Indo-Swiss Collaboration in Biotechnology Call for Pre-Proposals

Indo-Swiss Collaboration in Biotechnology (ISCB) is a bilateral research and product development programme jointly funded and steered by the Indian and Swiss Governments.

The overall goal of ISCB is to contribute towards food security in the Indian context through innovative life sciences and biotechnology approaches, supporting sustainable and climate resilient agriculture. Innovative biotechnological products and processes addressing Indian agriculture with relevance to small and marginal farmers’ needs and demands are developed and validated; their dissemination and adoption is promoted through public and private partners.

The participatory circular value chain is the key implementing strategy and is consequently followed up from research to adoption of a product by the farmers. This means in particular that already the research stage is focused on product development and directed towards needs of small and marginal farmers.

ISCB invites Pre-Proposals in Bio-Sciences and relevant Socio-Economics Areas with a maximum duration of three years Collaboration is organised in networks.

A network will consist of several projects lead by the individual network partners (at least one Indian and one Swiss partner). To each network partner a specific task (project) is allocated and the collectivity of all tasks (projects) is resulting in one common product or process. All partners of a network will jointly establish and submit one proposal.

The envisaged technical thrust areas are to improve input use efficiency, stress resistance and targeted delivery, using biotechnologies or life sciences approaches by (i) genetic enhancement of crops and (ii) novel inputs for improved crop production. Pre-harvest or post-harvest aspects may be considered as well as transsectoral issues like biosafety of genetically modified crops may additionally be included. Integration of socio-economics thrust areas in the above mentioned technical networks will lead to an added value for product development and is explicitly recommended. ISCB is additionally seeking socio-economics projects complementing ISCB product development projects (chickpeas, biofertilizer, biopesticide).

The targeted crops of the networks will be small millets with priority on finger millet (Ragi, Eleusine Coracana) and pigeon pea (Arhar, Cajanus Cajan).

Submission deadline: April 1, 2013

Call details under: http://iscb.epfl.ch/call-proposals

9 February 2013

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