NWO-NRF: Cooperation between the Netherlands and South Africa on Astronomy and Enabling Technologies for Astronomy

Transcription

1 Physical Sciences Call for proposals NWO-NRF: Cooperation between the Netherlands and South Africa on Astronomy and Enabling Technologies for Astronomy nd Call November

2 Physical Sciences 1 NWO-NRF: Cooperation between the Netherlands and South Africa on Astronomy and Enabling Technologies for Astronomy 1 1 Introduction Background Validity of the call for proposals 3 2 Aim 4 3 Guidelines for applicants Who can apply What can be applied for Submitting an application Intellectual Property 6 4 Assessment procedure Procedure Criteria 7 5 Contact details and other information Contact Specific questions Technical questions about the electronic application system ISAAC 8 6 Joint Workshop 9

3 1 Introduction 1.1 Background The Netherlands and South Africa have a joint interest in promoting and strengthening scientific cooperation in Astronomy (including Enabling Technologies for Astronomy). To facilitate collaboration between researchers in the two countries, The National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa and The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) have established an exchange programme. This is the second call in this programme. 1.2 Validity of the call for proposals This call for proposals sets out information about the possibilities for submitting applications, the conditions these applications must meet, and the procedure for assessing these applications. Please check the NWO and NRF websites for the most recent version of the Call for Proposals.

4 2 Aim The exchange programme for Astronomy and Enabling Technologies for Astronomy is aimed at strengthening research collaborations between Dutch and South African scientists that have a mutual interest in cooperating. The programme promotes interaction between Dutch and South African researchers by providing for Individual Visits from South Africa to the Netherlands and vice versa. The programme also funds Joint Research Seminars held in South Africa or in the Netherlands, and Joint Research Projects. The programme focuses on Astronomy and on Enabling Technologies for Astronomy (including software and instrumentation). All other areas of research are excluded from this programme.

5 3 Guidelines for applicants 3.1 Who can apply Proposals should be jointly submitted by a Dutch and a South African Principal Investigator (PI). The programme is open to applications from both senior and young researchers. The two PI s must be in the possession of a PhD (or equivalent qualification), and must be employed at an institution recognized by NWO or NRF. Dutch PI s should be employed at one of the following institutions: Dutch universities; NWO and KNAW institutes; South African PI s should be employed at a recognized higher education or research institution such as a university, university of technology, science council or national facility in South Africa. Researchers employed at private companies are not eligible. 3.2 What can be applied for The NWO-NRF exchange programme provides for three modalities: a. Individual Visits for a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of three months b. Joint Research seminars over a 3 day period c. Joint Research Projects to be run over a 2 or a 3 year period a. Individual Visits Researchers can apply for a contribution towards the costs of an Individual Visit for a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of three months in the field of Astronomy or Enabling Technologies for Astronomy. This modality provides for a single trip. The following costs can be applied for at NWO and NRF * : The travelling side can apply for the costs of international travel (max R on the SA side and max on the NL side), and the hosting side can apply for local travel and subsistence costs (max R per month on the SA side and max per month on the NL side). b. Joint Research Seminars Researchers can apply for a contribution towards the costs of a Joint Research Seminar in the field of Astronomy or Enabling Technologies for Astronomy over a 3 day period. The seminar should be held either in the Netherlands or in South Africa, and not in any other country. The following costs can be applied for at NWO and NRF * : The travelling side can apply for the costs of international travel, and the hosting side can apply for local travel and subsistence costs, as well as for the operational costs for hosting the seminar. The maximum amount available for each seminar is R on the SA side AND on the NL side. c. Joint Research Projects Researchers can apply for a contribution towards a Joint Research Project in the field of Astronomy or Enabling Technologies for Astronomy to be run over a 2 or a 3 year period. This modality provides for multiple trips by multiple persons. All visits are for a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of three months per year. The following costs can be applied for at NWO and NRF * :

