Calls for Proposals
Call for proposals FAPESP and Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) 2025 Versão em português
Launch of call: April 15, 2025
Closing date for submission of proposals: June 13, 2025
Announcement of results: On or before November 30, 2025
Start of projects: January 1, 2026
Duration of projects: 3 years
Modality at FAPESP: Auxílio à Pesquisa Regular com 1 bolsa de Pós-doc – Regular Grant with a postdoctral scholar
Submission:
- FAPESP: SAGe system
- FDCT: project funding online application system
Contact at FAPESP: chamada-FDCT@fapesp.br
Contact at FDCT: info@fdct.gov.mo
1. Introduction
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) are pleased to launch this new call for joint research projects. The aim is to promote and strengthen collaboration between researchers affiliated with Higher Education and Research Institutions in State of São Paulo, Brazil, and researchers affiliated with entities established in accordance with the law in Macao, China. FDCT has the mission to provide high-quality services for scientific research in Macao, China, so that high-level scientific research achievements can be produced and the transformation of results can be facilitated through the provision of funds. As part of the “Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao” Science and Technology Innovation Corridor within the Greater Bay Area, Macau plays a crucial role as an environment for research and development at the frontier of science and technology.
2. Research Themes
FAPESP and FDCT wish to support the development of new research collaborations. Collaborations should leverage the strengths of researchers in both regions to address key areas of science and technology, including one or more of the following:
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Biomedicine;
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Artificial Intelligence;
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Ocean Technology;
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Space Science; and
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Agriculture
3. Funding and duration for each project
FAPESP will fund up to R$600,000.00 (plus all indirect costs, including institutional infrastructure overhead, direct infrastructure overhead, and supplementary travel benefits) and a postdoctoral scholar grant for up to 36 months. FDCT will fund up to MOP$1,500,000. Based on a symmetry agreement, each party will fund approximately up to USD 190,000 per project.
It is anticipated that each jointly funded project will last 3 years. The following basic requirements shall be met during the period of cooperation:
(1) The average time spent by each PI on exchange visits and research at their respective partner institution in Macao, China, or São Paulo,Brazil, shall be not less than seven days per year.
(2) At least two project working meetings shall be convened per year (in any form) with the participation of the key personnel of the partners.
It is anticipated that a total of five (5) proposals will be funded for this call.
4. Eligibility criteria
Each proposal must include one Principal Investigator (PI) from the State of São Paulo and one Principal Investigator (PI) affiliated with an entity established in accordance with the law in Macao, China, who unite strengths to execute a joint research project. Applicants are expected to propose a coherent research proposal, clearly showing added value for both partners, and the complementarity of both teams, stimulating a balanced partnership. The proposals must aim to respect the principle of reciprocity with regards to academic qualifications of those who will take part in the project and exchange activities.
The following eligibility criteria apply:
- Proposals submitted to FAPESP must be written in English and have at most 20 pages; whereas the proposals submitted to FDCT shall be prepared in any of the official languages of Macao, China , or in English .
- Proposals must have the same duration on both sides, i.e. 36 months (three years) starting in 2026;
- Each PI is allowed to submit only one proposal, under penalty of exclusion;
- Only joint applications that have at least one China’s Macao and one Brazilian faculty member will be evaluated.
a. FAPESP:
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Researchers eligible for FAPESP’s funding under the scope of this Call must be employees of public or private Higher Education or Research Institutions in the State of São Paulo and must meet the FAPESP eligibility requirements for the Regular Grant;
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Applicants can already have one Regular (APR) or Thematic grant (TEM) in Brazil and one abroad grant. However, for cases of concurrency, the time dedicated to the project by the Principal Investigator (hours per week) must be considered. FAPESP recommends a minimum dedication of 12 hours per week for APR and 20 hours per week for Thematic Projects. The total weekly hours dedicated to FAPESP Research Grants must not exceed 40 hours;
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Proposals must meet the rules and instructions of the Regular Grant , with the exceptions of funding, duration and project length (items 1, 2 and 9).
b. FDCT:
Eligible Applicants:
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Public higher education institutions or public medical institutions in Macao, China;
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Private higher education institutions established by law in Macao, China.
