Impuls for research cooperation Hong Kong and Netherlands
13 August 2010
On 12 August 2010 the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) signed an agreement to establish a joint research scheme. This initiative stimulates research collaboration between the two countries in the fields of Astronomy, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science. Researchers can apply for travel grants and grants to organize workshops. The agreement was signed by Louis Vertegaal, director of the Chemical & Physical Sciences Division of NWO and Roland Chin, Chairman of the RGC.
The travel grants are aimed at supporting teams which want to intensify scientific cooperation between individual Hong Kong and Dutch researchers. The workshops are aimed at facilitating Hong Kong and Dutch researchers of similar fields to develop new collaboration through dissemination of their recent and unpublished research work.
Opportunities
“International cooperation and excellent science go hand in hand: bringing research groups together leads to higher quality research. Especially for complex research questions in an interdisciplinary setting”, explains Louis Vertegaal during the signing ceremony in Hong Kong. “To identify joint challenges and build a relationship, it is important that researchers meet with each other. I am very happy that the RGC and NWO have jointly decided to contribute to building sustainable partnerships between our two countries. This research scheme is just a start but I am convinced that they will deliver an invaluable contribution to building long term sustainable partnerships.”
Grants
NWO and the RGC planned a maximum of eight travel grants and a maximum of four workshops. Two of the workshops will be held in the Netherlands, the other two workshops in Hong Kong. Researchers can apply for a grant by 15 September 2010 until 30 November 2010. A joint Selection committee appointed by the RGC and NWO will review and assess the applications. In April 2011 the outcome of the scheme will be announced.
About NWO
The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is the principal Dutch science funding body and its mission is to facilitate excellent scientific research in the Netherlands by means of national competition. Each year NWO spends more than 700 million euro on grants for top researchers, on innovative instruments and equipment, and on institutes where top research is performed. NWO funds the research of more than 5300 talented researchers at universities and institutes. Independent experts select proposals by means of a peer review system. NWO facilitates the transfer of knowledge to society. The Chemical & Physical Sciences Division promotes and initiates high-quality research in the filed of Astronomy, Chemistry, Computer Science and Mathematics.
About RGC
The Research Grants Council (RGC), which operates under the aegis of the University Grants Committee (UGC), functions as an advisory body on research matters within the organizational structure of the Committee. It is a non-statutory advisory body responsible for advising the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, through the University Grants Committee (UGC), on the needs of Hong Kong's higher education institutions in the field of academic research and for the distribution of funding for academic research projects undertaken by academic staff of those UGC-funded institutions.
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Further information
Marjolein Schlarmann, Head of Communication NWO Chemical & Physical Sciences Division, +31 70 344 0914, m.schlarmann@nwo.nl, www.nwo.nl/ew, www.nwo.nl/cw
