STAATSCOURANT
Officiële uitgave van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden sinds 1814.

Call for proposals, Accelerator 2020, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Funding for short-term logistics projects
Social Sciences And Humanities
2020

Contents
1 | Introduction | 1
| 1.1 | Background | 1
| 1.2 | Available budget | 1
| 1.3 | Validity of the call for proposals | 2
2 | Aim | 2
3 | Guidelines for applicants | 2
| 3.1 | Who can apply | 2
| 3.2 | What can be applied for | 3
| 3.3 | When can applications be submitted | 6
| 3.4 | Preparing an application | 6
| 3.5 | Conditions on granting | 6
| 3.6 | Submitting an application | 8
4 | Assessment procedure | 9
| 4.1 | Procedure | 9
| 4.2 | Criteria | 10
5 | Contact details and other information | 11
| 5.1 | Contact | 11
6 | Annex(es) | 11
1

Introduction
1.1

Background
The Dutch government has identified Logistics as one of the nine Top Sectors in which the Netherlands excel on a global level. With an annual added value of 53 billion euros and 646,000 jobs, the sector is of great economic importance. The Netherlands has been playing a significant role in world trade for many centuries and has gained extensive experience when it comes to transport and logistics. The country boosts an excellent infrastructure with ports and corresponding multimodal transport links, and world-class logistics service providers. Moreover, the logistics functions within shippers and the supporting services industry make up the network of expertise of Dutch logistics. Therewith, the Netherlands contribute to the worldwide competitive position of Dutch sectors and global trade. Societal challenges force us to think in new solutions and innovations. As the world changes, technologies develop and economics shift, the Netherlands continues to innovate logistics to remain at the forefront in global trade and sustainable logistics. The Top Sector Logistics is not simply about transporting more goods, but about smarter ways to do it: more cargo with fewer kilometres and lower CO_2 emissions, more high-quality services, more cost savings.
The Top Sector Logistics consists of representatives from the “golden triangle” of government, industry and knowledge institutions. Together, they determine which activities are necessary to achieve the sector’s ambitions while maintaining and strengthening an efficient mobility system and reducing environmental impact.
NWO (the Dutch Research Council), together with TKI Dinalog (Dutch Institute for Advanced Logistics), is responsible for creating knowledge and innovation through building partnerships between businesses, knowledge institutes and governments. These stakeholders work together in the innovation program of the Dutch Top Sector Logistics.
This call contributes to the Multi-Year Programme 2016–2020, as defined in the Top Sector Logistics in consultation with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, and also contributes to the new Action Agenda 2020–2023 of the Top Sector.
1.2

Available budget
The budget available for this call is € 1,200,000. These funds have been made available by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
Please note: Funding can only be requested by researchers (main applicants or co-applicants) who have previously been awarded funding for a project under the funding rounds as listed in Annex 6.3.
Co-funding is compulsory for each research proposal in this call.
1
See Section 3.2 for the exact co-funding percentages.
1.3

Validity of the call for proposals
Proposals must be received by NWO before 11 March 2021, 14:00:00 CET.
2

Aim
This call provides the opportunity to apply for proposals for short-term projects that contribute to the Top Sector Logistics.
The aim of this call is to provide opportunities for researchers that have already been funded by NWO or TKI Dinalog in previous Top Sector Logistics research programmes to address additional research questions or initiatives that are specific and well-defined and can be completed within one year
2
See Annex 6.3 which previous Top Sector Logistics research programmes are eligible. Both completed projects and projects that are in progress may be eligible for financing.
. The purpose of this call is to respond to the need for e.g. additional research needs based on new developments and ad hoc questions as well as to facilitate the use of the knowledge that emerges from research. A proposal could for example focus on innovative scientific research, but the funding may also be used for example for additional knowledge transfer, the development of a tool or making research applicable in another way.
3

