Advanced Sustainable Processes by Engaging Catalytic Technologies (ASPECT) - Research Projects

The ASPECT (Advanced Sustainable Processes by Engaging Catalytic Technologies) programme concentrates on catalytical chemical processes in bulk chemistry with the aim of increasing sustainability of these processes. The goals are long-term changes, requiring a concerted effort of industry, academia and other research institutes. Research themes are:

• Research activities with a short- to medium-term objective, focusing on the present slate of products and their manufacturing processes, as they are expected to change only marginally in the next 5-10 years.
• Activities focusing on long-term changes, to accomplish a significant transition to more sustainable or renewable feedstocks.
• Development of various techniques that will mean a significant reduction of the development time for bulk chemical processes.

More information about the ASPECT programme can be found on the website: www.nwo.nl/acts/aspect

A Research Project is one of the two types of projects that can be applied for in the ASPECT third tender. These projects focus on quantum-leap improvements in one of the ASPECT research areas.

Who can apply

All tenure (track) researchers of Dutch universities and selected Dutch institutes under the standard ACTS-NWO rules.

What can be applied for

Budget costs: Personnel costs, based on the VSNU tariffs:

• Personnel costs, based on the VSNU tariffs. The tariffs valid from 1 July 2008 are available on this website.
• Expenses for consumables with a maximum of € 12,000 per year per researcher.
• Investments in equipment, without a formal limit.
• Project-specific travel expenses such as for conducting experiments at in an industrial lab of one of the ASPECT partners.
• Other project expenses, amounting to a maximum of 9 percent of the personnel budget per researcher/technician.

When can be applied

• The deadline for submitting a pre-proposal was 1 October 2008 (23.59h)
• The deadline for submitting a full proposal was 26 February 2009

Only applicants who submitted a pre-proposal in the third tender are allowed to submit a full proposal.

Extra Information

In the third tender of the ASPECT programme two types of project scan be submitted. Besides Resaerch Projects, you can also apply for an Innovation Project, which focuses on further development of inventions or breakthrough concepts or on taking innovative approaches towards implementation.

Criteria

For all projects, the criteria on which the pre-proposals will be judged are:
1. focus on aspects of strategic technological importance within the scope of the ASPECT program (focusing on catalytic aspects);
2. innovative level;
3. expectation to make a major (socio-economic) impact;
4. applied budget in relation to proposed research.

In addition to the criteria 1-4 above, full proposals will be judged on the criteria:
5. scientific quality;
6. track record of the applicant(s) and competency of the research group;
7. aims, deliverables and timeline of the proposed research;

Innovation projects are judged on two additional criteria:
8. potential for bringing results towards implementation or for proving a breakthrough concept;
9. current IP status (“freedom to practice”).

Procedure

The selection and evaluation of research proposals for the ACTS ASPECT Program is performed in two steps. The Program Committee evaluates the pre-proposals. The applicants most likely to be successful are invited to work out their pre-proposal into a full proposal. The full proposals will be assessed in a peer review procedure by (inter)national reviewers. Prioritising the proposals is the responsibility of the Programme Committee. The ACTS Executive Board will decide on granting.

Committees

Programme Committee ASPECT

Budget

The total budget for the ASPECT programme is M€12.5 for the period 2004 - 2012 . The budget for the third tender is approximately M€ 3.

Financiers

Ministry of Economic Affairs, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), a number of industrial corporations: Albemarle, Dow, DSM, BASF, ExxonMobil, Johnson Matthey, SABIC, Shell.

Contacts

• Mw. dr. D. Keusters (Programme Coordinator)
  phone: +31 (0)70 344 05 39, e-mail: d.keusters@nwo.nl

Documentation for applying electronically