Synthesis and Integrative Research Program
$600,000 is available to synthesise existing research on climate change impacts and adaptation.
National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility
The National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF) was established in 2007 with funding from the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, to lead a national interdisciplinary research effort to produce the knowledge that helps government, industry and community decision makers to manage the impacts of climate change and variability. NCCARF sets national research priorities through the development and implementation of national adaptation research plans, operation of research networks, and management of research programmes to address adaptation needs. The Facility is hosted by Griffith University, in partnership with the Queensland Government and 8 universities across Australia.
Background
Australia’s States and Territories are responsible for developing and implementing adaptation policies and plans, often in conjunction with local and federal government. States and Territories fund or undertake research activities to support their needs, but they are also reliant on research conducted elsewhere in Australia. NCCARF’s research program of thematic and and synthesis projects are an important resource for States and Territories, and should be used to support their policy and management needs.
NCCARF’s research programs, together with other relevant research outcomes from other Australian research institutions and lessons learned from existing practical adaptation approaches, constitute an important part of the growing evidence base for adaptation decision making in Australia’s States and Territories.
NCCARF seeks to fund a set of projects to integrate these research outputs and generate an information portfolio on climate change impacts and adaptation responses, one for each State and Territory.
There is $600,000 available for the project(s), which need to be completed in six to nine months. Proponents may propose to produce a report for a single State or Territory, or for the entire project.
Synthesis and Integrative Research Program
NCCARF is seeking proposals under the Synthesis and Integrative Research Program, to prepare a portfolio of research outcomes and outputs and implementation actions for each State and Territory in Australia. Each report will pull together NCCARF-funded and other relevant research conducted in Australia, key data from vulnerability assessments and risk reports already available for some States and Territories, and information from Stakeholder workshops.
The primary research questions are:
- What useful and practical analysis and synthesis for State and Territory policy makers can be provided from the adaptation research now available?
- What are the implications of that analysis for sectors in Australia’s States and Territories?
The objectives of the research are to:
- Identify the relevance of existing adaptation research from across Australia for each individual State and Territory, and at a nation level. Adaptation research is often of necessity case- and region-specific. These portfolios will demonstrate the extent to which adaptation research findings across Australia can be aggregated and integrated to generate policy-relevant information for Australia and each State/Territory;
- Map linkages between direct and indirect climate change impacts, consequences for individual sectors and across sectors, and the adaptation responses and implementation actions;
- Identify any recurring themes regarding how adaptation research recommendations may be better implemented. Are there specific institutional changes or legislative, policy, financial, governance etc mechanisms that might be needed to support and improve the adoption and implementation of recommendations?;
- Provide key information to support policy, investment and decision making by benchmarking where adaptation is being planned or implemented in each State and Territory;
- Identify critical information gaps and research opportunities as a basis for future planning of research investment and projects to develop and implement adaptation policy; and
- Provide a list and status of the adaptation research projects specific to each State/Territory.
Application Process
Invitations for full project proposals are invited, using the Proposal Form provided in Document 3 of this package.
Enquiries may be directed to:
Dr David Rissik
Tel: 07 5552 8247
Email: d.rissik@griffith.edu.au
Completed Proposal Forms should be submitted as attachments via e-mail to:
Dr Daniel Stock
Email: d.stock@griffith.edu.au
The deadline for receipt of applications is:
Date: 27 April 2012.
Time: 23:59 hours (Eastern Standard Time)
Proposals will be accepted from public or private research institutions, consortia of researchers or individual researchers. The submissions will be considered from all interested parties regardless of any participation in or affiliation with the NCCARF and/or any of the Adaptation Research Networks.
Selection process
The proposals will be assessed by an Assessment Committee consisting of the Project Manager, representatives of NCCARF and the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, independent scientists and end users from government.
Proposals will be evaluated against selection criteria, as follows:
- Appropriateness – the extent to which the project addresses identified end-user needs
- Interdisciplinarity – the extent to which the project crosses a variety of disciplines and thematic areas.
- Challenge and innovation – The extent to which the project addresses a significant gap in end-user knowledge and/or develops new tools.
- Capacity – The extent to which the project team demonstrates their capacity to undertake multidisciplinary, synthesis and integration research. The extent to which the project team comprises of end users, and outlines the roles of end users in the project.
- Feasibility – Is there a sufficient body of knowledge and existing research to support the work
- Project design – The scientific and technical feasibility of the project and the extent to which it includes end-user engagement
