec, now available to download, explored the Biodiversity / Nature Based Solutions (NbS) private sector investment market and the technologies and data use. Its focus was on the GCBC priority countries covering knowledge for the ‘Global South’ NbS market through a range of stakeholders including Nature Tech Firms, Interest Groups, Investors and Academics.

Conclusions from the study suggest that the market is nascent and dynamic but expected to expand and mature in the future. There was consensus that the current NbS investment market is not meeting the demand but this could change as the market grows (and the pipeline of investable projects increases); project costs fall (due to economies of scale and technologies); and regulation evolves to support the market. The Nature Tech market is crowded and has challenges in balancing robustness with cost-effectiveness; but the Nature Tech could be simplified and made more usable without losing quality.

View the factsheet here

 

 

 

 

 

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Assessing Carbon Credits as a Sustainable Funding Mechanism for Participatory Forest Management in Tanzania

Published 14 Jan 2025

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Country: Tanzania

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Agroforestry Capacity Building Conservation and Restoration Improving livelihoods Partnership

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Country: Tanzania

Lead Partner: Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania

Summary: Tanzania is rich in biodiversity but faces rapid deforestation and severe poverty. Villages own 46% of forests, but resource limitations hinder effective management and deforestation continues apace. Carbon credits offer potential incentives for climate mitigation and biodiversity preservation, yet their applicability to village forests remains unproven at scale.

This project aims to collaborate closely with local communities to evaluate the feasibility of carbon credit schemes, considering costs, benefits and governance. Additionally, it will focus on capacity-building initiatives for village governments and stakeholders, empowering them to navigate carbon markets effectively. Through this approach, the project aims to harness the power of carbon markets to combat climate change, safeguard biodiversity, and alleviate poverty in Tanzania’s forested areas.

Photograph (detail): Laitche

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Creation of an Intercultural biodiverse Seed Bank with the Indigenous “Resguardo Puerto Naranjo” for enhancing restoration and conservation efforts in degraded areas in the Colombian Amazon

Published 14 Jan 2025

Project Details

Region: Amazonas

Country: Colombia

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Agriculture Conservation and Restoration Food Systems Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples Nature based solutions Partnership

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Country: Colombia

Lead Partner: Fundación Tropenbos Colombia

Summary: The programme will establish intercultural seed banks to store and distribute a wide variety of seeds of indigenous forest species for a variety of uses such as food, medicine, architecture and art, in line with the government’s restoration objectives.

The programme will integrate Indigenous and scientific knowledge to identify and geo-reference seed source trees. Laboratory tests will determine the most efficient local practices for seed production. Local methodologies, participatory action research and quantitative data coming from a live laboratory will be deployed to create a sustainable strategy for intercultural seed banks suitable for the climate and geography of Puerto Naranjo Resguardo and the Amazon.

A systemic approach will allow for innovation in the creation of a scalable plan that positions intercultural seed banks as a local solution to help improve livelihoods, address the current effects of climate change and restore biodiversity in indigenous territories.  Outputs will include local research, scientific articles, a collaborative database, storytelling and a business plan for the community to transform the initiative into a sustainable income-generating opportunity.

Photograph (detail): Dmitry Makeev

 

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EMBRACE: Engaging Local Communities in Minor Crop Utilisation for Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Enrichment

Published 14 Jan 2025

Project Details

Country: Ghana

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Agriculture Capacity Building Food Systems Improving livelihoods Natural Resource Management Nature based solutions Partnership

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Countries: Ghana and Kenya

Lead Partner: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), Ghana

Summary: EMBRACE is a comprehensive project aimed at improving the livelihoods of 1250 impoverished households in Ghana and Kenya, to achieve a 40% improvement by 2027.

EMBRACE will work with 25 communities to promote sustainable agricultural practices, forest conservation, and community empowerment, targeting significant poverty, biodiversity loss and inequality reduction.

EMBRACE’s approach involves establishing 25 agroforestry model farmsteads that integrate snail, mushroom, and beekeeping production, and training 500 women and youth in sustainable agriculture and nursery management to enable them to produce diverse and nutritious food, generate income, and conserve natural resources. The project will also support community-owned nurseries and revolving funds to promote self-sufficiency, gender equity, and social inclusion.

Additionally, EMBRACE will engage stakeholders such as local governments, community leaders, and the private sector, to influence policies that support resource and biodiversity conservation. Through EMBRACE, communities will be empowered to drive their development and make informed decisions about their natural resources.

