1. Summary

The Bois Chamblard Foundation’s main purpose is to encourage:

basic and applied research activities that are related to supporting the quality and biodiversity of the natural environment and its preservation, as well the role of humanity as it affects that environment.

With this call, the Foundation aims to encourage educational or research projects that support this purpose.

To support these activities, the Foundation puts at the disposition of researchers and educators the Bois Chamblard site with a surface of some 60,000 m2 (see here, Google maps and here) located on the shores of Lake Geneva and covered mostly by forest.

2. Call for Proposals

This call is launched to encourage educational and research activities focusing on biodiversity (considered broadly, as described above). Supported projects are expected to make use of the Bois Chamblard site at Route de Chanivaz 19, 1164 Buchillon, Switzerland.

3. Eligibility

Applications are invited from individuals or teams.

The lead applicant must be based at EPFL, University of Lausanne (UNIL) or University of Geneva (UNIGE), and remain employed at one of these institutions for the duration of the project.

Co-applicants can be located at academic or non-research institutions.

4. Administration

EPFL is responsible for financial administration of grants. The lead applicant’s institution is responsible for the project accounting and expenditure.

5. Finance

Grants can be up to 3 years duration, with maximum budgets as follows:

• Projects up to one year’s duration: CHF 75,000
• Projects from one up to three year’s duration: CHF 125,000

Eligible costs include:

• Salaries (applicant and co-applicants are ineligible)
• Consumables and supplies
• Small equipment
• Analytical costs
• Publications (Open access)
• Conferences
• Logistics costs
• Travel costs

Overheads are ineligible costs.

6. Proposal submission

Proposals should use the template downloadable from Website.

Completed proposals should be sent by 12h00 on 31 October 2019 by email to bois-chamblard-research@epfl.ch

7. Proposal evaluation

Eligible proposals submitted by the deadline will be evaluated by a panel formed by the Bois Chamblard Foundation.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Scientific or educational merit and topicality of the proposed project
• The degree to which the project supports the Foundation’s areas of interest, i.e., “quality and diversity of the natural environment and its preservation, as well the role of humanity as it affects that environment”
• For scientific projects: Originality of the project
• For educational projects: Innovation and size of the target audience
• Feasibility
• Extent to which the project utilizes the Bois Chamblard site at Buchillon
• Experience and expertise of the applicant and co-applicants for the proposed project
• Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the evaluation no later than 3 months following the submission deadline date.

8. Site Visits

Visits to the Bois Chamblard site may be organized upon request, prior to submission of proposals. Interested candidates should send an email to: bois-chamblard-research@epfl.ch to allow the Foundation to arrange for such visit.