BiodivERsA

BiodivERsA is a network composed of national organisations funding or managing research programmes on biodiversity across Europe. At the moment 21 organisations from 15 European countries are participating.

The objectives of this ERA-Net are to promote the cooperation between funding agencies in the field of biodiversity research and to coordinate research programmes at strategic and management levels to eventually develop and implement joint activities.

One of the activities of the network is the organisation of joint-calls in the field of biodiversity research, in which the BiodivERsA partners can participate if interested. This year, the BiodivERsA partners have decided to launch a joint call for research proposals on “Biodiversity and ecosystem services”.

Who can apply

Professors, senior lecturers and lecturers or researchers with a comparable position who work within the earth and life sciences and who are employed by a Dutch university or by a research institute recognised by NWO (see Articles 2.1 and 2.2 General Terms and Conditions of NWO Grants).

What can be applied for

Personnel costs

For the salary costs the VSNU contract in the context of overlaten werkgeverschap onderzoeksinstellingen applies. For the Dutch Individual Project a grant can be requested for a postdoc researcher (maximum 3 years full time, per 1 July 2010: € 200,706). This amount includes a bench fee of € 5,000 for individual costs for the purposes of the research of the postdoc researcher (e.g. publication costs, congress visits, etc.).

Network and material costs

For material costs (consumables, fieldwork, travel costs) a maximum of € 40,000 for a postdoc project for the entire funding period.

A budget to cover equipment costs cannot be requested under the BiodivERsA grant. Furthermore, no budget can be requested for permanent members of staff, student assistants, analysts/technicians, overheads, general laboratory equipment, maintenance and insurance costs, visiting congresses and costs of publications.

When can be applied

• Closing date for submitting preliminary proposals was 5 January 2011

Proposals can be submitted electronically via the BiodivERsA website www.eurobiodivERsA.org

Extra Information

Unless stated otherwise here, the criteria for this BiodivERsA programme are the same as those for the ALW Open Programme. These guidelines can be found at Open Programme of ALW.

A further requirement of this BiodivERsA programme is that a Dutch applicant may submit a maximum of one (individual) project.

BiodivERsA projects with Dutch involvement, should have a link to the theme “The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem services”. In addition to this, Dutch applicants are requested to indicate how their BiodivERsA project fits in with the concurrent national research programme Biodiversity Works (www.nwo.nl/biodiversiteit).

Proposals can only be submitted to BiodivERsA, according to the instructions on the BiodivERsA website (www.eurobiodiversa.org) and on the form issued by BiodivERsA.

Criteria

BiodivERsA is responsible for the review process. Eventually the ALW Divisional Board shall decide which Dutch proposals shall be allocated funding. This decision shall be based on the ranking established by BiodivERsA.

Further information about the review process can be found at www.eurobiodiversa.org

Budget

The funding organisations, will jointly provide funds in the order of 10 M€ (please see the BiodivERsA website for an overview of the commitments by each of the participating organisations). The Dutch contribution to this programme is funded by the NWO Division for Earth and Life Sciences, which has provisionally reserved 500 k€ for this programme.

Financiers

NWO Division for Earth and Life Sciences (ALW)

Contacts

• Drs. M. Los
  phone: +31 (0)70 344 05 08, fax: +31 (0)70 381 90 33, e-mail: m.los@nwo.nl