Pre-announcement call 'Computational sciences for energy research'
On 29 March 2013, a call for proposals will be published for approximately 12 PhD research projects in the field of computational sciences, relevant to the energy-related themes within the top sectors Energy and Chemistry. The call is open for all areas, and research proposals in the areas of computational chemistry and materials science, multiphysics, big data, and computational geoscience are explicitly invited.
This is the second of the annual calls in this joint programme of Shell, NWO and FOM. The first call in 2012 resulted in 22 PhD projects being awarded funding. A total of 5 calls are planned for this programme and this is expected to result in the funding of about 60 PhD projects in the period 2012-2016.
Submitting your research proposal: call opens 29 March 2013
Tenured staff at universities and academic institutions are invited to submit research proposals for PhD students. About 12 proposals can be awarded funding. The call for proposals with a programme description, guidelines and other relevant information will be published on the FOM website on 29 March 2013. The deadline for submitting research proposals is Friday 26 April 2013.
Simultaneous application and selection process for PhD candidates
Parallel to the call, the Shell Technology Centre Bangalore (STCB) in India will recruit about 25 talented researchers who are willing to do their PhD in the Netherlands and then to continue their career at Shell in Bangalore. The application process for PhD students will include various interviews at selected locations in India and an application round in which an initial selection of students can indicate their preferences for the shortlisted research projects. Next, the project leaders of the shortlisted research proposals can select their PhD candidates from the resulting pool of 'high potentials'. This procedure will be facilitated by a matchmaking process that will be held in October to connect PhD candidates to selected projects and vice versa. A successful match will result in a granted research project, a signed employment contract between the PhD student and FOM, and a letter of intent from Shell for a job in Bangalore after completion of the PhD. The first PhD students can start in early 2014.
Partnership between Shell, NWO and FOM
The 'Computational Sciences for Energy Research' programme forms the centrepiece of a large public-private partnership between Shell, NWO and FOM. The launch of this partnership was celebrated at the start of February this year. Shell will invest approximately 20 million euros in cash to fund 75 PhD positions at Dutch universities. NWO's investment will amount to approximately 21 million euros, creating a total programme budget of 41-50 million euros, dependent on the participation of other companies and the so-called 'TKI-toeslag'. The majority of Shell's investment comprises the programme 'Computational Sciences for Energy Research'. The remainder of Shell's investment will be directed towards two other programmes, 'CO2-neutral fuels' and 'Uncertainty Reduction in Smart Energy Grids'.
An important driver for Shell to invest in this initiative is that it can use the programme as a recruitment pool for highly qualified computational scientists for its technology centre in Bangalore in India. Bangalore will become a global centre for computational science for Shell.
A strong motivation for NWO to participate in this initiative is that it will result in a further strengthening of computational sciences in the Netherlands. Its participation comprises a large-scale investment of circa 7 million euros in the Dutch knowledge infrastructure, for example new staff in tenure-track positions and novel hardware. Several NWO divisions are involved in this initiative: FOM, Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Social Sciences, Earth and Life Sciences, and Technology Foundation STW.
This collaboration across a range of computational science disciplines is therefore uniquely positioned to give this scientific field a long-needed boost. The combined Shell-NWO/FOM initiative will also lead to a reinforcement of the connection between the Dutch and Indian knowledge communities.