Guidelines for applicants
3.1

Who can apply
Full, associate and assistant professors and other researchers with a comparable appointment can submit an application if:
- −
they are employed (i.e. hold a salaried position) at one of the following organisations:
  - ○ Universities established in the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
  - ○ University medical centres;
  - ○ NWO and KNAW institutes;
  - ○
Universities of applied sciences situated in the Kingdom of the Netherlands
3
The organisation must be a government-funded university of applied sciences, as defined in Article 1.8 of the Law on Higher Education and Research Act (WHW).
;
  - ○
TO2 institutes
4
The members of the TO2 federation are Deltares, ECN, Marin, NLR, TNO and WUR/DLO. See also http://www.to2-federatie.nl (in Dutch).
;
  - ○ the Netherlands Cancer Institute;
  - ○ the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen;
  - ○ the DUBBLE Beamline at the ESRF in Grenoble;
  - ○ NCB Naturalis;
  - ○ Advanced Research Centre for NanoLithography (ARCNL);
  - ○ Princess Máxima Center.
- − and also have an appointment period for at least the duration of the application procedure and the entire duration of the research for which the grant is being applied for. Personnel with a zero-hour appointment is excluded from applying.
The following limitations also apply within this call:
- − Researchers can submit a maximum of one application as the main applicant and one application as co-applicant.
- − Funding can only be requested by researchers who have previously been awarded funding for a project under the funding rounds as listed in Annex 6.3. These can be main applicants or co-applicants from previously funded projects within the Top Sector Logistics research programmes.
Funding:
- − can be requested only for projects that involve independent and new research and which start within a few months after receiving the funding award decision and finish before 30 June 2022. Costs incurred before the formal starting date of the project are not eligible for funding.
- − may not replace any existing funding.
- − is not provided for contract research.
- −
should comply or be compatible with European legislation on state aid
5
See Directive EU 1407/2013 dated 18/12/2013, EU 651/2014 dated 17/06/2014 and the announcement of the European Commission 2014/C 198/01 to check whether there is compliance with these rules for state support. For the tendering rules, we refer you to: http://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0032203/2016-07-01
.
3.2

