WOTRO Frequently Asked Questions
For comments and questions of a general nature that are not covered in these FAQ's, please send an email to wotro@nwo.nl.
About WOTRO
What is WOTRO’s mission?
The mission of WOTRO is to initiate, enhance and fund scientific research for the benefit of development and societal issues of local and global concern in the South. WOTRO acts at the interface of the Dutch government, the academic world and the arena of development organisations. For more information on our organisation, please download this brochure.
Who should I contact for further questions?
For a direct link to the contact details of the bureau employees, click here.
Where can I find researchers or ongoing research projects currently funded by WOTRO?
You can consult the online database for information on research projects financed by WOTRO. This selection screen enables you to view web pages with data of awarded, current and closed research projects.
About applications for research funding
In general
Where can I find the specific requirements of the current calls?
In the online subsidy guide you can find the specific requirements of the current calls. See www.nwo.nl/wotro/grants.
Where can I find possible Dutch research partners?
Below, two links to databases which can be helpful in your search for Dutch research partners:
- The Dutch research database NOD (to find universities, faculties, researchers, research projects): http://www.onderzoekinformatie.nl/en/oi/nod/
- The NWO database enables you to view web pages with data of NWO-financed awarded, current and closed research projects: http://www.nwo.nl/projecten.nsf/pages/NWOP_6KRLVE_Eng
Is it possible to apply for individual grants?
WOTRO has no individual grants available. However, there are other funding opportunities for individual research support. Here some suggestions:
- The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research offers several subsidies specifically intended to support individual researchers in different stages of their scientific career, (http://www.nwo.nl/nwohome.nsf/pages/NWOP_5S3F4I_Eng)
- Through a Dutch supervisor a project-proposal for PhD or post-doc research can be submitted in the most suitable competition within NWO (check with the requirements for the free competition of NWO-divisions, not all allow for a single-project application) (http://www.nwo.nl/nwohome.nsf/pages/SPPD_7AK3L2_Eng);
- You could look for individual grants by other organisations, e.g. NUFFIC has grants for researchers from developing countries. (http://www.nuffic.nl/international-students
http://www.nuffic.nl/international-students/scholarships/asia-africa-latin-america-and-eastern-europe) - The NUFFIC-website provides a 'grantfinder' to explore other funding opportunities (http://www.grantfinder.nl/)
- Individual research support for researchers from developing countries is also provided by IFS (http://www.ifs.se/).
Can the budget exceed the maximum available subsidy?
The budget can exceed the maximum available, but WOTRO's contribution will never be more than that amount. Where the planned budget exceeds the maximum, the institution (or a third party) must send NWO an authorised letter guaranteeing to meet the additional costs. The letter should be sent by post and timed to coincide with submission of the application.
How to submit applications?
Proposals should be submitted through the IRIS system for electronic submission. All applications should be submitted through the account of the main applicant. If you are not familiar with this system, please visit http://www.iris.nwo.nl/. A crucial preparatory step in submitting an application via IRIS is to convert the completed application form to pdf format.
What if the IRIS system is not working?
If you experience any technical problems with the IRIS system, contact NWO's Iris helpdesk: iris@nwo.nl or tel. 0900-6964747 (15 eurocents p/m). The helpdesk is available on weekdays between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. CET.
Is pdf format really necessary?
Yes. Pdf is the only format accepted by the IRIS system because it is the only one that guarantees that the files received by NWO are completely identical to those sent by the applicants. If you experience any technical problems with conversion from Word to pdf, contact your own computer support service or NWO's IRIS helpdesk: iris@nwo.nl or tel. 0900-6964747 (15 eurocents p/m). The helpdesk is available on weekdays between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Dutch time)
When will I be notified whether my application has been successful?
Please consult the brochure of the specific call for the general time schedule. You may track the actual progress of the procedure via IRIS.
About ongoing research programmes/projects
Where can I find the forms for my progress or final report?
Download the standard form for progress and final reports here.
How should progress and final reports be submitted?
All project updates (e.g. progress reports and all programme output) should be submitted to WOTRO via the IRIS system, unless the original application was not submitted through IRIS (applications submitted before 2005).
Please submit your project updates through the IRIS system as follows:
- Complete the standard WOTRO form for progress and final reports;
- Log in at http://www.iris.nwo.nl/;
- Choose 'projects' in the main menu;
- An overview of your applications submitted through IRIS is shown;
- Per application, you may submit your updates via the button 'update'.
Only project updates of the research projects of which the applications were not submitted through IRIS, may be submitted by email to the WOTRO secretariat (wotro@nwo.nl).
Should I submit all publications and other output of my research?
Yes, WOTRO wishes to receive information on all research output. Details to be submitted through IRIS, http://www.iris.nwo.nl/.
My project is financed by WOTRO, where can I download the WOTRO logo?
Download the logo here.
