The GCBC Research Grant Competition 3 (RGC3) is now officially open for Concept Note applications!

The GCBC Research Grant Competition 3 (RGC3) is now officially open for Concept Note applications!

The GCBC Research Grant Competition 3 (RGC3) is now officially open for Concept Note applications!

The GCBC Opportunities Portal is now open to receive Concept Note submissions for projects that address either one (or both) of the Third Research Grant Competition (RGC3) themes.  

The Opportunities Portal provides applicants with access to the Invitation to Apply Pack, a comprehensive range of resources to assist applications for RGC3 grant funding. Only applicants registered on the portal via www.gcbc.org.uk can access these essential documents and submit Concept Notes.   

Register Here  

The two research themes of this RGC3 are:  

  • Theme 1: Using biodiversity to improve the climate resilience of agricultural, food and bioeconomy value chains – Transforming agrifood systems at scale to incorporate nature-based solutions that build biodiversity back into production landscapes to boost climate resilience and reduce poverty (open to all GCBC focus regions). 
  • Theme 2: Biodiversity hotspots in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – Building sustainable businesses from nature to adapt to climate change, protect biodiversity, and tackle poverty (focused in SIDS). 

The Concept Note application window closes on Sunday 16 March, 2025 at 23:00 hrs, UTC.  

Following the assessment of Concept Notes, successful applicants from this first round will then be invited to submit Full Proposals for their proposed projects which align with the RGC3 themes.  

The GCBC, a UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), aims to fund a mixed portfolio of up to twenty grants in RGC3, covering a range of topics and geographies across both themes. Grants sums of between £100,000 and £1 million are offered for projects of 12-36 months duration. 

The GCBC will accept applications for projects with activities in GCBC-eligible countries in Latin America (including Central America), the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South-east Asia and the Pacific and Small Island Developing States. A list of GCBC eligible countries is available below in the Resources section. To be accepted for funding under the GCBC programme projects must demonstrate: 

  • Fit to GCBC: All proposals need to address poverty alleviation and climate resilience, focusing on approaches that better value, protect, restore and sustainably manage biodiversity. 
  • Fit to theme: Proposals must address research questions within one of the themes set out above. 
  • GESI: All proposals must incorporate clear plans to factor in gender, equality and social inclusion from the outset. 
  • R&D: Proposed work must meet the definition of research and development: creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge (OECD, 2015). 

 

Resources for RGC3 Applicants

A series of webinars to provide supporting information for Concept Note applications for RGC3 were recently completed.

Watch the Webinars here:

RGC3 Themes

GCBC Delivery Principles

Concept Note Preparation

Research for Impact

If you are considering applying but have not yet registered, the GCBC has produced several resources to assist applicants for RGC3 funding: 

Download the List of GCBC Eligible Countries here

Download the RGC3 Theme Paper here 

Download Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) here

Download the Invitation to Apply Overview here 

Download the GCBC Research Strategy here 

  

 

Research Grant Competition 2 (RGC2): The GCBC awards £13.4 million in UK ODA grants for research to find nature-based solutions to climate change and poverty reduction   

RGC2 awards 18 new project grants worth £13.4 million based on the theme: “Driving innovation in how biodiversity can support climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods through practice and governance”.

Initial concept note applications for the second GCBC research grant competition (RGC2) numbered 507 from lead delivery partners in 60 UK-ODA eligible countries. This response more than trebled the 155 applications submitted for the first round of grants in 2023. From the initial concept notes, 56 applications were selected to submit full proposals.    

Grant awards were made using several criteria, including applications’ contribution to the context of the RGC2 theme. These involved assessing applicants’ understanding of how addressing evidence gaps in the potential of nature-based solutions using less utilised species (plants, animals, insects, fungi, trees etc.) can contribute to:   

  • improving poor livelihoods through more resilience to climate change;  
  • meeting resource or service demands; and  
  • protecting and conserving traditional knowledge and biodiversity.  

Filling these evidence gaps is critical to finding innovative approaches to guide practice and governance.  

Climate change, biodiversity loss and poverty are three of the most pressing challenges facing the world today and are fundamentally inter-linked. Climate change, driven by human activity, is increasingly and negatively affecting people and the natural environment. Biodiversity loss, which also results from human activity, is causing degraded landscapes and soil and increasing food insecurity. This exacerbates climate risk by reducing the resilience of natural and managed ecosystems. Unfortunately, those living in poverty are often the most vulnerable and the least able to respond to the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. 

