ABS in grant applications
ABS in DFG grant applications
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) funds research projects across the natural sciences and humanities at universities and research institutions. It promotes research of the highest quality, international cooperation, early career researchers, gender equality and diversity. Project proposals are submitted through their online platform.
Addressing the Nagoya Protocol
When preparing your project proposal, it’s important to include information on how the Nagoya Protocol impacts your project. According to the application guidelines, projects relevant to the Nagoya Protocol are expected to provide information in the application under 4.1.4.
Here’s a guide to what should be included:
- ABS requirements:
- Comment on the ABS permits you would require to utilize genetic resources for your research project.
- Outline the steps you have taken or plan to take to comply with these ABS requirements. This might include contacting the ABS authorities in provider countries, ensuring proper documentation management, or noting ABS permits from past research projects.
- If there are no ABS requirements for your project, provide a few sentences why (e.g. material comes from a country without ABS measures).
- Cooperation with provider country:
- If not already mentioned elsewhere in the proposal, state if you have local research partners and their role in ABS-relevant issues. Explain whether and how the partner could assist in complying with ABS requirements and facilitate the necessary procedures.
- You could also mention how the partner or the country will benefit from the research collaboration.
- Material transport:
- If not outlined elsewhere specify what materials (genetic resources or derivatives) will be transported to Germany as part of your project. Mention you will ensure that all necessary permits and documentation will be in place when needed.
- If known, describe ABS restrictions on distributing materials to other research collaborators or depositing material in collections or sequence data in databases.
By addressing these points, you can ensure that your project proposal meets ethical and legal standards, fostering transparency and compliance with international ABS regulations.
Important! It is not expected that you contact the ABS National Focal Points or request the necessary ABS permits prior to the funding decision! Nevertheless, it is a good idea to inform yourself and ask the ABS National Focal Points about the process and waiting times in advance, to avoid unwanted delays.
Why does DFG ask for Nagoya Protocol-relevant information?
- To raise awareness on ABS compliance
- To protect the applicants and the DFG from possible non-compliance accusations and reputational impacts
- To gather information on the feasibility of the project
Relevant documents:
-
- Proposal preparation instructions English.
- Guidelines for Research and/or Development Projects Involving Access to Genetic Resources and/or to Traditional Knowledge Associated with Genetic Resources English
- Model clauses for mutually agreed terms (MAT) on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing (ABS) German; English
- Guidance for universities and other research institutions on how to comply with the legal requirements of the Nagoya Protocol and Regulation (EU) No 511/2014 (German only)
ABS in Horizon Europe Grant Applications
What you need to know about the Horizon Europe ethics self-assessment.
When applying for a Horizon Europe grant, you will need to complete a self-assessment document, including the Ethics issues table. This table consists of yes/no questions about various ethical concerns, such as research with humans, data protection, and animal care.
The ABS-related questions are found in the section concerning non-EU countries and cover:
- use of resources from non-EU countries, including genetic material like tissue samples or live animals.
- import of materials into the EU.
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you must complete an ethics self-assessment. There you have to show your awareness of ABS obligations by:
- Acknowledging or supporting the objectives and methods called for by the Nagoya Protocol and other ABS instruments and explaining how your project will address these issues.
- Stating that research in the proposal on the genetic or biochemical resources or associated traditional knowledge will be conducted in a manner compliant with the provider country’s national ABS rules.
- Describing actions that will be taken or that are planned to ensure compliance with both national and EU ABS regulations, such as requesting the corresponding ABS permit and submitting the due diligence declaration, or partnering with in-country institutions.
- Alternatively, you might explain why ABS is not relevant for the countries you will be working on if this is the case.
The ethics self-assessments undergoes a screening process during the Horizon Europe proposal evaluation. Proposals that meet all evaluation thresholds will be screened for ethics issues by experts, which results in ethics screening reports stating explicite ethical requirements.
At time of grant preparations of funded projects, these ethics requirements can either be addressed in the grant agreement prior to grant signature, or turned into specific ethics deliverables to be submitted during during the project.
Keep in mind! While ABS matters are categorized under the “non-EU country” section, some EU countries like France, Spain and others regulate access to their genetic resources and ABS permits may be needed. These issues should be addressed under “other issues” in the Ethics issues table.
By following these guidelines, your Horizon Europe grant application can ensure it properly addresses ABS-related requirements.
For more information see
Draft ABS text for project proposals
The GNP-HuB provides the following draft text you can modify and use in your grant applications according to your project.
Genetic resources utilized in this project will be handled in accordance with the Nagoya Protocol, national ABS regulations and EU ABS Regulation N°511/2014. The project will conduct research on genetic resources obtained from the following countries: X, Y, and Y. The project PIs will ensure that all necessary ABS permits are obtained from these countries. This project includes local research partners from xx (list names, positions, affiliations as appropriate). Our research partners are aware of ABS and have signaled their readiness to support the process of obtaining ABS permits in their countries. Moreover, our partners will benefit from the project in the following way: xx (include here possible co-authorships, training, scientific exchange, technology transfer, other). The project PIs are also aware that, in addition to ABS requirements of the provider countries, due diligence obligations under the EU ABS Regulation may also apply.
Disclaimer: the text example provided is just a guide, this information cannot be considered to be of a legal or advisory nature. No responsibility is accepted by the ABS Science HuB nor DSMZ for the results of using this draft text.
