Responsible Innovation

The thematic programme MVI focuses on issues concerning technological developments for which it is reasonable to suspect that they will have a dramatic impact (whether positive or negative) on people and/or society. On the one hand, those developments concern new technologies (such as ICT, nanotechnology, biotechnology and neural sciences), and on the other, technological systems in transition (for example agriculture and healthcare). The thematic programme contributes to responsible innovation by increasing the scope and depth of research into societal and ethical aspects of science and technology. It focuses on proactive research into the ethical and societal aspects of technological development projects. The programme has an international orientation and context: it involves not only Dutch innovation projects, but also innovation projects in other countries or parts of the world. The research explicitly devotes attention to the global context and aspects, and in particular those that are relevant to developing countries. Interaction between research into humanities, technological and social sciences is one the programme's emphases. The valorisation of the research will receive a great deal of attention, both at the level of the programme and at the level of the individual projects.

Who can apply

Applications can be submitted by senior researchers at Dutch institutes for scientific education and research and/or researchers at institutes recognised by NWO, or from an international centre for scientific training in the Netherlands. Only the following centres fall under this last category: ISS (Institute of Social Studies The Hague); UNESCO-IHE Delft; IHS (Housing Studies, Rotterdam); ITC Enschede and MSM (Maastricht School of Management). Applicants who are not attached to an institute recognised by NWO can submit an application in cooperation with senior researchers at a university.

What can be applied for

Funding proposals elaborate on the theme socially responsible innovation. In this second call, proposals may only be submitted for the following four main themes:(1) Designer humans, (2) Nutrition, (3) Animal, nature and living environment, (4) Intellectual Property Regimes (IPR).

These themes are divided into subthemes. A proposal is always related to one or more subthemes. A description of these themes is given in the call for proposals Chapter 2, Section 2.1. The projects always concern research into the ethical and societal aspects of concrete technological developments.

Projects for research into ethical and societal aspects of concrete technological developments must always have a 'makeable' perspective. In other words, they must not only lead to an analysis and an improved understanding of problems, but also result in a ‘design perspective’– in the broadest sense, including institutional arrangements.

The projects are always multidisciplinary. They consist of research in both the humanities and social sciences. In these projects the input of research from the natural and technical sciences must be clearly visible and demonstrably used in the humanities and social sciences research. Moreover, the option of projects that consist of an integration of both a natural/technical sciences component as well as humanities and social sciences components is explicitly stated.

When can be applied

• Closing date for the submission of preliminary proposals was 2 February 2010, 12:00 hrs. Preliminary proposals for longitudinal research are compulsory.
• Closing date for the submission of full proposals for short-term and longitudinal research was 26 May 2010, 12:00 hrs.

Criteria

See Call for proposals.

Procedure

See Call for proposals.

Committees

The steering group is responsible for the general coordination of the programme. The programme committee is responsible for supervising the programme on a detailed day-to-day basis. The steering group will appoint an international selection committee to assess the grant applications. See www.nwo.nl/mvi (section Organisation).

Budget

12 million euros.

Financiers

NWO and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Safety, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.

Contacts

• Dhr. dr. J. Roodenburg
  phone: +31 (0)70 344 08 06, e-mail: j.roodenburg@nwo.nl