NWO invests in knowledge utilisation

8 June 2011

A specialised treatment centre for young victims of rape and a website with short films of sign language. These are two examples of projects that the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has made possible with the new grant for knowledge utilisation Added Value. The projects will start this month.

The grant gives researchers the possibility to transfer or apply their knowledge. However in doing this, they must collaborate closely with social partners. Sixteen projects have been awarded funding and will receive a grant of between 10,000 and 50,000 euros.

With a Mosaic grant from NWO, psychologist Iva Bicanic developed an innovative treatment for young victims of rape. With Added Value she can carry out this treatment in the first specialised Rape Crisis Centre in the Netherlands. In the Rape Crisis Centre she will collaborate with the police, forensic and other physicians and nurses.

Linguist Onno Crasborn will use the Added Value grant for a website showing short films of sign language. This website will help deaf people and others using sign language to improve their understanding and use of this. Crasborn will incorporate the latest insights in sign language and make research about communication in the deaf and hard of hearing accessible. He gained these insights from research he did with the aid of a Vidi grant from NWO. By collaborating with Dovenschap, the lobby group for deaf people in the Netherlands, Crasborn will guarantee that the site will be relevant and easy to use for deaf people.

An overview of projects awarded funding can be found here.

Added Value is a joint initiative between the Divisions for the Social Sciences (MaGW), Humanities (GW) and Earth and Life Sciences (ALW) of NWO. ALW will announce next month which researchers have received the Added Value grant. The grant falls within NWO’s policy of encouraging the transfer of knowledge to society.

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 euros on grants for top research and 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.

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last modified on 22 June 2011