What can be applied for
Projects have a maximum duration of 12 months; there is no minimum duration. Please note: projects mustbe finalised by 30 June 2022 at the latest. Applicants are responsible for making a realistic work plan, timeline and budget for their project, and this will be part of the assessment procedure.
The minimum funding contribution that can be requested for a project is € 50,000 and the maximum funding contribution that can be requested is € 100,000. The requested budget may not exceed the total TKI budget already granted on the current or completed project.
Please note that the following is also part of the assessment criteria (see 4.2) and will be assessed by the committee: The proposed project must be clearly separable
6
For the purposes of defining a separable project, the definition of “R&D Project” used by the European Commission in the Framework for State Aid for research and development and innovation applies (PbEU, 2014, C198).
from the previously awarded project. The project may not be dependent on future results of the previously awarded project. On the application form, the applicant must indicate that the proposed activities do not fit within the project that has already been awarded funding, and how the proposed project aims to achieve different goal(s) and objective(s) than the previously awarded project.
Public or private parties contribute to the project by means of in-kind or cash co-funding. The minimum co-funding is 20% of the total project budget. Co-funding may be in-kind only, but cash co-funding is also allowed. For each application, a Letter of Commitment (LoC) should be added for each contribution pledged. In this letter, the party concerned confirms the pledged contribution in case the application is awarded funding.
Budget modules
The budget modules (including the maximum amounts) that are available within this call for proposals are stated in the table below. You should only request that which is essential for realising the research.
Budget module | Maximum amount
Postdoc | according to VSNU or NFU rates 1 For personnel outside the Netherlands, the local rates are reimbursed up to a maximum of the VSNU rates.
Non-scientific staff at (NSS) universities | € 100,000, according to VSNU or NFU rates in combination with postdoc(s)
Other scientific staff (OSS) at universities | € 100,000, in combination with postdoc(s)
Research leave | 5 months, 1 fte, according to VSNU or NFU rates
Personnel universities of applied sciences and other institutions (such as applied research organisations (TO2) and SMEs) | rates based on Handleiding Overheidstarieven 2017 (HOT)
Material costs | € 15,000 per year per scientific position
Knowledge utilisation | € 25,000
Internationalisation | € 25,000
Money follows Cooperation | less than 50% of the total budget applied for
Explanation of budget modules for personnel
Funding for the salary costs of personnel who make a substantial contribution to the research can be applied for. Funding of these salary costs depends on the type of appointment and the organisation where the personnel are or will be appointed.
- − For university appointments, the salary costs are funded in accordance with the VSNU salary tables applicable at the moment the grant is awarded (https://nwo.nl/en/salary-tables).
- − For university medical centres, the salary costs are funded in accordance with the NFU salary tables applicable at the moment the grant is awarded (https://nwo.nl/en/salary-tables)
- − For personnel from universities of applied sciences and other institutions, the salary costs are funded on the basis of the collective labour agreement salary scale of the employee concerned, based on the Handleiding Overheidstarieven 2017 (https://regieorgaan-sia.nl/documents/82/Handleiding_Overheidstarieven_2017.pdf).
- − For the Caribbean Netherlands, the Dutch government employs civil servants on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba under different conditions than in the European part of the Netherlands. (https://www.rijksdienstcn.com/werken-bij-rijksdienst-caribisch-nederland/arbeidsvoorwaarden)
The rates for all budget modules are incorporated in the budget format that accompanies the application form. For the budget module “Postdoc”, a one-off individual bench fee of € 5,000 is added on top of the salary costs. This bench fee is intended to encourage the scientific career of the project employee funded by NWO.
The available budget modules are explained below.
Postdoc
The size of the appointment of a postdoc is at least 6 full-time months and at most 48 full-time months. The size and duration of the appointment is at the applicant’s discretion, but the appointment is always for at least 0.5 fte or for a duration of at least 12 months. The product of fte x duration of appointment should always be a minimum of 6 full-time months.
