Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition BCFN YES! (Young Earth Solutions) Research Grants for Food and Nutrition Researchers 2018 – Italy

The 2017 BCFN YES! Research Grant Competition invites young PhD and postdoc researchers from any background and nationality to submit a research project to improve the sustainability of the food system.

Application Deadline: 14th June 2018

Offered annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: Global

To be taken at (country): Italy

Fields of Research: The BCFN YES! Research Grant Competition offers the opportunity to put into action concrete proposals that will have the objective of making more sustainable one or more themes of the agri-food system (in terms of environmental, social, health and/or economic aspects). Among others, the following areas of particular interest are considered:

• Sustainable and healthy dietary patterns;
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Food Security

About the Award:The BCFN Foundation is strongly committed to addressing the future challenges of food. The Foundation is focused on reducing hunger, fighting food waste, and promoting healthy lifestyles and sustainable agriculture.

The BCFN wants to support studies that are innovative, have a promise of major impact, are result-oriented and look at food systems and food value chains with a systemic approach, preferably, where relevant, blending scientific knowledge with local knowledge. Country case studies and identification of best practice are strongly encouraged. The funding shall be applied to a one-year investigation.

The competition encourages research ideas that might be considered groundbreaking with potential to be of high impact for the sustainability of the agri-food system and the implementation of the SDGs, and the review will be weighted to this innovation factor.

BCFN encourages submission of:

• Either new or ongoing research projects;
• Either unfunded proposals projects that are co-financed by a research institute, trust, foundation, university, private companies, venture capital funds, angel investors. Details of research timeline and supplemental sources of financial
  support should be specified in the application form.

Type: Research/Grants

Eligibility: 

• The 2018 BCFN YES! is designed for individual or multidisciplinary and cross-national research teams of a maximum of three components. The Competition encourages the participation of teams from different disciplines and countries who wish to combine their expertise in innovative approaches.
• Applicants who are currently pursuing doctoral degrees are eligible, as well as researchers with a completed PhD. All applicants must be/have enrolled after January 1^st, 2012, included.
• All participants must be under the age of 35 at the date of November 28, 2018.

Selection Criteria: The BCFN YES! Research Grant Competition Evaluation Committee will evaluate the proposals with the assistance of additional members (experts in specific sectors) in those cases where the methodology warrants. The proposals will be judged on:

1. Consistency with the topic areas and the BCFN Foundation’s mission;
2. Significance of the problem;
3. Design of the study;
4. The investigator’s qualifications (possession of the requisite skills);
5. The appropriateness of the schedule and the likelihood that the work will be accomplished on time;
6. Completeness of the application.

Submissions will be disqualified if they exhibit one or more of the following: – Lack of adherence to submission requirements; – Poor quality in the writing; – Poor organization of material; – Lack of specificity on required elements; – Lack of appropriate instrument samples; – Lack of appropriate theoretical framework

Number of Awardees: Three (3) teams

Value of Award: The award is a 20.000 € research grant applied to a one-year investigation. BCFN Foundation will pay the grant in two periodic installments as the research progresses:

• The first tranche (10,000 €) after the winning ceremony – December 2018;
• The second tranche (10,000 €) after BCFN Advisory Board meeting – July 2019

How to Apply: Applications can be submitted via the BCFN website starting from the end of February

Visit Award Webpage for details

Award Provider: Barilla Centre for Food and Nutrition (BCFN)