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Private non-profit-making entities established by law in Macao, China.
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Commercial entrepreneurs or commercial enterprises registered in Macao, China.
For further details, please refer to the website of FDCT.
5. Funding principles
Researchers should ensure that all expenses are calculated and covered in line with the rules and regulations in force from FAPESP and FDCT.
Funds both from FAPESP and FDCT will cover expenses on travel, equipment, and consumable. FDCT will also fund personnel costs which can include postdoctoral personnel costs. FAPESP can also fund for third party services and up to 36 months postdoctoral scholar.
a. FAPESP:
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Funding requirements for FAPESP’s funding under the scope of this Call must follow the rules of Regular Grant with the exception of a postdoctoral scholar grant for up to 36 months, will not be computed in the maximum total amount allowed for the proposal;
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Researchers and scholarship recipients must abide to the rules of their home institutions and FAPESP´s pertaining long term absent periods from their activities and ongoing Grants;
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For travels the grantee must verify with the competent consulate the need to obtain specific visa, as well as to the related costs.
b. FDCT:
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Funding requirements for FDCT’s funding under the scope of this Call must follow the rules of the Financial Aid Grant Regulation as approved in the Dispatch of the Secretary for Economy and Finance No. 54/2024.
6. Submission
The same proposal should be submitted both to FAPESP and FDCT. Proposals should be written in English and must contain a clear description of the planned collaboration (distribution of work and methods of implementation) and the added value to be expected from the collaboration.
a. FAPESP: Apart from the research project and the budget summary, the PI from the state of São Paulo must include, in the submission, all documents requested in the SAGe system.
b. FDCT: All applications must be submitted through the project funding online application system at https://apps.fdct.gov.mo/sams/index.
Before applying, applicants must first open an account. For account applications, please refer to: https://www.fdct.gov.mo/zh_tw/Account.html.
Applicants who have applied for an electronic signature shall submit the application documents via the online application system of FDCT on or before the deadline.
Applicants who have not applied for electronic signature shall, in addition to submitting the application documents via the online application system of FDCT on or before the deadline, deliver the signed and stamped application documents to FDCT.
7. Application procedure
Proposals must be submitted to and received by both FAPESP and FDCT (referred to as 'the Parties') . The proposals which have not been submitted to both Parties will not be considered for review and will not be considered for funding. Both FAPESP and FDCT will not be held responsible for incomplete registrations due to IT technical problems, communication failures, communication line congestion, or other factors hindering data transfer. Conditional, late, or submissions via postal mail, fax, or email will not be accepted. It will not be possible to make registrations after the deadline specified in the call for proposals.
A proposal must be submitted to FAPESP by the PI from the State of São Paulo and to FDCT by the applicant from Macao, China. By submitting the proposal, the proponents agree to the rules and conditions established in this Call for Proposals and in the applicable legislation, and cannot claim ignorance or disagreement;
FAPESP submission
The PI from the state of São Paulo can submit only one proposal in this call, even if already having a Regular or Thematic or Regular Grant (including Young Investigator – JP) and a SPRINT Grant.
It is necessary that the PI and all co-PIs from the state of São Paulo are registered in the SAGe system and confirm their participation in the proposal (please see the annex at the end of the call for more information).It is strongly recommended to complete and submit the proposal well in advance.
FAPESP's communication lines are available for assistance between 10:00 and 12:00 (Brazilian Time) from Monday to Friday.
Submission to FDCT
The PI is allowed to take on one project in this joint call where a joint funding agreement signed with a foreign-funding entity has come into effect, and this will not be counted towards the regulation that the PI is allowed to undertake up to three ongoing projects funded by FDCT.
A valid project application consists of the application form, together with all the necessary application documents required submitted to FDCT. If the applications are not received both by FAPESP and in FDCT by their respective deadlines, the project will not be accepted.