The material budget is available to cover the costs of a more limited appointment of a postdoc.
Non-scientific staff (NSS) at universities
Funding for the appointment of non-scientific personnel necessary for the realisation of the research project can only be applied for if funding for a postdoc is also applied for. A maximum of € 100,000 can be requested for NSS. This includes personnel such as student assistants, programmers, technical assistants or analysts. Depending on the level of the position, the appropriate salary table for non-scientific staff at MBO, HBO or university level applies.
The size of the appointment is at least 6 full-time months and at most 48 full-time months. The size and duration of the appointment is at the applicant’s discretion, but the appointment is always for at least 0.5 fte or for a duration of at least 12 months. The product of fte x duration of appointment should always be a minimum of 6 full-time months.
The material budget is available to cover the costs of a more limited appointment of non-scientific personnel.
Other scientific personnel (OSS) at universities
Budget for other scientific personnel such as AIOS (doctor training to be a specialist), ANIOS (doctor not training to be a specialist), scientific programmers or employees with a master’s degree can only be applied for if funding for a postdoc is also applied for. For this category, a maximum of € 100,000 can be applied for. The size of the appointment is at least 6 full-time months and most 48 full-time months. The size and duration of the appointment is at the applicant’s discretion, but the appointment is always for at least 0.5 fte or for a duration of at least 12 months. The product of fte x duration of appointment should always be a minimum of 6 full-time months.
Research leave for applicants
With this budget module, funding can be requested for the research leave costs of the main and/or co-applicant(s). The employer of the applicant concerned can use this to cover the costs of relinquishing him or her from educational, supervisory, administrative or management tasks (not research tasks). The time that is released through the research leave grant can only be used by the applicant(s) for activities in the context of the project. The proposal must describe which activities in the context of the project the applicant(s) will carry out in the time relinquished.
The maximum amount of research leave that can be applied for is the equivalent of five full-time months. NWO funds the research leave in accordance with the salary tables for a senior scientific employee (scale 11) at the time the grant is awarded (https://nwo.nl/en/salary-tables).
Personnel universities of applied sciences and other institutions
For the funding of salary costs of personnel employed at a university of applied sciences or other type of institution (such as TO2 or SMEs), the following maximum rates (hours/day) are used in accordance with the Handleiding Overheidstarieven 2017 (HOT). For the Taskforce for Applied Research (NPRO SIA), the HOT table kostendekkend is used, and for the Netherlands Initiative for Education Research (NRO) and other institutions, it is the HOT table kostenplus.
Explanation of budget module Material
For each fte scientific position (postdoc) applied for, a maximum of € 15,000 material budget can be applied for per year of the appointment. Material budget for smaller appointments can be applied for on a proportionate basis and will be made available by NWO accordingly
7
Per 0.2 fte scientific employee at a university of applied sciences (junior, medior and senior level, with a minimum appointment of 0.2 fte for a period of 12 months), a maximum of € 15,000 material budget can be applied for each year of the appointment.
.
The applicant is responsible for distributing the total amount of material budget across the NWO-funded personnel positions. The material budget that can be applied for is specified according to the three categories below:
Project-related goods/services
- − consumables (glassware, chemicals, cryogenic fluids, etc.)
- − measurement and calculation time (e.g. access to supercomputer, etc.)
- − costs for acquiring or using data collections (e.g. from Statistics Netherlands), for which the total amount may not be more than € 25,000 per proposal
- − access to large national and international facilities (e.g. cleanroom, synchrotron, etc.)
- − work by third parties (e.g. laboratory analyses, data collection, etc.)
- − personnel costs for the appointment of a post-doc and/or non-scientific personnel for a smaller appointment size than those offered in the personnel budget modules
