Brain & Cognition: an Integrated Approach

General aims of the programme ‘Brain & cognition: an integrated approach’

The overall and most important aim of the programme ‘Brain & Cognition: an integrated approach’ is to promote research that uses an integrative approach. Within this framework, four specific goals are set:

1. Stimulation of excellent research;
2. Formation of (inter)national interdisciplinary networks;
3. Interdisciplinary education of high-potential junior investigators;
4. Contribution to new insights into neural substrates of human cognition.

Who can apply

Senior scientists holding a doctor’s degree and employed by a Dutch university or other research institute recognized by NWO (as specified in the Regeling subsidieverlening NWO (2007) may apply.

What can be applied for

Applicants can apply for small grants which allow the organization of exploratory workshops. Costs covered by the grant include actual costs of the organisation of a workshop, travelling expenses for invited foreign (scientific) experts, and/or other activities that contribute to a good proposal and a good consortium. Actual research costs or cost of equipment are excluded. The maximum funding that can be requested for these Joint-Forces Network Grants is € 10,000.

Extra Information

The output of the project’s activities must always be a proposal to be submitted in the subsequent Call for Programmes for Excellence in this programme which will be opened next year, or directed toward some other (inter)national funding scheme, such as STW, other NWO areas, ZonMw, EU or ESF. The grant applications resulting from a Joint-Forces Network project are proof of the successful completion of a project and must be submitted to a granting organisation within one year from the start of the project (i.e. the date of the formal granting letter).

Criteria

In evaluating and ranking proposals within this Call, the evaluation committee will use the following criteria, with a certain tolerance for unorthodox features and risk-taking: 

• Interdisciplinarity of the proposal and research teams;
• Innovative potential of the proposal and research teams;
• Contribution to main goals of the programme.

Procedure

This Call was published on 15 May 2008. After the deadline on 2 September 2008, applications were tested on technical admissibility. If necessary, applicants were  offered a chance to comply with these requirements on short notice. An international evaluation committee of six independent scientific experts assessed and ranked the proposals. The final decision on funding was taken based on the advice of the evaluation committee by the Brain & Cognition Council.

Committees

The composition of the programme committee, is published on the programme website www.nwo.nl/bcia.

Budget

A total budget of up to Euro 300,000 is available for this Call for Joint-Forces Network Grants. The budget for the entire programme Brain & Cognition: an Integrated Approach amounts to M€ 7.5.

Financiers

The programme is funded by the NWO Divisions Earth and Life Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences and ZonMw.