Call for Visiting Scientists 2017

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Call 2017-1

The objectives of the PE&RC Visiting Scientist grants are to stimulate scientific quality of research within PE&RC and to strengthen international relations. The focus is on innovative projects that have the potential to develop into long(er) term collaborations. Grants are meant for excellent scientists from abroad who want to work for a period of up to 6 months at Wageningen University (e.g. as part of a sabbatical). Grants for Dutch scientists who work abroad are also possible.

Joint applications of Wageningen University groups with one or more of the collaborative partners (Wageningen Research, NIOO, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, UU, UVA, VU) are possible, and are encouraged. For all applications it is a prerequisite that the proposed research has to fit within the mission of PE&RC and its research themes and focal areas (see below).

There are 3 categories:
  1. Grants for international top scientists in a specific research area for a period of 2-4 weeks (often as part of a workshop). The research grant involves max. € 3500 and can also include material costs related to the organization of a workshop. Expenses are reimbursed based on real costs. A detailed budget should be attached to the application.
  2. Grants with a duration of 1-6 months of € 1400 per month plus a contribution to travel costs of max € 1000 (based on real costs). The candidate should have a PhD title plus at least 3 years postdoctoral experience or must have shown long-term experience as senior scientist. The € 1400 per month is meant to cover expenses in the Netherlands (such as housing).
  3. Grants with a duration up to 3 months of € 1400 per month plus a contribution to travel costs of max. € 1000 (based on real costs) meant to write a personal grant application to NWO (Rubicon, VENI or VIDI) or EU (ERC or Mme Curie IF). The € 1400 per month is meant to cover expenses in the Netherlands (such as housing) in 2017/2018.

Note that for Dutch scientists staying abroad funded grant amounts will always be based on real costs for travel and housing to a maximum depending on the type of fellowship (due to fiscal regulations).This may also apply to non-Dutch scientists from specific countries.

The available budget for this 2017-1 call is approx. € 45000. The application forms include a description of specific qualities of the candidate (max 250 words) and a description of the cooperation with the candidates and research and educational activities (Cat. A and B, max 250 words each) or a research outline (Cat. C., max 1000 words). Candidates will be evaluated in the context of the call category to wish they would like to respond. The evaluation criteria are:

Category A and B

Criteria used for assessment of proposals are:

  • The quality of the candidate as shown in a Curriculum Vitae and publication list (weight 40%).
  • The long-term strategic importance of collaboration with the research institute or university of the candidate. The proposal must show why the long-term collaboration with this institute is important (weight 20%).
  • The quality and relevance of the proposal to PE&RC research (weight 30%)
  • The contribution to PE&RC education (e.g. master class workshop, course, seminar) (weight 10%; the contribution will be considered in relation to the duration of the stay).

Conditions:

  • With respect to each of the four criteria assessed, proposals must pass a threshold of  3 (= acceptable on a scale of 1 to 5). Therefore, if one of the criteria is not well elaborated the proposal will not be funded.
  • Regarding category A and B: Only one proposal for each collaborative partner abroad will be eligible for funding.
  • For both category A and B it is not possible for a candidate to receive a research grant two times within a period of 5 years.
  • If granted, PE&RC expects a report from the applicants after the fellowship has ended, in which activities of the candidate in Wageningen, results of the stay and the additional value of the fellowship to the research group(s) involved as well as PE&RC are described.
  • An application form can be downloaded here. When granted, the budget for the fellowship will become available in 2017 and will be transferred to the group or person concerned. The visit should start at latest March 2018.
Category C

The candidate must have a PhD degree and fulfil the conditions of the call (s)he is aiming for.

Assessment criteria:

  • The quality of the candidate as shown in a Curriculum Vitae and publication list.
  • Quality, innovative nature and academic impact of the proposed research.
  • Output of the stay must be a personal grant application as indicated in the proposal (to be submitted in the forthcoming round).

An application form can be downloaded here. When granted, the budget for the fellowship will become available in 2017 and will be transferred to the group or person concerned. The visit should start at latest March 2018.

Focal areas PE&RC
  1. Learning from nature

The central issue is how to foster ecology-based sustainability and management of ecosystems. The objective is to understand the functioning of ecosystems to design and enable the development of multifunctional, high-yield and resource-efficient production and land use systems that optimally provide and utilize natural ecosystem services.

  1. Global change, food and the environment

The various global crises such as those on food security, water, climate, and biodiversity show the urgency of addressing these problems using an integral approach that involves social, economic and environmental sustainability and considers systems as networks in which the various parts are connected to each other. The objective of this theme is to contribute to the development of novel adaptive strategies that increase the resilience of both managed and natural systems to global change.

  1. One health

Humans, crops, livestock, and wild animals and plants are constantly being challenged by pests and (new) diseases. The objective of this theme is to generate more understanding of:

  • The ecological processes behind the epidemiology of diseases and the outbreak of pests and their adjustment to new evironmental and biological conditions;
    The role of biodiversity in regulating disease spread;
    The genetics of parasites and pathogens, hosts and vectors as related to the risks of disease incidence, development of resistance to control measures, and development of new disease control strategies;
    Integrative ecological-social-economic approaches to disease control.

The application form, the Curriculum Vitae and a publication list of the candidate have to be mailed to PE&RC Office (Office.PE@wur.nl).

Applications for visiting scientist grants should be received by PE&RC at the latest on April 10, 2017 (9.00 a.m.). Applications have to be supported by the head of a Wageningen University chair group.