WOTRO Newsfl@sh 22 - February 2010

This is the electronic newsletter of WOTRO Science for Global Development. It is published every six weeks and provides information about deadlines, awarded subsidies, research results and policy.

New call for Fast Track Research into Conflict
The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research has launched a second call for proposals within the theme Conflict and Security. The focus of this call is on Fast Track Research into emerging, active, escalating or de-escalating conflict. Researchers may apply for funding to do research while the conflict is 'active' or suddenly transforming. Deadline for proposals is 6 April 2010, 12:00 hrs CET. Read more...

Reminder: Call for proposals Integrated Programmes
The Integrated Programmes call for 2010 is open! Applicants are invited to submit proposals that touch upon topics beyond the MDG related thematic framework, or proposals fitting into one or more of the WOTRO-themes - poverty and hunger, sustainable environment and global relationships. Deadline for preliminary proposals is 6 April 2010, 12:00 hrs CET. Read more...

Call for Exchange visits SSCIN (India)
The third Call for Exchange visits between India and the Netherlands has been launched by the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR) and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). This joint Scholar Exchange scheme is aimed at staff with an academic or research appointment, up to senior professors, with a clear preference for young scholars. The purpose of this scheme is to strengthen the quality and potential of research in both countries by building greater research interaction. Deadline for application is 18 May 2010, 16:00 hrs CET. Read more...

Other deadlines

Graduate Programme
The Minister of Education, Culture and Science has requested NWO to develop a pilot for a subsidy programme that will focus on Graduate Schools and research schools. NWO will respond to this request by setting up a pilot programme in consultation with VSNU and KNAW. In this pilot programme national and local research schools or Graduate Schools can be nominated for a block grant of about € 800,000 that is intended for the appointment of PhD students who will carry out their research within the school. Deadline for application 24 February 2010, 23:59 hrs CET. Read more...

Call for proposals: ‘Academische Jaarprijs’
The ‘Academische Jaarprijs’ (Academic Year-award) is looking for research teams which are able to make academic research accessible to the general public. The team with the most creative communication plan will win € 100,000 to bring their plan into practice. We encourage WOTRO researchers to apply and to show the importance of addressing development issues in academic research. Deadline for application is 8 March, 2010. Read more...(Dutch only)

Call for applications: Workshops on climate change 
START, the global change SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training, organises two interesting international workshops:
1. 'Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Urban Development Planning for Asian Coastal Cities': 23 August - 1 September 2010 in Bangkok. Deadline for applications is 1 March 2010. Read more......
2. 'Education and Training Program on Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation in the Albertine Rift Region of Africa': 19 July – 3 September in Dar es Salaam. Deadline for applications is 12 March 2010. Read more...

WOTRO strategy 2011-2014
WOTRO is currently developing a new strategy for the period 2011-2014. The process started in April 2009 with the Strategy Day, followed by a period of consultations and the formulation of a first concept strategy paper. In order to receive feedback from WOTRO stakeholders, a strategy meeting will be organised on 23 March 2010. For information contact Marije Severs via wotrostrategy@nwo.nl. Your response to the concept strategy paper will be welcomed in March via webconsultation. Please stay informed via www.wotro.nl.

Some tropical trees grow faster! By performing tree ring analysis, WOTRO researcher Danaë Rozendaal studied the long-term tree growth patterns of tropical trees. She showed that growth rates of trees gradually increased in the past two centuries. This might be the consequence of higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Read more...   Small-scale farmers drive deforestation in Rondonia, in the Brazilian Amazon Small-scale farmers, rather than large-scale farmers, are largely responsible for deforestation in the Brazilian state of Rondonia in the Amazon area. This conclusion is drawn by PhD student Luciana de Souza Soler, who showed that in most areas with agrarian projects, more than fifty percent of the land has been cleared of forests. Read more...

WRR report: Less Pretention, more Ambition On 18 January 2010 the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) presented its report ‘Less Pretention, More Ambition. Development Aid that Makes a Difference’ to the Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation, Mr Bert Koenders. More than sixty Dutch experts and practitioners, including several WOTRO researchers and board members, have contributed their opinions and comments to an international discussion blog of The Broker. Download the report (Dutch only) or go directly to the discussion.