Seed potato technology, certification and supply systems: International course

Gain productivity and improve financial results in a growing market

 

3 – 28 June 2013, Wageningen, The Netherlands

 

-      NFP Fellowships available – apply before 2 October 2012   -

Introduction

The potato is a major food security crop, highly productive in a short time. Seed potatoes are the base of the production chain and the most critical factor for success. Often, supply of seed potatoes is limited through a complex combination of factors. This 4-week course will give you the latest insights on seed production from leading experts – and your fellow participants from all over the world.

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Application

Interested candidates can apply to Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation for admission to the training. Click here to apply.

 

NFP Fellowships

A limited number of fellowships is available from Nuffic - the Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP) for nationals of certain countries. In order to apply for such a NFP fellowship, you have to register through the Nuffic Scholarship Online (SOL) system. Applications for NFP fellowships should be submitted before 2 October 2012. You will be informed by Nuffic whether your application has been accepted. More information on the NFP fellowships.

 

Important

Please note that for a valid NPF fellowship application you need to register directly at CDI as well as at Nuffic (SOL). Your fellowship application will not be taken into account if you register with only one of these two institutions.

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Open VLIR-UOS calls for project proposals

 RIP 2013 for former partners of Institutional University Cooperation (IUC)

The launch of several calls for proposals has been delayed because of the late approval of the VLIR-UOS budget 2012 by the Belgian government. We give you an overview of the expected launch date of the coming calls for proposals.

VLIR-UOS calls that will be launched in June 2012

• TEAM 2013 with Uganda
• South Initiatives 2013 with Cuba, Ecuador, Vietnam, Tanzania and Uganda
• TEAM 2013 second round full proposals with Bolivia, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Peru, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname
• International conferences 2013
• Awareness Initiatives 2013

VLIR-UOS calls that will be launched in July 2012

• Short Stays Research (SRS) 2012, subject to approval by the Bureau UOS on 29/6
• Master Credit Allowances (MCA) 2013, subject to approval by the Bureau UOS on 29/6

Calls that we will NOT launch in 2012. We will probably launch the call in 2013

• TEAM with Cuba, Vietnam, Tanzania and Ecuador
• South Initiatives with Bolivia, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Peru, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname
• Programme DR Congo

External open calls

Efico Fund for improving quality of life for coffee and/or cocoa producers in developing countries. The Efico Fund has a permanent call. You can introduce projects continuously by filling in the application form on line. Projects to be included in the next selection round, should be submitted before 1 October 2012.

Pegasus Marie Curie Fellowships for postdoctoral researchers. Pegasus-long: Postdoctoral fellowships of 3 years at a Flemish university. Pegasus-short: Postdoctoral fellowships of 1 year at a Flemish university. Organizers: The Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) and the Marie Curie Programme of the European Commission.

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How ResearchGate plans to turn science upside down

By Bobbie Johnson via GiGaom


Most startup founders dream of being the next Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg. Ijad Madisch, the co-founder and CEO of science network ResearchGate — a five-year-old service that has just announced a new round of venture funding — has rather different ambitions.
“When I first met [board member and partner at Benchmark] Matt Cohler, he asked what I really wanted to do,” he says.” I explained that my goal is to win a Nobel Prize.”

And he’s not kidding. The Harvard-trained virologist and computer scientist put a fast track medical career on hold in order to concentrate on building a website that he hopes can change the face of science. The reason is simple.
“I was on my way to becoming a professor, I’d published a lot,” he tells me, speaking from the company’s headquarters in Berlin. “But I noticed that I wanted more. Sure, I could be changing one discipline, but I wanted to change more than that… and I think if you can make it easier to share research, then it can change the world.”
In the simplest terms, ResearchGate is referred to as “Facebook for scientists” — a social network where professional researchers can share their work, communicate with each other and ask questions. But because it focuses on sharing knowledge, rather than activity, it’s probably got more in common with the likes of Quora or Stack Overflow.
And it’s proven very popular, with 1.4 million users from around the planet, sharing ideas and talking to each other about their work in fields from biology to physics to social science. By asking questions of each other, scientists are able to identify the academics who can help them, and perhaps avoid constantly reinventing the wheel. Read more...