The Netherlands is strengthening its cooperation with the Caribbean thanks to a change in the NWO Grant Rules. This was announced today by Ingrid Van Engelshoven, Minister for Education, Culture and Science, during a visit to Curaçao. As a result of a change in the regulations, scientists at research institutes in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom qualify for NWO funding from now on. Moreover, NWO is contributing to the continuity of the regional research field through its Science in the Caribbean research programme.
An incentive for Dutch-Caribbean cooperation
Thanks to this change in the NWO Grant Rules, from now on scientists at research institutes in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom have full access to NWO research funding. NWO is thus encouraging Caribbean researchers to participate in standard NWO proposals. Moreover, the Science in the Caribbean programme is helping to reinforce the local knowledge system by focusing on building research capacity, research continuity and networking.
Structurally reinforcing the knowledge system
In the first phase of the research programme, NWO mobilised the research field that focuses on Caribbean issues. Standard NWO calls with projects on a wide range of subjects do not have the power to structurally reinforce the knowledge system in the Caribbean, however. That is why NWO will facilitate well-integrated research groups in the region in the second phase so that the acquired knowledge and research potential can become more entrenched regionally.
About the Science in the Caribbean programme
The research programme is expected to recruit leading scientists who will work with established knowledge institutes to set up new research groups and partnerships in the region. ‘On the one hand, this will enable the scientists to contribute to knowledge development and capacity building in the region. And on the other hand, we want this to give knowledge development related to typical Caribbean issues a major boost,’ says policy advisor Josef Stuefer. NWO will therefore work with citizens and institutions to identify the key issues. This knowledge agenda will serve as the guideline for the research programme.
More information to follow
Researchers can expect more information about the programme to be published on NWO’s website from the second quarter of 2019 onwards.
Source: NWO