Investment Subsidy NWO Medium

The aim of this subsidy is to strengthen the social sciences research infrastructure. The Divisional Board of the Division for Humanities wants to realise this objective by addressing medium-sized, research-driven, thematically organised and/or discipline wide infrastructural initiatives that promote the humanities in the Netherlands in general. Such large-scale projects with a broader scientific importance can only be realised if researchers match their research agendas with each other. The Start Subsidies actively support the setting up of such coordinated large-scale collaborations.

Who can apply

The target group of the Investment Subsidy NWO Medium includes Dutch universities, NWO institutes, university libraries and the information-providing scientific institutes. The KNAW institutes are excluded from participating in the Investment Subsidy NWO Medium programme on the basis of agreements between NWO and KNAW.

Applications for a Start Subsidy must be jointly submitted by three applicants, each from a different university. Applications for a medium investment should be made by at least two applicants, each from a different university. For an Investment Subsidy NWO Medium an administrative and financial commitment must be provided from the relevant management body. The main applicant is the contact.

What can be applied for

The Investment Subsidy NWO Medium within the Division for Humanities has two types of applications: for a Start Subsidy (maximum € 35,000) and for a medium investment (between € 350,000 and € 1,000,000).  

A maximum of € 35,000 can be applied for under the Start Subsidy. The following distribution is used for this: maximum € 15,000 for the appointment of a project leader, maximum € 10,000 for the organisation of meetings and maximum € 10,000 for technical expertise. The aim of this type of subsidy is to realise cooperation between three parties, each from a different university, with the intention of formulating and submitting an application for Investment Subsidy Large or an international subsidy application. There is no authorisation requirement for a Start Subsidy.

The Investment Subsidy NWO Medium (size between € 300,000 and € 900,000) is solely intended for research-driven applications for an infrastructural facility with which the national knowledge infrastructure is strengthened.

In the proposal, the applicants should accurately and explicitly state for which research questions the proposed infrastructural facility is necessary and why.
Infrastructural facilities are understood to mean: databases, digital corpora, tools, and soft and hard infrastructural resources such as hardware, software and equipment. More than previously, the proposals will have to pay specific attention to the technical aspects of the infrastructural facilities requested. For the Investment Subsidy Medium an own contribution of 25 percent of the investment costs applies.

Please consult the specific Humanities information before choosing from the following:

• Investment Subsidy NWO Medium - Start Subsidy 
• Investment Subsidy NWO Medium - Medium Investment 

When can be applied

• Closing date for submitting applications was 31 August 2011, 17:00 hrs

Extra Information

For the submission to the Division for the Humanities you should follow the guidelines for submission and the assessment criteria and procedure of the Investment Subsidy of the Division for the Humanities. These are based on the general guidelines for the Investment Subsidy NWO Medium. These can be found in the documentation. Here you will also find information about the Start Subsidies.

Data recording and availability
The data collections that might be produced as a result of the investment must at the end of the project be put permanently into an archive and made disposable for future scientific research. The application must specify how this is to be done. At the start of the project a data contract will be signed by the applicant and DANS (www.knaw.dans.nl) describing under what conditions and when the data will be handed over to DANS or any other ‘trusted digital repository’. More specific information is in the pdf-file ‘Data recording and availability’. Regarding applications for digitisation grants (databases) the condition applies that they must be evident, nationwide accessible contributions to the knowledge infrastructure of the field, and that purchase is impossible.

Criteria

For Start Subsidies: The purpose of this subsidy is to realise cooperation between the three parties, each of which originates from a different university, with the intention of drawing up an application for Investment Subsidy Medium or Large or an international application. In the application for the Start Subsidy the conditions for being able to realise one of the above-mentioned applications should be clearly described. Examples are how the research groups involved and partners will cooperate to realise the drawing up and submission of an application; the adequacy of the work plan; description of activities; description of the research question to be answered with the intended facility; how research agendas will be matched and parties will be brought together. The conditions form the criteria on which the application for a Start Subsidy will be assessed.

For applications for an Investment Subsidy Medium: scientific quality, societal and national importance, financial and technical criteria. The technical criteria that applications with a (digital) data component must satisfy concur with the criteria set for the DANS hallmark (such as compatibility of data, accessibility, use of standards, etc.).

Procedure

Applications for Start Subsidies are assessed by the selection committee Humanities Investments; no advice is taken from external experts. The committee advises the Humanities Division Board, which takes the definitive decision. This may deviate from the committee’s advice on grounds of policy. External experts give their advice to the selection committee on all applications that are taken into consideration. Applicants are given an opportunity to respond to the external reports. They may subsequently be invited for a discussion. The outcome of the discussion will play a part in determining the qualification and ranking. The committee advises the Humanities Division Board, which takes the definitive decision. This may deviate from the committee’s advice on grounds of policy.

Committees

Selection committee (in Dutch)

Budget

The total annual budget for this subsidy scheme within the Humanities is 1.3 million euro.

Financiers

NWO Governing Board/Humanities Division Board.

Contacts

• Mw. drs. R.M. van Kempen-Vonk
  phone: +31 (0)70 344 08 62, e-mail: r.vankempen@nwo.nl