By working in partnership with scientists, research institutions and practitioners around the world, the GCBC seeks to develop innovative research and scalable approaches to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. This will have an impact on ecosystem resilience to climate change, halting and reversing biodiversity loss, contributing to poverty alleviation and helping countries to achieve a nature-positive future. The GCBC is funded by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs working in partnership with DAI as the Fund Manager Lead and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as the Strategic Science Lead. 

The 18 projects awarded under RGC2 will be implemented in 16 UK ODA-eligible countries in the Global South; seven countries from Latin America (including Central America) and the Caribbean (Brazil; Colombia; Ecuador; Dominican Republic; Guatemala; Panama; Peru); six from Sub-Saharan Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo; Ethiopia; Ghana; Kenya; Tanzania; Republic of Congo); and three from South East Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia; Indonesia; Vietnam).  

Eleven of the RGC2 projects cover broad thematic areas: Agroforestry; Community led approaches; Integrated land / water management; and Forest restoration. Seven of the projects cover more uniquely focused research areas: Seagrass restoration; Carbon markets; Biodiverse seed bank; Mangrove restoration; Peatlands; Land use (landscape level); and Underutilised species for soil restoration.  

This new round of 18 diverse and innovative projects represents a consolidation of the ‘Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate’ as Defra’s flagship ODA R&D programme.  These new projects will continue GCBC’s growing reputation for delivery of high-quality evidence about the effective and sustainable use of biodiversity for climate resilience and to improve livelihoods.” said Professor Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Adviser, UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

“As fund management lead, DAI is delighted to continue our relationship with Defra and especially to welcome the successful applicants who are joining the GCBC’s project portfolio for the next phase of the programme’s development. Through this project round, we will continue to support scientists, academics and research institutions working to build stronger capacity, increase collaboration, deliver high-impact projects and share learning on the biodiversity-climate-livelihoods nexus that will have an impact on ecosystem resilience to climate change, halting and reversing biodiversity loss and contributing to poverty alleviation,” said Luqman Ahmad, Senior Vice President, DAI. 

“As strategic science lead, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew also welcomes the new projects to the growing portfolio. The new evidence, data and knowledge across pressures/drivers, solutions and enablers for the different themes of the grant competitions will support the adoption of systems approaches in tackling the nexus of climate, biodiversity and livelihoods. By understanding and managing the complex interactions between science, society and the multiple interacting systems through temporal and spatial scales it will be possible to recommend solutions – orientated approaches for transformative change across different sectors and regions,” said Professor Monique Simmonds, Deputy Director, Science (Partnerships), The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.   

The 18 Projects funded by RGC2:

Assessing Carbon Credits as a Sustainable Funding Mechanism for Participatory Forest Management in Tanzania – Lead Grantee: Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania (Country: Tanzania)

Biodiversity for climate and social resilience: Empowerment of coastal communities in sustainable production practices in Ecuador – Lead Grantee: Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral – ESPOL, Ecuador (Country: Ecuador)

Biodiversity science in support of community-led conservation of threatened local forests in Tompotika, Central Sulawesi: Protecting biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate resilient local livelihoods – Lead Grantee: Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG), USA (Country: Indonesia)

Biodiversity potential for resilient livelihoods in the Lower Omo, Ethiopia – Lead Grantee: University of Leeds, UK (Country: Ethiopia)

BREL-Borneo: Benefits of Biodiverse Restoration for Ecosystems and Livelihoods in Borneo – Lead Grantee: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK (Country: Indonesia)

Cataloguing and Rating of Opportunities for Side-lined Species in Restoration of Agriculturally Degraded Soils in Sub-Saharan Africa (CROSSROADS-SSA) – Lead Grantee: University of Aberdeen, UK (Country: Ethiopia)

Creation of an Intercultural biodiverse Seed Bank with the indigenous “Resguardo Puerto Naranjo” for enhancing restoration and conservation efforts in degraded areas in the Colombian Amazon – Lead Grantee: Fundación Tropenbos, Colombia (Country: Colombia)

EMBRACE: Engaging Local Communities in Minor Crop Utilisation for Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Enrichment – Lead Grantee: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), Ghana (Countries: Ghana and Kenya)

Enabling large-scale and climate-resilient forest restoration in the Eastern Amazon – Lead Grantee: Lancaster University, UK (Country: Brazil)

Exploring sustainable land use pathways for ecosystems, food security and poverty alleviation: opportunities for Indonesia’s food estate programme – Lead Grantee: University of Sussex, UK (Country: Indonesia)

