The University of the South Pacific (USP) recently co-hosted the Pacific Proposal Development Training Workshop (PDTW) with the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN).
This was facilitated through the Research and Innovation Ecosystems to Address the Impact of Climate Change in the Pacific (RERIPA) Call 2 Project.
Bringing together research experts from across the Asia-Pacific region, the workshop provided early career researchers and professionals with the skills to write competitive scientific research proposals in order to secure funding in a competitive environment.
In his opening remarks, USP’s Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor-Research & Innovation, Professor Gurmeet Singh acknowledged the key gap that the workshop addressed.
“One of the key strengths of the PDTW is that it serves as a valuable space for early career professionals in the Pacific to connect and collaborate on regional research proposals of shared interest,” he highlighted.
“This networking opportunity will enable participants to build lasting relationships with colleagues from different countries and disciplines, enhancing their ability to tackle the complex global change sustainability challenges faced by the region and the world.”
Speaking from Tonga, the Permanent Secretary of Environment for Fiji, Dr Sivendra Michael emphasised the importance of such gatherings in advancing knowledge to addressing the pressing challenges posed by climate change to the region.
Dr Michael also stressed the important link between research and policy implementation.
“Research is the cornerstone of informed decision-making and effective policy devopment,” he said.
“Sadly, the Pacific region generally lags behhind other regions in terms of our capacity to consistently produce and advance robust resarch.”
“Through well-crafted research proposals, we can secure the resources needed to conduct studies that provide critical insights into the unique and complex challenges we face here in the Pacific.”
In his address to the participants, the Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission for the Embassy of Japan, Kenichiro Tanaka acknowledged the collective efforts in furthering climate change research in the region.
“I congratulate the USP, APN, all participants and stakeholders for working in solidarity towards enhancing climate action and promoting enviromental preservation,” he said.
“This training workshop and your combined actions are a tangible contribution to the global effort for climate action which is also crucial in making our communities recognize the interconnectedness of climate change, sea level rise and the displacement of entire populations.”
Tanaka reassured of Japan’s support to the Pacific, particularly with the recent release of the Japan-Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Declaration in July, 2024.
“Under the auspices of this Declaration, the leaders committed to work in close collaboration on seven priority areas of cooperation for the next three years.”
Acting Director for the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Research, Dr Linda Anne Stevenson, said the workshop contributed to the core functions of APN.
“Proposal Development Training Workshops (PDTWs) are central to APN’s capacity development efforts, particularly under the second goal of our current strategic plan.”
“This workshop, recognised as part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science, highlights the global significance of our work in the Pacific as the challenges we face here are not isolated-they interconnected with global trends, and the solutions we develop can serve as models for other regions.”
Dr Stevenson expressed her gratitude to USP and the RERIPA project for their invaluable support in making the workshop possible.
