Deadline: 25 October 2016
The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and Research Councils UK (RCUK) are seeking applications to support world-leading research collaborations between Chinese, Dutch and UK research groups in the theme of ‘Sustainable Deltas’.
This joint activity focuses on research challenges for sustainable and safe deltas within the broader framework of the water sector. A number of thematic areas have been identified, including water availability, water system analysis, salinisation and desiccation, water governance, and new solutions for passenger and freight transportation in deltas and coastal waters.
Funding Information
- Up to £2M is available from EPSRC though the UK’s Newton Fund for this call.
- Up to €1.5M is available from NWO and up to 15M RMB from NSFC.
- UK projects may be up to 36 months in duration.
Focus Areas
- Resilient urban planning and management;
- Optimising water allocation and use in the delta;
- Integrated coastal zone management.
Key Concern
- Improving and maintaining quality of life through the sustainable supply of clean water for all against a background of environmental change;
- Adaptation of current industrial processes and practices to reduce overreliance on the use of water.
Challenges
- Developing innovative governance approaches for managing floods and droughts in deltas and cities;
- Designing adaptive capacity in rapidly and often spontaneously developing deltas to ensure water safety;
- Combining spatial planning and sound disaster management by optimizing land use, institutions and mechanisms for more efficient, inclusive and sustainable urbanization;
- Exploring eco-dynamic design options to provide opportunities for nature as part of urban development processes;
- Sustainable development of port areas and adaptive transport and logistic systems;
- Exploring commercial exploitation of natural resources in the marine environments of deltas (energy production, fisheries).
Thematic Areas
- Water treatment and purification,
- Water re-use,
- Urban water sustainability,
- Energy recovery from water treatment,
- Real-time optimization and management of large-scale water systems in terms of flood-risk management.
Eligibility Criteria
- Each proposal must include eligible researchers from the Netherlands, China and the UK, with a single nominated Principal Investigator (PI) from each country.
- Each Chinese-Dutch-UK research team should submit one joint application to NWO.
- In line with the other funders, each UK applicant may only be named as an Investigator on one proposal.
How to Apply
Interested applicants can find the application forms at the address given on the website.
Eligible Countries: Netherlands, China and the UK
For more information, please visit Sustainable Deltas.