The Secretary for Malvinas, Antarctica and the South Atlantic of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Daniel Filmus, along with the President of the National Agency for the Promotion of Research, Technological Development and Innovation (AGENCIA I + D + i), Fernando Peirano, and the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Carolina Mera, issued the call for Scientific and Technological Research Projects (PICTO) on topics related to the Malvinas Islands, Antarctica and the South Atlantic, their geostrategic importance, sovereignty and national development.
The call presented last August 20th at the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aimed to contribute to the construction of a bi-continental and oceanic policy for our country and tends to promote the development of multidisciplinary knowledge about the Malvinas, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands and their corresponding maritime areas, as prescribed by the First Transitory Provision of the National Constitution, as well as enhancing knowledge on Antarctica and the South Atlantic, both in terms of sovereignty and in relation to their potential for development and the consideration of their geostrategic importance.
Through the Fund for Scientific and Technological Research (FONCyT), and with IDB financing, $ 33,000,000 will be allocated for this call for a term of 18 months. Of the total amount allocated, the R+D+i Agency will contribute 75%, with the remaining 25% to be contributed by the Secretary of the Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic. The beneficiary institutions must in turn contribute a minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the requested subsidy amount.
The projects must focus on Social and Human Sciences; International Relations and Legal Affairs; Natural Sciences and Environment or Economics and Natural Resources and must be presented via ad-hoc networks formed by a minimum of four and a maximum of eight research groups in science and technology with proven backgrounds, located in public or private not-for-profit research institutions belonging to the scientific-technological system and based in Argentina.
The projects will be presented exclusively in electronic form on the website of the R+D+i Agency: www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/agencia from Friday, August 27th