Travel and accommodation costs for the personal positions applied for
- −  travel and accommodation costs
- −  conference attendance (maximum of two per year per scientific position applied for)
- −  fieldwork
- −  work visit
Implementation costs
- − national symposium/conference/workshop organised within the research project
- − costs for Open Access publishing (solely in full gold Open Access journals, registered in the “Directory of Open Access Journals” https://doaj.org/)
- − data management costs
- − costs involved in applying for licences (e.g. for animal experiments)
- − audit costs (only for institutions that are not subject to the education accountants protocol of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science), maximum € 5,000 per proposal; for projects with a duration of three years or less, a maximum of € 2,500 per proposal applies.
Costs that cannot be applied for are:
- − basic facilities within the institution (e.g. laptops, desks, etc.);
- − maintenance and insurance costs.
If the maximum amount of € 15,000 per year per full-time scientific position is not sufficient for realising the research, then it may be deviated from if a clear justification is provided in the proposal.
Explanation of budget module Knowledge utilisation
The aim of this budget module is to facilitate the use of the knowledge that emerges from the research
8
In this budget module, the definition for “knowledge transfer” used by the European Commission in the Framework for State Aid for research and development and innovation applies (PbEU, 2014, C198).
. The budget applied for may not exceed € 25,000.
Because knowledge utilisation takes many different forms in different scientific fields, it is up to the applicant to specify the costs required, e.g. costs of producing a teaching package, conducting a feasibility study into potential applications, or filing a patent application.
The budget applied for should be adequately specified in the proposal.
Explanation of budget module Internationalisation
The budget for internationalisation is intended to encourage international collaboration. The budget applied for may not exceed € 25,000. The amount requested must be specified. If the maximum amount is not sufficient for realising the research, then it may be deviated from if a clear justification is provided in the proposal.
Funding can be requested for:
- − travel and accommodation costs in so far as these concern direct research costs emerging from the international collaboration and additional costs for internationalisation that cannot be covered in another manner, for example from the bench fee;
- − travel and accommodation costs for foreign guest researchers;
- − costs for organising international workshops/symposia/scientific meetings.
Explanation of the budget module Money follows Cooperation (MfC)
The module Money follows Cooperation provides the possibility of realising a part of the project at a publicly funded knowledge institution outside of the Netherlands.
The applicant must convincingly argue how the researcher from the foreign knowledge institution will contribute specific expertise to the research project that is not available in the Netherlands at the level necessary for the project.
This condition does not apply if NWO has concluded a bilateral agreement concerning Money follows Cooperation with the national research council of the country where the foreign knowledge institution is located.
The budget applied for within this module cannot be more than 50% of the total budget applied for.
A researcher from the foreign institution should satisfy the conditions set for co-applicants in Section 3.1 of this call for proposals, with the exception of the condition that the co-applicant should be employed in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The applicant receives the grant and is responsible for transferring the amount to the foreign knowledge institution and for providing accountability for the MfC part of the grant.
The exchange rate risk lies with the applicant. Therefore, gains or losses due to the exchange rate are not eligible for funding. The applicant is responsible for:
- − The financial accountability for all costs in both euros and the local currency, for which the exchange rate used must be visible;
- − a reasonable determination of the size of the exchange rate. If requested by NWO, the applicant must always be able to provide a description of this reasonable determination.
NWO will not issue any funding to co-applicants in countries that fall under national or international sanction legislation and rules. The EU Sanctions Map (www.sanctionsmap.eu) is guiding in this respect.
3.3