6 The travelling side can apply for the costs of international travel (max R on the SA side and max on the NL side), and the hosting side can apply for local travel and subsistence costs (max R per month on the SA side and max per month on the NL side). The maximum amount available for each research project is R per year on the SA side and per year on the NL side. * Other costs will not be funded: travel to countries other than South Africa and the Netherlands, consultant s fees, educational expenses (bursaries, fellowships and scholarships), insurance and medical care, equipment, project management fees, salaries, temporary staff fees; etc. The deadline for applications is 15 December 2015, and the call is for activities from 1 st April 2016 until 31 March Submitting an application The application form is available on the NWO website (see and on the NRF website (see IDENTICAL applications should be submitted simultaneously to both NWO and NRF. For submission to NWO, the NWO electronic application system should be used. PLEASE NOTE: Between 13 and 23 November 2015, NWO is migrating to the new online application and reporting system, ISAAC. Therefore, you cannot submit an application for this funding instrument until after 23 November o Download the application form from the grant page for this programme on NWO s website. o Complete the application form. o Save the application form as a pdf file. Submitting the form is only possible after 23 November Submitting via ISAAC o If you have not previously submitted an application to NWO then please create an account for the online application system after 23 November, 12:00 hours CET. Create this account at least one day before the application is submitted. o If you already have an account for the previous application and reporting system Iris, then your account will automatically be converted to an ISAAC account. At first login you will be asked to change your password. o When you submit your application to ISAAC you need to enter several additional details online. Make sure you allow enough time for this. o For technical questions please contact the ISAAC helpdesk For submission to NRF, the application form together with the scanned signature page must be ed directly to DLAMINI@nrf.ac.za. No hard copies will be accepted. Please request an acknowledgement of receipt. 3.4 Intellectual Property The researchers of each country, particularly the leaders, must take the adequate steps to ensure protection and sharing of the intellectual property that could result from the joint research projects.

7 4 Assessment procedure 4.1 Procedure Selection of the proposals is performed according to a joint Dutch South African assessment and selection procedure. 1. The admissibility of the proposals is checked both in the Netherlands and in South Africa, i.e. NWO and NRF check whether the applications meet the requirements in Chapter 3 of this Call for Proposals. Applications that do not meet the requirements will not enter the assessment procedure. 2. NWO will seek the views of one or more referees for each proposal. An Assessment Committee composed of scientific experts from the Netherlands will assess the applications and referee reports, and will advise NWO on the funding of proposals. 3. The NRF Astronomy sub-agency Standing Astronomy Grants Panel will adjudicate on the proposals and make recommendations to the DCEO: Astronomy. 4. NWO and NRF will jointly decide on the final allocated grants in the Joint NWO-NRF Committee. 4.2 Criteria Proposals will be assessed on the basis of scientific quality, originality and relevance, quality of the applicants, and added value to Netherlands-South African cooperation in Astronomy and/or Enabling Technologies for Astronomy. Areas of strategic importance to the Dutch- South African partnership in astronomy will be prioritised. Involving historically disadvantaged individuals and/or institutions in South Africa is strongly encouraged.

8 5 Contact details and other information 5.1 Contact Specific questions For specific questions about this programme please contact: NWO: Ms Saskia Matheussen Tel.: NRF: Mr Stephan Dlamini Tel Technical questions about the electronic application system ISAAC For technical questions about the use of ISAAC please contact the ISAAC helpdesk. Please read the manual first before consulting the helpdesk. The ISAAC helpdesk can be contacted from Monday to Friday between 10:00 and 17:00 hours CET on +31 (0) Unfortunately, not all foreign telecom companies support calling to 0900-numbers. However, you can also submit your question by to You will then receive an answer within two working days.

9 6 Joint Workshop All successful PI s from the 1 st and 2 nd calls in this programme will be invited to participate in a Joint Workshop to be held in South Africa in 2016, to assess progress made and to plan for future collaborations in astronomy and enabling technologies for astronomy between our two countries. The funding for this workshop will be provide jointly by the NRF and NWO.