Sino-Dutch cooperation focuses on biomass

9 September 2009

This is a joint press release from KNAW and NWO

Next year, the second round of the Joint Scientific Thematic Research Programme (JSTP) shall focus on the theme biomass. Moreover, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) shall expand their partnerships with China.

Jos Engelen (chair NWO) and Robbert Dijkgraaf (president KNAW) announced this yesterday. They are currently in China to consolidate the administrative aspects of the partnership programme. During their stay they shall visit the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). The new research theme ties in with the plans of Minister van der Hoeven (Economic Affairs) to collaborate with China in the field of sustainable energy.

The Joint Scientific Thematic Research Programme is a partnership between NWO, KNAW, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and their Chinese partner organisations. Within this programme, Sino-Dutch research teams can submit proposals for joint research projects and thematic seminars. Each year the partners choose a theme in response to current research, in which an effort is made to cover as many different disciplines as possible.

Successful first round JSTP
The first round of the JSTP, with the theme Integrated water management in relation to climate change and sea level rise has been successful. Of the 33 proposals submitted, an independent evaluation committee of Chinese and European experts has now selected 10 projects. It is expected that these can start in January 2010 once the funding procedure has been completed. The Dutch partners are investing three million euro.

The second round with the theme biomass shall open for proposals in January 2010. Just as in 2009, the procedure will have two phases: the submission of an expression of interest followed by a workshop and secondly the submission of a full proposal. Further information and deadlines shall be published on the website www.nwo.nl/jstp in January 2010.

New initiatives
To further the successful cooperation, NWO has decided to set up a separate programme in China together with its Chinese counterpart NSFC. Sino-Dutch research teams will be able to submit proposals for joint research projects to this. The programme will be launched in November 2009 with a workshop on the theme Coastal engineering, followed by a call for proposals in January 2010. The second theme that this programme will focus on is Plant sciences.

Together with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) the NWO Division for the Social Sciences shall initiate research activities related to the NWO themes Conflict and Security and Sustainable Earth. In this new partnership NWO shall seek to continue the successful multilateral European-Chinese cooperation in the social sciences.

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About KNAW

As a forum, conscience and voice for science KNAW promotes the quality and interests of science and is committed to an optimum contribution of Dutch science to the cultural, social and economic development of society. As an umbrella organisation KNAW manages outstanding research institutes and their collections and facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration and the exchange of knowledge. See further: www.knaw.nl

About NWO

Under the spearheads innovation and quality NWO is working on the future of science in the Netherlands. NWO funds thousands of top researchers at universities and institutes and sets out the contours of Dutch science by means of grants and research programmes. Together with scientists, national and international scientific organisations and the private sector NWO develops top quality research programmes. See further: www.nwo.nl

last modified on 10 September 2009