Call for Proposals for Transformative Knowledge Networks

A new long-term vision to address today's great challenges of global environmental change and sustainability via enduring social transformations and social change is launched today with an initial 2.7 M € three-year commitment from the International Social Science Council.

The ISSC and its partners are inviting applications for proposals for Transformative Knowledge Networks for the recently launched Transformations to Sustainability Programme. Three Transformative Knowledge Networks will each be supported with up to €900,000 over three years.

The Transformations to Sustainability Programme seeks to address global sustainability challenges by supporting research on the complex processes of social transformation needed to secure effective, equitable and durable solutions. It will enable social scientists to develop knowledge networks that will both strengthen social science leadership in global change and sustainability research and foster on-the-ground progress towards greater sustainability.

The Knowledge Networks will be led or co-led by social scientists in low- and middle-income countries, and will involve the relevant academic disciplines and societal stakeholders in truly co-designed and co-implemented solutions-oriented research. 

Objectives

The Transformations to Sustainability Programme ultimately will inform and enable social change toward more sustainable and equitable societies worldwide, by broadening and deepening our understanding of how change happens. The objectives are to:

• craft more effective, durable and equitable solutions to the problems of global change and sustainability;
• increase the use of such knowledge by policy makers, practitioners, the private sector, citizens and activists;
• create a Global Knowledge Trust on social transformations;
• engage and communicate effectively with the public.

This initiative is intended as a major contribution to the work of Future Earth. 

Key dates & application process
Publication of call for proposals: 18 December 2014
Online submission form on NRF website opens: 2 February 2015
Deadline for submissions: 23.59 South African time, 31 March 2015
Funding decisions: July 2015

Download the full application pack containing:

• Call for Proposals (including Annex 1-2)
• Annex 3 (Application template)
• Annex 4 (Budget template)

About the funding

Core funding for the Transformations to Sustainability Programme is provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

The application and review process as well as the grant management for Transformative Knowledge Networks will be handled by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF).

The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) is providing support for eligible Japan-based partners in successful Transformative Knowledge Networks. 

About the ISSC
The ISSC is an independent non-government organisation established by UNESCO in 1952. It is the primary body representing the social, economic and behavioural sciences at an international level. Our mission is to increase the production and use of social science knowledge for the well-being of societies throughout the world. 

Contact 

For inquiries concerning the Transformations Programme, please contact:

Ms. Sarah Moore, Programme Coordinator
Ms. Connie Bellonie, Programme Adminstrator
Email: transformations@worldsocialscience.org