Forest restoration on Indigenous lands: Restoring biodiversity for multiple ecosystem services, community resilience and financial sustainability through locally informed strategies and incentives – Lead Grantee: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama (Country: Panama)

Integrated Land and Water Management of the Greater Amanzule Wetland System – Lead Grantee: University of Education, Winneba, Ghana (Country: Ghana)

NATIVE: Sustainable Riverscape Management for Resilient Riverine Communities – Lead Grantee: University of Lincoln, UK (Countries: Colombia and Dominican Republic)

Nature based solutions for climate resilience of local and Indigenous communities in Guatemala – Lead Grantee: University of Greenwich, UK (Country: Guatemala)

Realising the potential of plant bioresources as new economic opportunities for the Ecuadorian Amazon: developing climate resilient sustainable bioindustry – Lead Grantee: Universidad Tecnica Particular de Loja, Ecuador (Country: Ecuador)  

Recognising and rewarding the contribution of Indigenous knowledge for the sustainable management of biodiversity – Lead Grantee: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), USA (Country: Cambodia)

TRIALS: Translating Research into Action for Livelihoods and Seagrass: Establishing scientific foundation for seagrass restoration and blue carbon potential, with sustainable livelihood development for coastal communities in Central Vietnam – Lead Grantee: WWF-UK, UK (Country: Vietnam)

Using biodiversity to support climate resilient livelihoods in intact tropical peatlands – Lead Grantee: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK  (Countries: Peru, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo)  

 

Photo Credit (Detail): Laitche

 

 

 

 

Biodiversity for climate and social resilience: Empowerment of coastal communities in sustainable production practices in Ecuador

Country: Ecuador

Lead Partner: Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral – ESPOL

Summary: The project aims to mitigate climate change by enhancing mangrove health, reducing human impact, and increasing fishing communities’ resilience while providing fair alternative incomes. Innovative techniques/approaches are applied to improve environmental, climate and social resilience along with novel finance solutions. This involves: a) Ecosystem recovery – evaluating trophic structure recovery through habitat restoration strategies such as cultured black cockle (BC) restocking and red mangrove afforestation; b) Ecosystem protection – offering alternative livelihoods to reduce fishing pressure on natural banks by transferring technical mariculture capacities to fisher communities, along with environmental education and social empowerment for inclusive community governance systems; and c) Valorisation – internalising ecosystem services to determine real BC extraction and trade costs, and functional ecology valuation.

Communities will use key information to demand national policies to protect their territories and livelihoods.

Photograph (detail): Diego Tirira

 

Creation of an Intercultural biodiverse Seed Bank with the Indigenous “Resguardo Puerto Naranjo” for enhancing restoration and conservation efforts in degraded areas in the Colombian Amazon

Country: Colombia

Lead Partner: Fundación Tropenbos Colombia

Summary: The programme will establish intercultural seed banks to store and distribute a wide variety of seeds of indigenous forest species for a variety of uses such as food, medicine, architecture and art, in line with the government’s restoration objectives.

The programme will integrate Indigenous and scientific knowledge to identify and geo-reference seed source trees. Laboratory tests will determine the most efficient local practices for seed production. Local methodologies, participatory action research and quantitative data coming from a live laboratory will be deployed to create a sustainable strategy for intercultural seed banks suitable for the climate and geography of Puerto Naranjo Resguardo and the Amazon.

A systemic approach will allow for innovation in the creation of a scalable plan that positions intercultural seed banks as a local solution to help improve livelihoods, address the current effects of climate change and restore biodiversity in indigenous territories.  Outputs will include local research, scientific articles, a collaborative database, storytelling and a business plan for the community to transform the initiative into a sustainable income-generating opportunity.

Photograph (detail): Dmitry Makeev

 

Enabling large-scale and climate-resilient forest restoration in the Eastern Amazon

Country: Brazil

Lead Partner: Lancaster University, UK

Summary: The Brazilian Amazonian state of Pará has an ambitious target to restore 7.4 million hectares of tropical forest by 2036, accounting for >50% of the restoration targets of Brazil. Restoring diverse forests at scale requires unlocking the potential of natural regeneration. This project will achieve this by guiding where restoration needs to happen to maximise benefits for climate, people and biota. It will also investigate how to ensure the long-term permanence of natural regeneration, also called secondary forests, in the landscape; currently, most natural regeneration is converted back to agriculture within five years.

