GWSP Whats New

The Global Water System Project (GWSP) of the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP) is in its formative stage and has cast its work around several fast-track activities that address the central research question

How are humans changing the global water cycle, the associated biogeochemical cycles, and the biological components of the global water system and what are the social feedbacks arising from these changes?

The GWSP seeks to expand its portfolio of activities and to develop partnerships with colleagues around the world by endorsing pioneering projects concerned with critical questions about the global water system. We are therefore calling for partnership proposals to bring high quality and well-established research projects into the GWSP family of activities.

Themes of proposed projects should fit well to those of the GWSP described in its Scientific Framework Document. Preference will be given to projects that are science-driven, address questions of global importance, and cover at least medium-to-large watersheds. Especially encouraged are proposals involving multiple research teams, international collaboration, a multi- or interdisciplinary approach, and the human dimension aspects of the global water system. One example is the recently consolidated Northern Eurasian Environmental Partnership Initiative (NEESPI) (further information here)

Since this call for partnerships will only be issued once a year, researchers are urged to submit project proposals as soon as possible. Project proposals will have to follow the GWSP Endorsement Procedure.

Projects submitted should make a significant contribution to the GWSP Scientific Framework.

Form and proposal: a 5 page executive summary would be required for all such requests, pointing out in specific terms how the project in question would contribute to the GWSP scientific framework, and with the following headings:

The proposal would be sent firstly to the International Project Office (IPO) for comment and assessment (specifically assessing how the project fits into the GWSP objectives and framework).
The IPO then consults with the GWSP Scientifice Steering Committee (SSC) for comment, endorsement, and approval, by distributing the documentation on eligible proposals to the co-Chairs and full SSC. A time deadline and a no-objection approach will be used to streamline the process.
The IPO writes an endorsement letter (if project is accepted) on behalf of the SSC.

Registered projects will be required to give summaries (4 or 5 pages ) each year about the ongoing research, key knowledge, lessons learned, reached milestones, publications etc.
As directed by the SSC, the IPO will make (specific or general) ‘calls for projects’ that would then be subject to the endorsement process.

A Project will be recognized for a specified project duration. It should be of high scientific quality and match well to the themes and activities of the scienctific framework of the project. The main themes involve studying the role of humans in the global water system and the consequences of their interactions. GWSP activities should have some or all of the following characteristics:

Requests to endorse “project proposals” to be submitted for funding will be treated in the same way as funded projects.
The IPO will keep a copy of all endorsed project proposals. The list of endorsed projects with links to the project’s webpage will be included on the GWSP website.

Obligations & Benefits

Obligations include providing:

an annual report (approx. 5 pages) on progress suitable for publication on the GWSP web site
datasets and information developed as part of the project, made openly available to the scientific community
acknowledgement of GWSP endorsement in publications and other outreach products, In the case of scientific publications, make an explicit reference in the acknowledgements as follows: e.g., “This paper contributes to the implementation of Activity 3.3 Water Requirements for Nature and for Humans, in the Scientific framework of the Global Water System Project”
endorsed projects will acknowledge that they contribute to the GWSP implementation
The GWSP may use results from endorsed projects (with appropriate acknowledgement of the principal investigators) to showcase the diverse research agenda of the GWSP.

Benefits for the projects endorsed:

recognition of being part of an ESSP project like the GWSP
listed as an endorsed GWSP project (on the web site)
open invitation to participate in GWSP workshops etc.
participation in a global network of GWSP-endorsed projects
being part of the GWSP scientific community
donor recognition that the project is part of the global GWSP effort

You are welcome to contact us for further information.

Contact

GWSP International Project Office
Executive Officer
Walter-Flex Str. 3
D53113 Bonn, Germany