112 researchers from 13 countries participated in tropical forests scientific initiative
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From the management of wetlands by indigenous communities in Darien, to resilient agroforestry in the Brazilian Amazon, to the monitoring of fungal species in the snowy forests of South America, researchers from the region are contributing diverse knowledge related to global change in tropical forests and a number of them are now part of the research initiative sponsored by the IAI and the São Paulo State Research Foundation (FAPESP).
In a first stage, the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) convened together with FAPESP a transdisciplinary science course that brought together participants from Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and Canada. The course was held in Spanish, Portuguese and English from June 26 to August 28 virtually, with 112 participants from 20 teams selected from 79 applicant groups.
“The best future for our societies lies in integration mechanisms such as the IAI”
The training experience offered by the IAI has been deeply enriching for participants, and several key aspects contributed to its success. Participants valued the opportunity to involve communities in the development of applied research in the real world, highlighting the importance of integrating multi-epistemic knowledge and transdisciplinary approaches. They also highlighted the excellent disposition of the organizing team, and the quality of the materials provided, from presentations to supporting videos. As one of the participants described, “the best future for our societies lies in integration mechanisms such as the IAI”.
Of the 20 teams participating in the course, 14 submitted a research proposal to receive seed funding. In the next stage, a maximum of 10 teams will be selected to receive funding of up to US$50,000 each to carry out a transdisciplinary study in tropical forests.
The IAI and FAPESP are also co-financiers of the FORESTS 2024 (Tropical Forests: Global Implications and Urgent Actions) research call of the Belmont Forum. The funding period is scheduled to begin in June 2025. The IAI will support the participation of five to six global consortia involving research teams from eligible IAI Member States in Latin America and the Caribbean, for a period of up to three years. Each consortium may request a maximum total budget of USD 300,000 from the IAI, including administrative costs.
The FORESTS 2024 call for proposals focuses on the growing threats facing tropical forests and their inhabitants, including climate change, deforestation, unregulated agribusiness, land conversion, illegal activities, pollution, and environmental and climate injustices. Proposals must use a transdisciplinary approach to develop innovative solutions to the challenges facing tropical forest regions, highlighting the importance of the well-being and survival of indigenous peoples and local communities, with special recognition of the Amazon as the largest and most populous region.
Interested consortia must apply by 12 November 2024. For more information, please visit: https://www.iai.int/en/post/detail/Research-call-Tropical-Forests:-Global-Implications-and-Urgent-Actions