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InterACTS is the official newsletter of Advanced Chemical Technologies for Sustainability (ACTS). Are you interested in receiving interACTS or do you want to give suggestions? Please send an email to interacts@nwo.nl.

13 August 2010

Impuls research cooperation Hong Kong and The Netherlands

On 12 August 2010 the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong and NWO signed an agreement to establish a joint research scheme.
6 July 2010

NWO sends young researchers abroad

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded 31 young, highly-promising scientists a grant from the Rubicon programme. Dutch scientists who have recently gained a PhD can use Rubicon to gain research experience abroad. Foreign researchers can use this grant to do research in the Netherlands.
23 June 2010

Themes and talent for the future

More opportunities for scientific talent and a greater role for scientific research in society. These are two important priorities in the new strategy of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). NWO will therefore invest in talent and societally-inspired themes and it will place greater emphasis on knowledge utilisation.
7 April 2010

NWO sends young researchers into the big wide world

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded Rubicon grants to 33 young and promising researchers. Dutch researchers who have recently gained a doctorate can use the grant to gain research experience abroad. Foreign researchers can use it to undertake research in the Netherlands.
4 March 2010

Crude oil no longer needed for plastics

Each year the world produces about 130 million kilo of ethene, the most important raw material for plastics. This gigantic industry is currently dependent on crude oil. And that is running out. Dutch researcher Tymen Tiemersma might have found a solution for this problem. With his new reactor we can produce ethene from natural gas and, therefore, in the future from biogas as well.
11 February 2010

Marianne de Visser joins NWO Governing Board

Prof. Marianne de Visser will join the Governing Board of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) on 1 February 2010. De Visser is a neurologist at the Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam and professor of neuromuscular diseases at the University of Amsterdam. She succeeds retiring member Charles Buys.
2 February 2010

31 top Dutch researchers receive a Vici grant

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded 31 innovative scientists a Vici grant. This grant is worth a maximum of 1,500,000 euro per person and with this is one of the largest individual grants in the Netherlands. Researchers can use the grant to build up their own research group over a period of five years.
11 January 2010

Boost for bio-based economy: 120 million research programme BE-Basic

17 December 2009

Super yeast is a first-class penicillin factory

Dutch researchers have rebuilt the yeast Hansenula polymorpha to become a first-class penicillin factory. Penicillin is still one of the most commonly used antibiotics in the world. However, the medicine is produced by a fungus, which makes large-scale production far from easy. Using the yeast instead will allow a far easier and more sustainable production of penicillin in the future.
16 December 2009

Cees Veerman joins NWO Governing Board

Prof. C.P. Veerman has been appointed a member of the Governing Board of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). The professor and former government minister has been appointed with effect from 1 November 2009.
15 December 2009

NWO sends young scientific talent out into the big, wide world

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded grants from the Rubicon programme to 35 young and promising scientists. The grant enables Dutch researchers who have recently gained their PhDs to gain research experience in other countries, and foreign researchers to gain research experience in the Netherlands.
11 November 2009

A top researcher on your bookshelves with EXPERIMENT NL 2

Following the major success of the first part of EXPERIMENT NL, EXPERIMENT NL 2 is now in the shops. The fourth NWO book for the general public, Experiment NL 2, describes the most remarkable, brilliant, amusing and exciting research projects over the past year, in easily accessible language. Read how we can help shy people, why some sportsmen and women shave themselves, and how a baby chimpanzee grows up without being attended to.
8 October 2009

Protection facilitates construction of molecules

Sulfate groups are crucial building blocks for many molecules but are difficult to handle. Dutch researcher Martijn Huibers has discovered how sulfate groups can be protected during the construction of a molecule. Thanks to his method new molecules, which could be used for the production of medicines, can now be constructed far more easily.
2 October 2009

Sustainable gas can be obtained from waste

According to Dutch researcher Guus van Rossum energy can be obtained from biomass more quickly and efficiently than is currently the case. He has developed a new method for the low-temperature extraction of hydrogen from biomass, such as forestry and agricultural waste. Up until now only fuel gas could be extracted. The hydrogen produced by Van Rossum can be used in far more ways.
15 September 2009

Oxygen exchangers increase propene yield

Dutch researcher Jurriaan Beckers has shown that the yield of propene can be increased by adding cerium oxide during the production process. Propene is an important raw material for the chemical industry and its uses include the production of medical equipment. However, it is difficult to produce.
12 August 2009

Seven million for Graduate Programme

The Dutch Minister of Education, Science and Culture, Mr Ronald Plasterk, has announced which nine research schools are to participate in the first Graduate Programme. The subsidy is intended for the creation of an excellent educational and research environment for highly talented young researchers.
22 July 2009

Top-class ethnic minority graduates to receive doctoral grants

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded grants under the Mosaic programme to twenty young, talented ethnic minority graduates. The budding researchers can use the grant to conduct doctoral research over a four-year period. The certificates will be presented at a ceremony in October.
7 July 2009

NWO sends young researchers into the big wide world

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded a Rubicon grant to 34 young, highly promising scientists.
30 March 2007

Research on grey mould offers possible breakthrough in tomato cultivation

Tomato growers are likely to soon be able to cultivate new tomato varieties without having to use pesticides against grey mould (Botrytis cinerea). This is the conclusion of the STW-sponsored thesis by Richard Finkers from Wageningen University.
29 May 2006

11 million euros for chemistry research

NWO Division for the Chemical Sciences (NWO-CW) has awarded a TOP grant to seven research groups. The groups work across the full spectrum of (bio)chemical and chemical engineering research. Each research group receives EUR 675,000 to strengthen and extend its line of research. In addition to this NWO-CW has awarded an ECHO project grant of EUR 225,000 to 29 researchers for high-quality, science-driven research.
29 May 2006

Joint European strategy for Industrial Biotechnology

Sixteen research organisations from twelve European countries have joined forces in the area of industrial biotechnology. The recent award made by the European Union to the network ERA Industrial Biotechnology (ERA-IB), is an essential contribution to improving Europe's competitive position. ERA-IB was launched in Brussels on 30 and 31 May 2006.
15 March 2006

Launch NWO strategy on May 22nd

14 February 2006

Clay for cleaner production of solvent

Dutch researcher Ferry Winter has developed a heterogeneous catalyst for the production of the industrially important solvent methyl isobutyl ketone. With the new catalyst the production process is more environmentally-friendly. The catalyst consists of hydrotalcite, a naturally-occurring clay.
14 February 2006

First Dutch success in European chemistry network

Two Dutch chemists have received a research subsidy from ERA-Chemistry. ERA-Chemistry is a network of scientific organisations from 10 European countries and its first priority was to grant research proposals. The Research Council for the Chemical Sciences (CW) of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) represents the Netherlands in the network.
11 November 2005

Natural chemistry finds its way to market

Faster reaction rates, a substantially higher yield and a cleaner production process than is currently possible in the chemical industry. That is the result of a new sustainable chemical process that researchers from Universiteit van Amsterdam and Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen have developed with support from NWO ACTS (Advanced Chemical Technologies for Sustainability).