This work, co-created with a diverse range of Amazonian stakeholders, addresses three overlooked challenges when it comes to restoration of tropical rainforests. First, by bringing biodiversity to the centre of restoration planning, it defines where restoration will maximise species diversity, landscape connectivity, and support species of conservation concern. Second, it goes beyond the carbon sequestration and makes a novel assessment of the local and regional climate benefits of restoration. Third, it helps to ensure the permanence of restoration by understanding key threats, such as fires. Finally, the project will co-develop a user-friendly prioritisation tool to help guide implementation and make natural regeneration a scalable solution for the climate and biodiversity crises in Amazonia.

Photograph (detail): Vinícius Mendonça

NATIVE: Sustainable Riverscape Management for Resilient Riverine Communities

Countries: Colombia, Dominican Republic

Lead Partner: University of Lincoln, UK

Summary: Tropical river floodplains host precious biodiversity but are affected by a range of human impacts at the scale of basin and river networks such as forest clearcut, excessive erosion, sediment mining, and occupancy of flood-prone areas. Floodplains tend to host deprived communities increasingly exposed to flooding risks due to climate change.

The project aims at breaking the vicious circle of unhealthy fluvial ecosystems driving livelihood losses, exacerbated by climate change that increases flooding and droughts. The project couples dialogue with local/Indigenous communities and stakeholders, advanced modelling tools, and field data collection. It will develop an evidence-based, bottom-up, and scalable new paradigm of floodplain use that reduces the impacts on the eco-geomorphological diversity of rivers while improving the use of the floodplains to increase the sustainable production of food.

The concept will be tested in two study sites where local households and stakeholders will reduce their impacts on the eco-geomorphological diversity of rivers while improving livelihood. This will be accomplished by creating pilot green gardens in safe portions of the floodplain to secure an income for households (in Colombia), and by including improved ecosystem services into water security investments (in Dominican Republic). The outcomes will profit local communities and will increase ecosystem services for the benefit of humanity.

 

Realising the potential of plant bioresources as new economic opportunities for the Ecuadorian Amazon: developing climate resilient sustainable bioindustry

Country: Ecuador

Lead Partner: Universidad Tecnica Particular de Loja

Summary: The Ecuadorian Amazon region has few and very marginal economic opportunities for local communities and farmers. Economic stressors usually trigger the need to extract valuable resources from primary forests, i.e. high value timber species. Some of these species can be used for essential oil production. The legal, economic, and biophysical technical parameters, as well as the potential for essential oil production of these promising species, will be assessed through robust scientific methods. This will serve to establish a sustainable climate-smart industry as an economical alternative, producing highly demanded essential oils. This in turn will halt biodiversity loss of selected species while contributing to local livelihoods.

Photograph (detail): Fährtenleser

Using biodiversity to support climate resilient livelihoods in intact tropical peatlands

Countries: Peru, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo

Lead Partner: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK

Summary: Tropical peatlands are threatened by climate change and human pressure. Recent increases in severe flooding and drought events threaten peatland species and the livelihoods of people who depend on them.

In Southeast Asia, intensive commercial agriculture has heavily degraded peatlands through large-scale drainage and conversion into plantations. Meanwhile, the Amazon and Congo basin peatlands remain largely intact but are at risk from agriculture expansion and new infrastructure. Protecting the carbon-rich peatlands of the Amazon and Congo basins is vital for preserving biodiversity, supporting livelihoods, and mitigating climate change.

This project will deliver a step change in the understanding of (i) peatland biodiversity, (ii) the resilience of useful peatland species to more frequent droughts or flooding events, and (iii) the opportunities to use biodiversity to support livelihoods. Outputs will inform policy by identifying the species that should be the focus of peatland management.

 

 

ENHANCES = ENHANcing Coastal Ecosystem Services

Countries: Suriname, Guyana

Delivery Partner: University of Durham

Summary: Coastal protection through mangrove conservation involves: understanding where species of mangrove are located and their site-specific failure thresholds; and stakeholders consensus on benefits and strategies of implementation. We will work with partners in Suriname and Guyana to (i) operationalise our novel in-situ and remote-sensing technologies to map and quantify the health, status and distribution of mangrove species at the local and regional scales, whilst (ii) monitoring changes and thresholds to generate new understanding, and (iii) use this to generate consensus on local coastal protection strategies and methods using a gamification platform co-developed with local stakeholders for knowledge-sharing and equitable debate.