UNU-BIOLAC is accepting applications for the organization of training courses (2025 edition). Following our mission to build biotechnology capacities within the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, we aim to help prepare and capacitate professionals through high-level training courses. These activities are to be co-funded by UNU-BIOLAC throughout the LAC countries and carried out by highly qualified academics and researchers in the diverse fields of biotechnology.
Overview
Applications are sought from biotechnology researchers who combine the highest level of research excellence with a demonstrated passion for delivering social impact from biotechnology. The role our academic collaborators will play is important for the UNU-BIOLAC mission. Our goal is to empower and support qualified professionals in implementing live academic activities all over the region and to incorporate them as allies of UNU-BIOLAC, the United Nations University and the United Nations.
Expectations
Applicants must be active researchers committed to sharing their expertise by organising training courses on biotechnology sensu stricto (see Guidelines for important additional information).
Selected training courses must rely on worldwide experts and participants who represent the LAC region equally. At the end of the activity, each grantee must deliver a final report with all academic/training results (see below) and include a financial statement of all expenses incurred. The final report will be subject to evaluation by UNU-BIOLAC. The emphasis in all cases is the capacitation of the selected participants in biotechnology as a source of solutions and the attainment of the UN SDGs.
Important: Organizers must write an Annex in the form of a Letter to the Editors of any recognized academic journal where they express the main conclusions on the state-of-the-art knowledge imparted with specific recommendations to make biotechnology advance in the corresponding course’s field. Ideally, this letter should be written to be published and where due acknowledgement of UNU-BIOLAC is granted.
This call is for academic activities to be held during the first semester of 2025.
Expected training course outputs may include, among others, research papers, poster presentations, policy recommendations, and technical manuals. These outputs will benefit the course participants and a wider audience through their dissemination on the Internet– the quality of the product allows.
Each grantee will receive UNU-BIOLAC funds, according to the complexity of the proposed activity, to cover students’ travel tickets, lodging, living expenses, and partial and full scholarships, as well as reagents or any other materials needed to implement them.
Important: UNU-BIOLAC will privilege funds mostly oriented towards the students’ mobilisation and housing, and exhorts organisers not to charge them course registration fees. UNU-BIOLAC will not consider proposals with no counterpart funds.
This call is open to researchers/academics from Latin America and the Caribbean whose research focus is biotechnology sensu stricto. These must be engaged in active research or in pursuit of new research opportunities in, but not limited to, high-throughput and deep sequencing of genomes, metagenomic analysis and the discovery, characterisation and/or expression of new genes and biological functions in homologous or heterologous systems, creation and use of new biomaterials, engineering of genes, genomes, tissues and organs, whole organisms or even complete communities, drug discovery, vaccine development, omics technologies, fight against disease in plants and animals (including humans), etc.
For 2025, UNU-BIOLAC encourages scientists to delve into (1) the use of biotechnology to solve scientific problems and 2) the generation of biotechnological solutions/products derived from basic or applied science.
Impact
UNU-BIOLAC is committed to biotechnology for social development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Therefore, selected applicants and participants are expected to promote the impact of their research and formative activities to a broad audience, engage in policy debate, and foster international and interdisciplinary biotechnological research.
Deadline
31 March 2024
Application Process
All applicants should download and complete the application form and submit it with all mandatory documentation in English to applications.biolac@unu.edu.
Please refrain from submitting any application not related to biotechnology or incomplete. Contact the Programme only to submit your proposal or request specific clarifications. The rules will not change to meet individual demands, nor will third parties be invited or allowed to influence the outcome of the selection process.
The email containing your proposal must have the following format (no hard copies are required):
*Subject: Training Course Application 2024: “Name of the applicant”
Email content:
- Name of the applicant and proposed Training Course
- Short explanation on the biotechnological nature of the proposal (no more than 300 words)
- Intended dates for the Training Course
Mandatory attachments:
- Cover letter.
- Academic Resume/CV of the applicant
- Completed Course Application Form
- Invited speakers and lecturers’ resumes/CVs
- Institutional Vendor Form
Applications will be reviewed by 3 international evaluators and the UNU-BIOLAC Programme’s Head.
Recommendations
- Please be informed that incomplete applications will be automatically rejected. Hence, applicants must be careful to send all the requirements listed above.
- We recommend cleaning your cache and cookies before downloading the form. This is to avoid downloading an old format. All applicants must send the Working plan for 2024, or else the application will be automatically rejected.
Disclaimer
UNU-BIOLAC is an equal opportunity institution. No applicant for our academic or research activities shall be discriminated against in any term or condition because of gender, race, colour, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, sex, or sexual orientation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where can short courses be organised and held?
Courses funded by UNU-BIOLAC can only be carried out at institutes, universities, and academic research organisations in the Latin American and Caribbean region.
- When is the course application period?
There are two ordinary calls per year: March and September. All applications will be made a year in advance.
- What is the maximum amount of funding provided for an academic activity sponsored by UNU-BIOLAC?
The maximum amount of funding provided for an academic activity sponsored by UNU-BIOLAC is USD 20,000. UNU-BIOLAC only finances courses with counterpart funds.
- Who manages scholarships for international students/participants?
The host institution and coordinator manage scholarships for international students/participants.
- Should the proposed budget for activities include line items for airline tickets, lodging, etc. for international participants?
Yes. The budget can have a line item for all airline tickets and lodging for international participants.
- Is it possible to bring collaborators from other regions?
Yes. Participation of collaborators from abroad is highly encouraged.
- Can courses and activities be taught/held in English?
It is highly encouraged that courses and activities be taught/held in English.
- What is a vendor form?
This is a UNU administrative form to provide the host institution's banking information. You must fill out all of the document’s sections and make sure that the document is officially signed and stamped by the host institution´s finance department.
