Events in Physics
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, via the Newton Fund, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) invite applications for their sustainable deltas call. This enables trilateral research cooperation between Chinese, Dutch and UK research groups focusing 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. Three focal areas have been defined:
•resilient urban planning and management;
•optimising water allocation and use in the delta;
•integrated coastal zone management.
Proposals should improve and maintain quality of life through the sustainable supply of clean water for all against a background of environmental change and adapt current industrial processes and practices to reduce over-reliance on the use of water.
UK research activity, funded through the Newton Fund must be in line with the UK’s Official Development Assistance guidelines. It must also be predominantly within EPSRC remit.
Each applications must include eligible researchers from the Netherlands, China and the UK, with a single nominated principal investigator from each country. Standard EPSRC eligibility requirements apply for the UK team, meaning higher education institutions, and some research council institutes and independent research organisations are eligible to apply.
Up to £2 million is available from EPSRC though the Newton Fund, up to €1.5m is available from NWO and up to RMB 15m is available from NSFC. UK projects may be up to 36 months in duration.