• multidisciplinary research, basic or targeted at specific applications,
• knowledge transfer to the business or public sectors, and
• interaction with the educational system, at all levels.

The research activity at each center must also create opportunities along the following lines:

• partnership initiatives involving companies or organizations, either public or non-governmental;
• creation of small businesses spun-off from the center. Such businesses may then take advantage of the FAPESP´s SBIR program.

Each of the following difficulties must be perceived before the creation of a center can be justified:

• extraordinarily complex research problems;
• large scale, long term research timetables;
• multidisciplinary nature of planned research;
• need for continued interaction among participants.

The planned research, innovation, and diffusion activities will determine the size, structure and modus operandi of each center. Although a center must have a home basis, a number of geographically separated institutions may be involved. The requirement of a common research focus will in most cases disqualify proposals submitted by entire divisions, departments or research institutions.

Although long term funding is envisioned, financial support from the FAPESP will be limited to 11 years. In exchange for considerable financial freedom, a careful follow up of all activities will be implemented by periodical reviews. For each center, a Supervising Committee will be nominated, with powers to reorganize the center´s research program. At any moment in the first 11 years, the continuation of support from the FAPESP will be contingent upon the Supervising Committee´s approval.

a. Home institution

The center must be established in an institution committed to its fostering. Proposals involving several institutions require similar commitments from all participating organizations. Interest in the creation of a center will be measured by the amount of human resources and physical infrastructure placed at the director´s disposal and also by the center´s insertion in the organization chart for the institution. Buildings should favor permanent interaction among members.

b. Director and research team

International experience shows that a center´s success is critically dependent on the choice of its director. Apart from displaying a solid list of research achievements in the area of the proposal, (s)he must demonstrate management skills, leadership and experience in the development of large scale projects.

The research team must be outstanding. Every member´s resumé is expected to attest to his/her productivity and competence in the development of cooperative research in the area of research focused by the center. In addition, the team´s diversity must reflect the multidisciplinarity of the proposal.

Names for an educational activities coordinator and an innovative research coordinator must be submitted with the proposal. The roles played by the two coordinators are second only to the director´s in importance.

Each member of the research team must be fully dedicated to the task assigned to him/her by the center´s directives. Special necessities may well justify the inclusion of short or long term visitors from other institutions in the research team

c. Research proposal

A comprehensive, interconnected set of multidisciplinary basic or innovative research projects is an important component of the proposal.

d. Justification

A justification for the creation of the center, aligned with the fundamentals discussed in section I should be included.

e. Knowledge transfer

The potential for partnership with other research institutions, businesses and government must be described. The innovations coordinator is responsible for this fraction of the center´s activities

f. Education and diffusion

Activities must include the human resources development at all levels and the diffusion of scientific or technological knowledge. Over and above encouraging student participation at the undergraduate and graduate level, the center should give support go and develop special programs aimed at elementary and high-school teachers, engage them in scientific research projects, and develop educational methods or media to disseminate knowledge. The diffusion coordinator is responsible for this important branch of the proposal.

g. Organization

The proposal should include a management plan compatible with the complexity and the diversity of its objectives. The innovations and the diffusion coordinators should appear at the top of the organization chart. The relation between management and the Supervising Committee chosen by the FAPESP should also be outlined in the organization chart.

Allowed items are research equipment and maintenance, consumable goods, third-party services, expenses allowances, transport, stipends for visitors, fellowships for graduate and undergraduate students, and post-doctoral researchers, and the funding of scientific meetings. Civil construction is allowed only to renovate or adapt existing premises that are essential to the development of the proposal. The construction of new buildings, or complements or annexes to existing buildings is not allowed.

Salaries cannot be upgraded. The FAPESP is also forbidden by law to pay for administrative activities. The responsibility for administrative costs is a constituent of the counterpart offered by the home or other participating institution.

Centers will be encouraged to seek other sources of funding. All new activities compatible with the objectives of the approved proposal and geared with the provision of income will be welcome.

1. Identification (Title, name of participating institutions and research team).

2. Summary, briefly describing the

a. center and particular aspects of its conception;

b. research focus and of the interconnection between planned research efforts;

c. planned know-how transfer and educational initiatives;

d. justification for creating of the center;

e. human resources, infrastructure and other assets offered by the participating institutions

3. Research plan

4. Strategy for improving formal education and promoting dissemination of scientific and technological knowledge (see III.6)

5. Strategy for enhancing knowledge transfer (see III.5)

6. Justification (see III.4)

7. Research team. Other than the director and vice-director, the following names should be listed:

a. The principal investigators in the research team. Fill out resumé form at site http://watson.fapesp.br.

b. The coordinator of dissemination and educational activities. Fill out resumé and academic record forms at site http://watson.fapesp.br.

c. The coordinator of knowledge-transfer activities. Fill out resumé and academic record forms at site http://watson.fapesp.br.

The resumés should emphasize activities pertinent to the researcher's responsibilities in the Center. Particularly important are the following items: (i) list of the ten most recent among the most important publications; (ii) list of grants awarded in the last five years; (iii) list of patents and record of developments adopted by businesses and governmental or non-governmental organizations; (iv) one-page description of most relevant achievements.

8. Budget

Annual support from FAPESP between US$300,000 and US$2,000,000. Equipment, consumable goods, third party services, travel expenses, travel and accommodation expenses for visitors, fellowships for technical training as well as for undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral researchers, and provisions for the organization of scientific meetings may be included in the budget. The remodeling of existing installations is allowed, but the edification of new buildings or annexes to existing ones is not. Wages cannot be complemented under any circumstances. Each item should be briefly justified (maximum one page).

9. Institutional insertion and support offered by the home institution.

Facilities and funds offered by the home institution to match the support being sought should be listed. Portion of the physical plant, wages of administrative, technical and research staff, and support facilities should be listed.

State law prohibits FAPESP from supporting administrative services.

For this reason, the provision of administrative staff by the home institution is essential for the approval of any proposal.

10. Management plan.

In addition to sending extended versions of the above documents, the proposals qualified for the second phase should submit a management plan describing (i) the organization chart for the proposed Center, (ii) the division of responsibilities among members of the research team, (iii) the mechanisms chosen to monitor the evolution of basic research, education and innovation projects and (iii) the procedure adopted to allocate funds to different components of the project.