CGIAR released the call for full-proposals from CGIAR Centers for the next generation of CGIAR Research Programs, to be active from 2017 to 2022.
See full proposals.
What is the CRP 2 Portfolio?
The Strategy and Results Framework and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide the overall strategic direction, research priorities and results framework for the 2nd Call for CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs). The CRP 2 Portfolio has been developed and informed by the former Fund Council, CGIAR’s new System Council, advice of CGIAR’s ISPC, Centers and other stakeholders. The CRP 2 portfolio builds on aspects of the 2010-2016 CRP portfolio to maintain momentum in selected areas, but puts more emphasis on integrated agri-food systems based approaches, nutrition and health, climate change, soils and degraded land, reducing food systems waste, food safety, global stewardship of genetic resources, and big data & ICT.
How is it structured?
The new CRP portfolio is structured around two interlinked clusters of challenge-led research. The first of these is the “innovation in agri-food systems (AFS)” which involves adopting an integrated, agricultural systems approach to advancing productivity, sustainability, nutrition and resilience outcomes at scale. There are 8 AFS CRPs: Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals Agri-food Systems; Fish Agri-food System; Forest and Agroforestry Landscapes; Livestock Agri-food Systems; Maize Agri-food Systems; Rice Agri-food systems; Roots, Tubers and Bananas Agri-food System; and Wheat Agri-food Systems.
The second cluster consists of 4 cross-cutting “global integrating programs (GIP)”, with CRPs framed to work closely with the eight agri-food systems CRPs within relevant agro-ecological systems. The GIPs are: Nutrition and Health; Water Land and Ecosystems (including soils); Climate Change; and Policies, Institutions and Markets. These CRPs will consider the influence of rapid urbanization and other drivers of change to ensure that research results deliver solutions at the national level that can be scaled up and out to other countries and regions.
The scope of the new portfolio, besides programs, also includes research support platforms which underpin the research of the whole system (three such platforms are envisaged: for management of gene banks and CGIAR genetic resources policy; for a technological platform to accelerate research on all commodities – particularly to accelerate genetic gain for yield improvement; and a third in the area of the management of the ever increasing data from many fields of research and means to cross reference and analyze this – Big Data).
Partners are critically important for CGIAR
While CRPs will be led by CGIAR Centers, each proposal will identify its strategic partners, both CGIAR Centers and other institutions. Partners from outside the CGIAR can lead Flagships within CRPs, depending on their comparative advantages and track record. CRP pre-proposals indicate the partners role in the program and their share of the budget transparently.
A detailed partnership strategy is a key part of the full proposal. It describes how the CRP partnership will deliver from discovery science to integrated delivery at scale. It includes: partnerships at the discovery, proof of concept, and, if relevant, pilot level and scaling-up phase; engagement and dialogue with stakeholders; alignment with regional initiatives; and engagement with the private sector.
How does the CRP 2 Portfolio differ from the CRP I Portfolio?
The CRP 2 portfolio builds substantially on the 2010-2016 CRP portfolio, but differs in that it:
- Adds value via a coordinated and managed process that allows strategic allocation of funding, ensuring that proposals demonstrate greater synergy and deliver impact that is greater than the sum of their parts.
- Places greater focus on excellence and scientific leadership at various levels, including review and selection of proposals, monitoring of programmatic outputs, and mentoring.
- Explicitly supports innovation in agri-food systems and integrated approaches that “steer” these systems to achieve development outcomes at various scales.
- Develops and invests in Big data & ICT to facilitate the establishment of a global agri-informatics platform that converts “big data to big signal” and creates new knowledge.
- Has an outcomes focus, with all programs expected to be based on a clearly defined theory of change, well defined impact pathways, and identified outputs, as well as research outcomes, and specified targets towards (sub-) intermediate development outcomes as defined in CGIAR’s 2016 – 2030 SRF.
- Makes explicit collaboration among the agri-food system CRPs in defined geographies via Site Integration Plans developed in close consultation with national partners and each other, and with well-defined coordination mechanisms, led by a specified center or CRP in each country or site.
- Includes 4 cross-cutting CRPs which will work closely with each other and with the 8 agri-food CRPs to leverage best practices across the portfolio.
- Promotes 3 cross-cutting platforms on genebanks and genetic resources policy, genetic gain (for commodity improvement) and big data & ICT, and addresses gender, capacity development, and monitoring, evaluation and learning as functions coordinated by specific Centers or Communities of Practice to ensure integration and coordination across the CRPs.
Review Process
The full-proposals for CGIAR research programs have been provided as part of a two stage process. Pre-proposals were reviewed in 2015 and an agreed set of subjects for programs was chosen in October 2015 and then agreed in November. The Consortium Board issued a call for proposals on December 2015 with a guidance document which provided the required content and format for proposal submissions. The detailed full proposals which cover a 6 year trajectory of work (2017-2022) have been reviewed by the Independent Science and Partnership Council (ISPC) and revised proposals were submitted in 31 July 2016 and are again under review by the ISPC and funders.