The project’s impact will be felt beyond the 25 communities, serving as a model for sustainable development and community-led conservation in Ghana and Kenya. Thus, EMBRACE will contribute to a more just and sustainable world, where communities thrive in harmony with nature.

Photograph (Detail): McKay Savage

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Exploring sustainable land use pathways for ecosystems, food security and poverty alleviation: opportunities for Indonesia’s food estate programme

Published 14 Jan 2025

Project Details

Country: Indonesia

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Agriculture Conservation and Restoration Food Systems Improving livelihoods Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Natural Resource Management Partnership

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Country: Indonesia

Lead Partner: University of Sussex

Summary: This transdisciplinary project is concerned with understanding the dynamics of land use change and supporting the co-creation of pathways towards sustainable land use that addresses biodiversity, climate change, food security and poverty concerns. The focus is on opportunities for sustainable food estate programmes in Indonesia, in the context of major concerns about their adverse environmental and social impacts. The programme will work with farming communities, NGOs, conservation agencies and government agencies; drawing together quantitative and qualitative data (and formal and informal knowledge) to visualise and assess the multiple values of landscapes, and impact of food estate interventions at sites with a variety of monocrop and agroforestry systems.  It seeks to support productive, evidence-based dialogue through the development and use of an open access mapping and modelling tool; developing land use scenarios that integrate climate resilience and biodiversity conservation into initiatives that support sustainable livelihoods of farming communities and wider food security concerns. Through participatory action research and capacity building activities with key stakeholders, the programme will identify land use planning and policy process opportunities and practical intervention points.

Photograph (detail): Vyacheslav Argenberg

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GCBC project leaders build connections and share learning at International Environment and Climate symposium

Published 22 Oct 2024

GCBC

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Capacity Building Financing Food Systems Governance and Policy Partnership

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By Samantha Morris, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate (GCBC) project leaders joined practitioners, researchers and representatives of Indigenous peoples’ organisations from other UK Government environment and climate research programmes in Nairobi for the first International Environment and Climate Research Symposium.

Nature and the environment are the bedrock of our planet, which is facing a triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Action is urgently needed to address these critical issues to secure sustainable livelihoods and human wellbeing.

In September, the International Environment and Climate Research Symposium brought together 84 practitioners, researchers and representatives of Indigenous peoples’ organisations from three of the United Kingdom’s largest environment and climate research programmes. Collectively these three programmes manage £50 million across Africa, Asia, and Latin America:

Establishing shot of attendees at the Kenya Symposium
Delegates at the International Environment and Climate Research Symposium in Nairobi, Kenya Picture: Kew Gardens

The Symposium was held in Nairobi, Kenya. It was planned and delivered in partnership, drawing on the unique skills and experience held by each of the three programmes. Sessions were split over several days, with each programme taking time to meet individually, ending with a joint programme day on 19 September.

Connection in action

For the GCBC, connecting and collaborating with other research programmes demonstrates the potential of working to coordinate research to find solutions to climate change that benefit both people and nature.

All 14 GCBC projects that received funding from the first competitive research grant competition attended the Symposium with 28 project leaders and partners in Nairobi.

During the individual day, the GCBC projects were given space to get into the detail, mapping the characteristics of each project with a focus on geography, themes, methods, and partners. This identified a wide range of synergies across a diverse group of research projects. These points of connection will support the GCBC programme to identify areas where we can develop tools, evidence, and resources to deliver greater impact.

The day also addressed Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), barriers and opportunities to research impact, and strategies for communicating and influencing to amplify research outcomes. Across these areas, projects shared their experiences as they move from existing practice to better practice, exchanging tools and ideas along the way.

During the joint day, participants from all three programmes enthusiastically exchanged practical ideas, concrete solutions and lived experiences to turn knowledge into impact.

Watch the video from the Symposium below:

The rich discussion highlighted several opportunities:

  • The value of building trust with communities to genuinely devolve decision making, power, and resources to local actors.
  • Sustaining effective stakeholder engagement from the start of interventions and building long term relationships beyond project cycles.
  • Constantly evaluating trade-offs and synergies that accompany a systems approach

To carry these ideas, forward participants from all three programmes discussed the potential for ongoing learning exchange, as well as opportunities and pathways for knowledge sharing.

From connection to collaboration

Overall, the Symposium was an energising and inspiring event, an opportunity to build connect and share both within the GCBC programme and with other UK Government programmes.

Work is underway to explore what future connection and collaboration between UK Government programmes could look like, building on the ideas shared by participants at the Symposium.

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Capacity Building Financing Food Systems Governance and Policy Partnership

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