Societal Component of Genomics Research , The

The programme, The Societal Component of Genomics Research aims to stimulate ethical, legal and socio-scientific research into the societal component of genomics research. This covers more applied research into concrete problems as well as more fundamental research, and empirical studies as well as normative studies and analyses.

For a description of the programme framework and examples of research questions and themes, please visit the website of the programme www.nwo.nl/mcg.

Travel and visiting grants, and grants for an international workshop facilitate the international embedding of the research, and contribute to an exchange between Dutch researchers and their colleagues from other countries. In many cases the international exchange can make an important contribution to the progress of the current project, for example, the collection of new data or discussing the research with subject specialists from other countries. The programme committee emphatically wants to invite researchers to explore unconventional paths and to propose interdisciplinary projects. The programme committee calls upon researchers to be open for new developments and other academic traditions, and to further expand their own field of research. This can also lead to proposals in an area for which the expectations are high but the outcomes are uncertain. Finally, the programme committee encourages researchers to devote extra attention to international interdisciplinary cooperation (between the arts, natural sciences and humanities).

Who can apply

No applications may be submitted.

Criteria

The applicants should clearly state the extent to which the planned trip contributes to the objectives of the MCG programme, as described in the programme brochure. It should also be clearly stated why the planned trip or visit cannot be funded from the budget of the current project.

Criteria for assessment

The applications submitted will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

• Does the proposal contribute to the objectives of the MCG programme and does the project fall within the scope of the MCG programme?
• Is the scientific problem posed of a high scientific quality?
• Is the proposed work plan feasible?

Extra criterion for travel and visitor grants:

• Is the planned trip / planned visit relevant for the output or progress of the current project?

Extra criterion for the workshop grant:

• Is the workshop relevant for the output or progress of the current project?

If the applicant intends to explore new paths with the project then the relevant criteria will be modified as follows:

• Is the design of the planned trip/workshop or the planned visit carefully argued and explained, and is the design clearly in line with the expectations?

Procedure

The programme committee will assess the applications submitted in accordance with the aforementioned criteria and will issue a recommendation for funding to the Netherlands Genomics Initiative (NGI). NGI will be responsible for deciding which proposals are honoured. In the event that a large number of applications are submitted, applications from researchers who have previously received a travel or visitors grant within the framework of the MCG programme will be given lower priority.

Committees

Programme Committee (in Dutch).

Budget

Available budget for travel and visitors grants amounts to 100,000 Euro.

Financiers

Netherlands Genomics Initiative (NGI) and Governing Board (AB) of NWO.

Contacts

• Mw. drs. M. Berendsen
  phone: +31 (0)70 344 06 91, e-mail: m.berendsen@nwo.nl