8. Analysis and selection
Proposals that do not comply with the terms of this Call will not qualify for analysis;
Each Party will select the proposals according to its own procedures and only the proposals selected by both Parties will be consider for funding. A joint committee will finalize the selection process;
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Beyond regular review procedures by each Party, the evaluation criteria include:
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Scientific quality, feasibility and innovativeness of the research plan;
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Competence and expertise of the applicants from both regions;
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Added value generated by China’s Macao-Brazilian research collaboration;
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A clear description of the responsibilities that will be carried out by research partners;
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The potential for outcomes such as joint publications, conference presentations, new coursework, and acquiring external funding in the future;
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The project’s potential to enhance future collaborations between the researchers’ home institutions;
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The project’s potential for innovation in its own field and its broad impact.
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The following criteria may be utilized to resolve ties:
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Proposals from researchers who have completed their PhDs within the last 10 years will be prioritized by FAPESP (periods of parental leave being excluded from the calculation of this time);
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FAPESP and FDCT will seek for distribution of proposals within the five main research areas.
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Considering the results announced under this Call for proposals, FAPESP and FDCT will not accept reconsideration requests.
9. Intellectual Property
To execute the research project, an agreement must be established between the research partners, covering at least the following information:
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where and for how long the data generated during the project will be stored, how it will be protected, and who will have access to it;
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indication of the repositories where the data generated will be stored, including both data generated exclusively by Brazilian partners and data generated exclusively by foreign partners, with cross-references in both cases;
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rules governing the co-authorship of publications resulting from the collaborative research project;
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intellectual property issues: if the project results or the final report have commercial value or may lead to the development of a product or method involving a patent, the exchange of information and ownership of intellectual property rights will be governed by Brazilian Law No. 9,279 of May 14, 1996, Decree No. 9,283 of February 7, 2018, and FAPESP's Intellectual Property Policy. In cases involving partnerships with foreign entities or institutions, applicable regional laws must also be observed.
The applicant from Macao, China, serving as the principal applicant for FDCT, must negotiate with the collaborating partner from São Paulo regarding research content, plans, and the division of tasks. They are required to sign a cooperation agreement, memorandum of understanding, or letter of intent, which must be submitted to FDCT during the application process. Documentation related specifically to intellectual property arrangements (agreement, memorandum of understanding, or letter of intent) can be submitted when signing the funding agreement.
The research partners agree that any actions resulting from this Agreement that lead to products with commercial value or intellectual property rights will be governed by relevant national/regional legislation and international conventions. Participants must also observe the Intellectual Property Policy of the Party responsible for funding their team.
In the case of joint ownership of Intellectual Property, the institutions in the state of São Paulo hosting joint research projects supported by FAPESP under this cooperation agreement and the parties involved supported with resources from FDCT will, in good faith, endeavor to establish a joint ownership agreement. This agreement should clearly define the allocation and terms for exercising joint ownership, taking into account the contributions of the respective parties.
10. Matchmaking
Foreign researchers interested in finding partners in the state of São Paulo can use the Virtual Library of FAPESP. It is possible to search for information regarding Grants and Scholarships awarded by FAPESP, including abstracts, as well as the names of participating researchers and their institutions. FDCT can be contacted by email at info@fdct.gov.mo.
11. Contact
All questions related to this Call for Proposals must be directed to:
FAPESP: chamada-FDCT@fapesp.br
FDCT: info@fdct.gov.mo
Annex - Specific instructions on the use of SAGe
Please note the following:
1. Registration Requirements
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The Principal Investigator (PI) and all co-PIs from São Paulo must be registered in the SAGe system and confirm their participation in the proposal.
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New users must register at fapesp.br/sage by clicking "No registration?" and completing the required fields. Simply creating a user account is not sufficient; mandatory registration fields marked with "*" must be completed.
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Existing users should log in with their usual credentials to access the system.
2. Proposal Submission
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Ensure all required fields marked with"*"are completed before submitting the proposal. A saved proposal is not considered submitted.
3. Support and Documentation
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If you need assistance, visit the Manuals section on the SAGe homepage. On the Manuals de Apoio aos Pesquisadores page, you will find guidance, including an English version covering user registration and participation confirmation.
Important Recommendations
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Submit your proposal well in advance to avoid last-minute issues.
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Periodically check for pending requirements using the "Validate" option in SAGe. This function identifies missing information that may prevent submission.
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If you have any questions, refer to the manuals or contact FAPESP through the Converse with FAPESP service at converse.