UNU‑BIOLAC hereby informs its academic and scientific community that there will be no Open Call for Proposals during the year 2026.
This decision has been taken following a period of internal reflection and strategic assessment, driven by multiple converging factors that require the Programme to rethink both its operational model and its role in regional capacity building.
First, ongoing changes within the broader United Nations system and within the United Nations University’s financial ecosystem call for a careful reassessment of spending priorities, resource allocation mechanisms, and long‑term sustainability strategies.
Second, the rapid advancement of biotechnology and related disciplines demands a renewed approach to capacity building. These developments raise the question of whether more targeted, responsive, and impactful strategies can be designed.
In addition, 2027 marks the beginning of a new phase for the Programme, with the appointment of a new Programme Coordinator. UNU‑BIOLAC considers it essential to provide sufficient space and flexibility for the incoming coordinator to design and lead the transition to new activities and work modalities that respond to current and emerging challenges.
The Programme also needs to address concerns regarding the current funding model. Since its establishment in 1975, Venezuela has been the sole provider of financial support to UNU‑BIOLAC. Paradoxically, the circumstances of recent years have resulted in Venezuela being among the least directly benefited countries by the Programme’s activities. This situation highlights the possibility of establishing more direct, transparent, and balanced agreements that ensure fairer distribution of benefits and enable effective monitoring of commitments.
UNU‑BIOLAC has also identified the need to strengthen accountability mechanisms. In recent years, some beneficiaries have not consistently met the Programme’s most basic requirement: the due recognition of UNU‑BIOLAC’s support. Future collaborations will therefore prioritize clearer commitments, traceable outcomes, and verifiable acknowledgment.
Looking ahead, UNU‑BIOLAC aims to build upon cooperation models that have demonstrated clear success, such as those established with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), while expanding toward new forms of collaboration.
This pause in the Open Call for Proposals represents not a retreat, but a strategic step toward redefining the future of UNU‑BIOLAC—one focused on building genuine capacities, generating measurable impact, and fostering sustainable partnerships across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Further information on upcoming activities and new collaboration opportunities will be announced in due course.