Call for matchmaking event 'Building blocks of life'
NWO has launched the new research programme ‘Building blocks of life' to address a number of urgent scientific and societal challenges at the interface of physics, chemistry, biology, computer science and systems analysis. The Building Blocks of Life programme will integrate recent knowledge to facilitate a decisive step in the fundamental understanding of the molecular building blocks composing cellular systems. The goal of the programme is to realise excellent groundbreaking research and to form interdisciplinary research projects in public private partnership context.
NWO organizes a matchmaking event with opportunity to pitch ideas in the 'Oude Magazijn' in Amersfoort on Tuesday 17 November from 13.00 – 17.00 hrs.
About 'Building blocks of life'
Knowledge of the molecular basis of life, our 'building blocks', increased dramatically through technological breakthroughs from physics, chemistry, biology, computer science and systems analysis of massive data files. Dutch science is in a good position to take a decisive joint step forward by bringing together these fields of expertise in order to improve the fundamental understanding of cellular systems based on the (molecular) building blocks of life.
These new insights offer unprecedented innovative opportunities p in many areas. It is therefore of great importance for our whole society that the Netherlands plays a leading role in this development, by strengthening close interdisciplinary collaborations between researchers and the private sector, such as industry and health foundations.
Challenging innovations are foreseen in many important scientific and technological fields: such as health care (e.g. personalized medicine), qualitatively and quantitatively improved food supply, sustainable crop production, hybrid techno-biological systems, new materials and intelligent robots based on neural networks, and organisms working under extreme circumstances.
Goal
The goal of the programme is to realise groundbreaking research and to form durable interdisciplinary research projects in public private partnership context. NWO is launching the research programme 'Building blocks of life' to address a number of urgent scientific and social challenges at the interface of physics, chemistry, biology, computer science and systems analysis. NWO addresses long-term (ten years) urgent scientific and social challenges with the programme Building blocks of Life.
Call for proposals
The first call for proposals for interdisciplinary research with 10 à 20 percent cofinancing from industry/foundations is planned in the first quarter of 2016 The total NWO budget is approximately M€ 10. Other details of the call for proposals will be announced at a later date.
Matchmaking event
NWO organizes a matchmaking event with opportunity to pitch ideas in the 'Oude Magazijn' in Amersfoort on Tuesday 17 November from 13.00 – 17.00 hrs. The event is organized to facilitate the preparation of interdisciplinary proposals which can be submitted early 2016. Researchers in these fields from the public and private sectors are kindly invited to join this event, information will be given about the upcoming call for proposals and y ou are kindly invited present yourself and your ideas in a pitch. In addition, there is extensive opportunity to meet other interested parties. See the NWO website for the full programme.
Registration matchmaking event
For more information about and registration for the matchmaking event, please go to www.nwo.nl/buildingblocksoflife
More information
In you have any questions, please contact:
Dr Marjolein Lauwen for any further questions concerning the matchmaking event.
Dr. Sandra de Keijzer for any further questions concerning the programme 'Building blocks of life'.
Organisation programme 'Building blocks of life'
Building blocks of life is a cross-sectoral programme of the NWO divisions: Earth and Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Physics (FOM) and Medical Sciences and participatory Top Sectors Agri & Food, Chemicals, HTSM, Life Sciences & Health and Horticulture & Propagating stock.