When can applications be submitted
The deadline for the submission of proposals is 11 March 2021, 14:00:00 CET.
When you submit your application to ISAAC you will also need to enter additional details online. You should therefore start submitting your application at least one day before the deadline of this call for proposals.
Applications submitted after the deadline will not be taken into consideration.
3.4

Preparing an application
- − Download the application form (Annex 6.1), the budget template (Annex 6.2) and the Template Letter of Commitment (Annex 6.4) from the electronic application system ISAAC or from NWO’s website (on the grant page for this programme).
- − Complete the application form, the budget form and the letter(s) of commitment (LoC). The LoC should be submitted on the letter paper of the organisations and/or companies concerned.
- − Save the application form as a PDF file and upload it in ISAAC. Upload the budget form as an Excel file in ISAAC. The letter(s) of commitment can be uploaded as a PDF file under “Other”.
3.5

Conditions on granting
The NWO Grant Rules 2017 and the Agreement on the Payment of Costs for Scientific Research apply to all applications.
Proposals must satisfy the following requirements: proposals must fit within the objectives of this call for proposals as formulated in Chapter 2.
Cash or in-kind co-funding
Co-funding is compulsory, although not compulsory in cash. Consortium partners that provide co-funding cannot apply for funding or receive funding from NWO as well. In the NWO Grant Rules 2017, the conditions for in cash contributions from public and/or private parties are explained.
Private and/or public partners in the consortium should jointly make a contribution to the project. The private/public co-funding is at least 20% of the total project budget. Co-funding may be in-kind only, but cash co-funding is also allowed. Cash contributions have to be settled between the project leader and the partner.
For example: your total project budget is € 100,000, which means your required co-funding is at least
€ 20,000 and you request maximum € 80,000 from NWO.
Letter(s) of Commitment
When the application is submitted, the financial commitment of the parties (cash and in-kind co-funding) must be confirmed with a letter of commitment. This letter is an explicit statement of the agreed-upon financial and/or capitalised personnel and/or material contributions, an explanation of how the co-funding will be used and an explanation of how the results of the research will contribute to the development of policy or everyday practice. The amount stated in the letter must be the same as the amount stated in the project budget. Furthermore, in an LoC, a partner can state that they are willing, if so desired, to make further agreements in a consortium agreement or in another manner. An LoC should be uploaded in ISAAC as annexes to the application. If an application is awarded funding, NWO can request the private and/or public partner(s) to confirm the co-funding (confirmation of contributions by third parties). A template for the LoC can be found on the grant page (Annex 6.4).
Consortium agreement
It is expected that main applicants, co-applicants and consortium partners will make explicit agreements with each other with respect to the financial obligations and other possible issues (including about the flow of in cash co-funding) for a project. According to Article 4.2.4.3 of the NWO Regulation on Granting, the project partners should draw up a consortium agreement before the start of the project. The project partners are free to choose between the two models for the distribution of IP rights mentioned in Article 4.2.4.3.
A model agreement is available on the grant page (Annex 6.5). Deviations from the model are permitted. A review may be carried out on the basis of the NWO Regulation on Granting and the EU state aid rules. If the IP rights accrue to the institute where the research results were generated, the categories listed under 4.2.4.5 will apply and the private co-funder(s) will hold the associated rights of access to those results.
A template consortium agreement is available on the grant page so that applicants can start their preparations. There is no need the have the consortium agreement signed at the moment of submission of the proposal but it should be noted that applicants themselves are responsible for the planning and timeline of their project. This means that they need to hand in the consortium agreement, signed by all consortium members, in due time after receiving the grant decision so that the project can start on time.
Open Access
As a signatory to the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities (2003), NWO is committed to making the results of scientific research funded by NWO freely available in open access on the internet. In doing so, NWO is implementing the ambitions of the Dutch government to make all publicly funded research openly available. All scientific publications of research funded on the basis of this call for proposals should therefore be available in open access immediately (at the time of publication). NWO accepts various routes:
- − publication in an full open access journal,
- − deposit a version of the article in a repository or
- − publication in a hybrid journal covered by one of the agreements between the VSNU and publishers. See www.openaccess.nl.
Any costs for publication in full open access journals can be incurred in the project budget. NWO does not reimburse costs for publications in hybrid journals. These conditions apply to all
forms of scholarly publications arising from grants awarded on the basis of this call for proposals. Also academic monographs, edited volumes, proceedings and book chapters. For more information on the NWO's open access policy, see: www.nwo.nl/openscience.
Data management
The results of scientific research must be replicable, verifiable and falsifiable. In the digital age this means that, in addition to publications, research data must also be freely accessible. As much as possible, NWO expects that research data resulting from NWO-funded projects will be made publicly available for reuse by other researchers. “As open as possible, as closed as necessary” is the guiding principle in this respect. As a minimum, NWO requires that the data underpinning research papers should be made available at the time of the article’s publication. The costs for doing so are eligible for funding and can be included in the project budget. In the data management section, and in the data management template if the project is awarded funding, researchers explain how they plan to manage the data expected to be generated by the project.
- 1.
Data management section
The data management section is part of the proposal. Researchers are asked to prospectively consider how they will manage the data the project will generate and plan for which data will be preserved and be made publicly available. Measures will often need to be taken during the production and analysis of the data to make their later storage and dissemination possible. If not all data from the project can be made publicly available, the reasons for not doing so must be explained in the data management section. Due consideration is given to aspects such as privacy, public security, ethical limitations, property rights and commercial interests.
- 2.
Data management plan
After a proposal has been awarded funding, the researcher should elaborate the data management section into a data management plan. In this plan, the researcher describes whether use will be made of existing data, whether new data will collected or generated, and how the data will be made FAIR: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable. The data management plan must be completed in consultation with a data steward or equivalent research data management support staff at the home institution of the project leader. The plan should be submitted to NWO via ISAAC within four months after the proposal has been awarded funding. NWO will approve the plan as quickly as possible. Approval of the data management plan by NWO is a condition for disbursement of the funding. The plan can be adjusted during the research.
Further information on the NWO data management protocol can be found at https://www.nwo.nl/en/research-data-management.
Nagoya Protocol
The Nagoya Protocol became effective on 12 October 2014 and ensures an honest and reasonable distribution of benefits emerging from the use of genetic resources (Access and Benefit Sharing; ABS). Researchers who make use of genetic sources from the Netherlands or abroad for their research should familiarise themselves with the Nagoya Protocol (www.absfocalpoint.nl). NWO assumes that researchers will take all necessary actions with respect to the Nagoya Protocol.
Other specific funding conditions
TKI Dinalog, via NWO, monitors progress and evaluates the results of the funded research compared to the planning and intended returns stated in the application. If a significant change, in a negative sense, is found in the approved proposal and/or budget, NWO and TKI Dinalog reserve the right to carry out an on-the-spot audit and/or to impose penalties as specified at the time of the award.
3.6

