Sustainable Development and Climate Change in the Amazon Region
The initiative offers an opportunity to strengthen German Brazilian cooperation in research and innovation, while contributing to the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Amazon Region. It also aims to foster long-term academic collaboration between Brazil and Germany in the field of sustainability.
The competition is organised by the German-Brazilian Science and Technology Network (GERBRAS ScienceNet), the Amazon Programme and the Sustainable Development Research and Practice Division (SDRP) within the Research and Transfer Center Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management (FTZ-NK) of HAW Hamburg.
Competition focus
Proposals must be clearly connected to sustainability and climate change in the Amazon Region. The competition welcomes proposals in the following areas:
- Education Systems and Educational Institutions;
- Empirical Social Research and
- Physical Geography.
Please note: proposals should make a clear theoretical contribution to the field. We are especially interested in projects that help advance, refine, or strengthen theory in these areas. Accordingly, proposals are not expected to be primarily practical or intervention-oriented.
Who can apply?
We invite the following applicants based in Brazil:
• PhD candidates in the final years of their programme.
• Postdoctoral researchers.
• Early-career university professors.
Applicants should be interested in:
• Strengthening research connections with German partners.
• Securing funding for up to three years of research within an international project.
• Collaborating and publishing with an international team of researchers on topics related to sustainability and climate change in the Amazon Region.
Awards & Opportunities
The three best projects will each receive a €500 prize and an invitation to join a mentorship programme with Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. The lead researcher of each winning proposal can choose:
• 3 years of research stay in Hamburg, Germany, leading the project with the local team.
• Research stays in Brazil with monthly financial support (equivalent to a Brazilian PhD scholarship), in collaboration with the HAW Hamburg team.
Competition Phases & Instructions
The competition will be organised in four phases, each with a defined deadline.
Phase 1: Expression of Interest
Deadline: 15 august 2026
Register here: https://forms.gle/1JbDv61J9NbVDKo6A
• Submission of a two-page proposal including: state of the art, research problem, research question, data collection strategy, data analysis strategy, expected budget, and a clear explanation of the project’s contribution to theory.
• Applicants should also explain how the expected results will advance the research field and the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Submissions in English, please. Submissions in another language will not be considered.
Phase 2: Proposal Development
Deadline: 30 September 2026
• The organising committee will select the 5 best expressions of Interest submitted in Phase 1.
• Selected applicants will receive guidance and a template to prepare a full project proposal.
Phase 3: Presentation of the proposal
Deadline: 31 October 2026 (expected)
• Applicants will have the opportunity to present their proposals to the board on a date to be scheduled.
• After evaluation, the three best projects will each receive a €500 prize and an invitation to join a mentorship programme with Hamburg University of Applied Sciences.
Phase 4: Mentorship and Funding Submission
Deadline: December 2026 (expected)
• The winning projects will be mentored by the HAW Hamburg team.
• Proposals will be further refined collaboratively for submission to a major German funding body.
Questions?
Contact GERBRAS Team at mailto: gerbras@haw-hamburg.de
