National Road Map for Large-scale Research Facilities

The current review of the National Roadmap for Large-Scale Research Facilities has two aims:

1. to update the National Roadmap for Large-Scale Research Facilities;
2. to produce prioritisation and funding decisions for the allocation of NWO’s Roadmap funds for large-scale research facilities.

NWO funds for large-scale research facilities are intended to be invested in:

• the establishment or upgrading of Dutch research facilities of international importance;
• Dutch participation in the construction or substantial modification of international research facilities (and therefore not exclusively the procurement of use rights, although the acquisition of use rights may, of course, be a consequence of such participation).

The present call is intended for:

1. new facilities wishing to be considered for inclusion in the Roadmap;
2. new facilities wishing to be considered for inclusion in the Roadmap and to apply for funding;
3. facilities that were included in the first Roadmap and now wish to apply for continued (or additional) funding;
4. facilities that were included in the first Roadmap and do not need continued (or additional) funding but do still wish to be included in the new Roadmap.

Who can apply

Researchers at the following research institutions can act as principal applicants:

• a. Dutch universities;
• b. NWO and KNAW institutes;
• c. The Netherlands Cancer Institute;
• d. the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen;
• e. the Dutch-Belgian Beamline at ESRF in Grenoble.

In addition, for this particular call, the following institutions can act as principal applicants (decision of NWO Governing Board dated 20 April 2011):

• a. Dutch academic libraries;
• b. TNO and Large Technological Institutes, provided that – as the criteria suggest – their applications are backed principally by ‘tools for science’ arguments. This implies that, irrespective of whether the research concerned is fundamental, industrial or pre-competitive in nature, a basic condition of subsidy will be that the research facility must increase the likelihood of achieving a scientific breakthrough. The application must show why it will do this.

Top Technological Institutes (TTIs) and R&D-intensive companies may participate in applications by the institutes listed above, provided that they are not to be suppliers of the facility (or any part of it).

Applications must be submitted by the highest administrative organ of the relevant institution or organisation or by the proposed project administrator.

What can be applied for

Applications may concern the following (see also application form):

1. Inclusion in the National Roadmap for Large-Scale Research Facilities;
2. Funding for:
   a. The entire cost of developing, purchasing/constructing and accommodating the proposed facility, or the entire cost of modifying an existing facility in such a way that it can be used to try to achieve a scientific breakthrough.
   b. The staff and non-staff costs of operating the proposed facility for a period not exceeding 5 years. In this case, operating means technically maintaining the facility in working order. Operating costs may only be requested if funds under 2a. are requested and on condition that no subsidy award has previously been made to cover operating costs.
   c. Dutch membership of/participation in the construction or upgrading of an international facility or project.

Costs that have already been incurred or concerning which commitments have been given prior to the award of subsidy are not eligible for subsidy under this programme. The same applies to research costs previously subsidised by NWO or otherwise funded out of university budgets or by the public purse.

The lower limit for NWO project subsidies requested under this programme is € 10 million.

Inclusion in the new version of the Roadmap is a precondition of funding in this round. Projects which were not included in the first Roadmap must therefore apply for inclusion in the new one (point 1 above) at the same time as applying for funding (point 2).

When can be applied

• Closing date for the submission of applications was 31 August 2011 at 23.59 (Netherlands time).

Criteria

The proposed facilities will be expected to fulfil the ambition encapsulated in the aims of this programme. Proposals will be assessed on the basis of eleven criteria. These criteria are very similar to the criteria of the 2008 roadmap, albeit with minor changes and in an updated form.

Procedure

The projects listed in the first Roadmap will be the starting point for the new one. The Roadmap committee will review the current status of these projects. If the facilities concerned wish to remain on the Roadmap list, they must submit an application in accordance with the procedure specified in subsection 3.4 of the brochure.

The first stage of the assessment procedure will be to decide which applications comply with the basic conditions listed in subsection 3.5 of the brochure and therefore qualify for consideration.

The committee will consider the applications/progress reports in the light of the criteria listed in this brochure. In doing so, it will also make use of a national or international peer review process operated by the NWO Office with the assistance of NL Agency. Moreover, the committee will seek the advice of KNAW with regard to criteria ‘science case’ and ‘talent case’ (see 4.2 in the brochure). In accordance with the usual NWO procedures, applicants will be offered the opportunity to respond to the peer review reports and KNAW advice.

Based on this input, the committee will hold an initial meeting to decide which projects are eligible for inclusion in the new Roadmap and which are not eligible for inclusion or should perhaps be dropped from the existing Roadmap list.

The committee will then select a limited number of projects for interview. (N.B. selection or non-selection for interview will not in itself be a decisive success factor). Finally, based on earlier discussion and the results of the interviews, the committee will produce selection recommendations and prioritisation proposals for the new Roadmap. The committee will then present these to the NWO Governing Board. The Governing Board will take a view on them and ultimately present this to the Minister of Education, Culture and Science.

Committees

To assess the proposals, the NWO Governing Board has appointed an ad hoc committee to update the National Roadmap for Large-Scale Research Facilities. The members of this committee are all independent experts in the field of scientific research drawn from the following organisations (albeit acting in a personal capacity): KNAW, VSNU, VNO-NCW, NFU, TNO-Large Technological Institutes, and the EU (ESFRI).

Budget

The coming round will account for the entire NWO budget for Large-Scale Research Facilities for the 2012-2014 period. The resources available for the round amounts to approx. € 80 million.

Financiers

Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)

Contacts

• Ms dr. S. Usai
  phone: +31 (0)70 344 05 69, e-mail: roadmap@nwo.nl