Submitting an application
An application can only be submitted to NWO via the online application system ISAAC. Applications not submitted via ISAAC will not be taken into consideration.
The main applicant must submit their application via their own ISAAC account. If the main applicant does not have an ISAAC account yet, then this should be created at least one day before the application is submitted to ensure that any registration problems can be resolved on time. If the main applicant already has an NWO-account, then they do not need to create a new account to submit an application.
For technical questions please contact the ISAAC helpdesk, see Section 5.1.2.
4

Assessment procedure
4.1

Procedure
The NWO Code for Dealing with Personal Interests applies to all persons and NWO staff involved in the assessment and/or decision-making process. See also: www.nwo.nl/en/code.
Step 1: Admissibility
The admissibility check is the first step in the assessment procedure. Formal criteria will be applied to assess whether the proposal can be taken into consideration. NWO checks whether the application meets the criteria as described in Chapter 3 of this call for proposals. Applications that do not meet these criteria may not be taken into consideration by NWO. If it is possible to correct the proposal (NWO will assess this), the applicant will be given the opportunity to modify their proposal within 48 hours. If the corrected proposal is not received within the time set, NWO will not take the proposal into consideration. Corrected proposals that are received in time will be taken into consideration after approval.
Step 2: Assessment
Applications taken into consideration will be assessed by a committee consisting of members of the Programme Committee TKI Dinalog with the possible addition of external experts. For each application, at least two members of the committee will write a pre-assessment based on the assessment criteria as described in this call (see section 4.2).
Please note, the committee will consider whether the proposed project is clearly separable and could work independently from the previously awarded project (see section 4.2). If the committee is of the opinion that the project is not clearly separable from the previously awarded project, the committee will not recommend the project for funding.
Applicants will have the opportunity to respond to the pre-assessments during an interview with the committee, as part of the assessment procedure.
Based on the proposal, the pre-assessments and the interview, the committee will provide each application with a qualification and draw up a granting advice for the TKI Board.
Step 3: Granting decision
The TKI Board will decide which of the applications under consideration will be awarded funding based on the granting advice from the committee.
Step 4: Granting
Once the TKI Board has taken a granting decision, the main applicants will be informed of this in writing as soon as possible. This letter will state the qualification awarded by NWO and the reasons for the decision. Every effort will be made to inform the applicants about the granting decision by early May 2021.
Qualification
NWO will award a qualification to all full proposals and will make this known to the researcher with the decision about whether or not the application has been awarded funding. Only applications that receive the qualification "excellent", "very good" or "good" will be eligible for funding. For more information about the qualifications please see https://www.nwo.nl/en/apply-funding-how-does-it-work> Qualification system.
Data management
The data management section in the application is not evaluated and therefore not included in the decision about whether to award funding. However, the committee can issue advice with respect to the data management section. After a proposal has been awarded funding, the researcher should elaborate the data management section into a data management plan. Applicants can use the advice from the committee when writing the data management plan.
A project awarded funding can only start after NWO has approved the consortium agreement.
Planning |
11 March 2021 14:00:00h CET | Deadline for submission proposals.
11 March – 23 March 2021 | Admissibility check, incl. corrections.
March – April 2021 | Committee assesses proposals and writes pre-assessments.
Second week of April 2021 | Interviews and final assessments
End of April – Early May 2021 | The TKI Board takes a granting decision based on the advice of the committee. The applicants are then informed about the outcome.
4.2

