The China Exchange Programme (CEP) aims to foster long-term research cooperation between the Netherlands and China. The programme supports exchanges of senior researchers and joint research projects in all fields of research.

Funding

The programme offers two types of funding:

• Individual Visits
  Grants for individual senior researchers who wish to lecture or conduct research in China. The intention of the visit should be to establish long-term cooperation in the form of a joint research project.
• Joint Research Projects
  Financial support for Dutch universities, research institutes, laboratories, or research groups wishing to carry out a joint research project with Chinese counterparts.

Budget

The total annual budget is EUR 540,000. The programme helps cover the following costs:

• Travel (Dutch researchers going to China)* 
• Accommodation  (Chinese researchers staying in the Netherlands) 
• Material in the Netherlands (Joint Research Projects only) 
• Field work in China (Joint Research Projects only)

* Please note that for applications received after 1 June 2012 travel costs will be reinbursed up to a maximum of € 1200 per person per visit.

Criteria

Main assessment criteria for applications:

• Quality of research proposal and researchers 
• Mutual research interests, mutual benefits, and well-balanced transfer of knowledge 
• Prospects for long-term collaboration (Individual Visits) 
• Affiliation to a Dutch university or other publicly funded research institute

How to apply?

Apply to the Academy by submitting the Application Form for Individual Visits (open for applications year round) or the Application Form for Joint Research Projects (annual deadline of 15 September). Both forms can be found on this website.

Applicants should read the Guidelines and the Infosheet before completing the forms.

Applicants are advised that their Chinese partner institution should simultaneously submit a copy of its application, or the relevant Chinese application form, to the Chinese counterpart authority to which their institution reports.
These are:

• Ministry of Education*
• Chinese Academy of Sciences 
• Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

After the Academy assesses and approves the application, it will recommend  it to the Chinese counterpart organisation. The proposed project or visit may only commence after the relevant counterpart organisation has notified the Academy of its official approval.

Chinese researchers who wish to lecture or conduct individual research in the Netherlands must submit applications directly to the relevant Chinese counterpart organisation.

*Ministry of Education currently has no weblink available to download Chinese application forms of CEP. It is recommended that the Dutch applicant who would like to apply for a project with a Chinese PI from a university/organisation ressorting under Ministry of Education, sends in the application form to the KNAW. If necessary, the Ministry of Education will contact the Chinese applicant to retrieve further information on her/his application.