Criteria
Assessment criteria
Projects must meet the following criteria in order to be considered for funding:
- − Is the proposed project clearly separable from the previously awarded project: does the proposed project concern activities aimed at achieving a different goal or objective from the previously awarded project?
- − Is it sufficiently clear that this is a new project that could work independently from the previous project?
- I –
Quality of the application (40%)
  - − Are the research questions and/or objectives clearly defined and sufficiently elaborated?
  - − Does the proposal have a clear and well defined (theoretical) underpinning and research methodology?
  - − Are the proposed methods and techniques suitable for the investigation of the research questions and/or reaching the objectives?
  - − Does the work plan have a logical structure, and is it well phased and feasible?
  - − Does the time planning fit with the maximum duration set by the call and is it realistic?
  - − Is the requested budget in proportion to the objectives of the proposal?
- II –
Relevance for and contribution to the Top Sector Logistics and knowledge utilisation (40%)
  - − To what extent does the project contribute to the aims of the call as set out in Chapter 2?
  - − Is the project innovative and distinctive?
  - − Does the project create a significant economic and / or societal (measurable) impact?
  - − Does the proposal produce (scientific) added value to the state of the art of the Top Sector Logistics?
  - − Will the results be made accessible to third parties in an effective manner (clear and effective valorisation approach of results to the entire logistics sector)?
  - − Is the intended knowledge utilisation plan feasible within the scope of the project?
  - − What extra boost and added value does the project offer to existing initiatives and projects already awarded funding within the scope of the Top Sector Logistics?
- III –
Consortium composition (20%)
  - − Are the right partners involved in the design, realisation and completion of the project; and are each partners qualities utilised?
  - − What is the added value of the co-funding?
  - − Are the applicants experts in the field concerned, as apparent from publications, presentations and knowledge utilisation achievements?
  - − Is there a clear and effective organisational structure with programme management?
Knowledge utilisation
Since 2009, NWO has pursued a concrete policy that aims to stimulate the transfer of knowledge generated with the help of funding from NWO. This transfer can take place to other scientific disciplines as well as to users outside of science (industry/society). The knowledge utilisation policy is mainly targeted at increasing researchers’ awareness of knowledge utilisation. NWO therefore requests all researchers applying for funding to provide an explanation regarding the possible knowledge utilisation of their project by means of answering several questions (for example: how will knowledge utilisation be implemented and how does the researcher intend to facilitate knowledge utilisation?). This explanation is one of the assessment criteria.
During the assessment, attention is paid to:
a realistic representation of the knowledge utilisation possibilities (or the lack of possibilities); the extent to which the action plan is made tangible with respect to knowledge utilisation.
NWO realises that the possibilities for knowledge utilisation differ per discipline and that some research projects have few if any opportunities for (direct) knowledge utilisation. In this case, an applicant should explain why no knowledge utilisation can be expected for his or her project. The selection committee members will still be asked to assess this explanation: if they are convinced that the research project indeed has no knowledge utilisation possibilities and that the applicant has satisfactorily explained this, then this should not negatively influence the overall assessment score.
For examples of knowledge utilisation, please see https://www.nwo.nl/en/knowledge-utilisation.
5

Contact details and other information
5.1

Contact
5.1.1

Specific questions
For specific questions about Top Sector Logistics and this call for proposals please contact:
Willemijn Groot, logistiek@nwo.nl, +31 (0)70 349 4393. For content related questions you can contact Paul Huijbregts from TKI Dinalog, huijbregts@dinalog.nl.
5.1.2

Technical questions about the electronic application system ISAAC
For technical questions about the use of ISAAC please contact the ISAAC helpdesk. Please read the manual first before consulting the helpdesk. The ISAAC helpdesk can be contacted from Monday to Friday between 10:00 and 17:00 hours CET on +31 (0)20 346 71 79. However, you can also submit your question by e-mail to isaac.helpdesk@nwo.nl. You will then receive an answer within two working days.
6

Annex(es)
Annex 6.1: Application form – available on the ISAAC-website (www.ISAAC.nwo.nl) and the dedicated funding page on the NWO website
Annex 6.2: Budget template – available on dedicated funding page on the NWO website
Annex 6.3: Eligible Top Sector Logistics research programmes
Annex 6.4: Template Letter of Commitment – available on dedicated funding page on the NWO website
Annex 6.5: Template Consortium Agreement – available on dedicated funding page on the NWO website
Annex 6.6: Richtlijnen NWO t.a.v. cofinanciering projecten