Youth and Family

The Youth and Family research programme has been developed in collaboration with the Ministry for Youth and Families, the Ministry of Justice, the ‘Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland’ (Children's Welfare Stamps Foundation), the Fund for Scientific Research of Sexuality (FWOS), the Netherlands Youth Institute (NJi) and the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR). The programme is aimed at research into the development of young people and how their social context (family, friends, school, clubs etc.) influences this development. The programme names four lines of research and three specific themes.

Researchers can apply for grants from the programme for fundamental strategic research within the following four lines of research:

1. the interaction between the family and the social environment of children and adolescents;
2. individualisation and the emancipation of the world of youth;
3. the development of prosocial behaviour, empathy and solidarity in children and adolescents;
4. the development of sexuality and intimate relationships in children and adolescents.

In addition, researchers can apply for grants aimed at more practical and applied-orientated research within the following three specific themes:

1. Employment perspectives for children and adolescents in special education (cluster 4);
2. Young people with a mild intellectual disability (LVG) and criminal behaviour;
3. Sexual abuse of adolescents with a non-Western ethnic background.

The programme is aimed at research into the development of young people and how their social context (family, friends, school, clubs etc.) influences this development. Researchers can apply for grants for fundamental strategic research as well as research of a more practical and applied-orientated nature.

Who can apply

Applications can be made by professors or researchers who have obtained their doctorate and are attached to a Dutch university or NWO or KNAW institute. Applicants who are not affiliated to an organisation recognised by the NWO can submit an application in partnership with senior researchers from a university.

What can be applied for

Three different types of project grant can be applied for within this programme. Applications for project grants should elaborate either one of the four lines of research named in the programme or one of the three specific themes. The type of project grant will depend partly on the line of research or the specific theme for which the application is made. Applicants can apply for grants for the costs of personnel, materials and valorisation.

Grant type 1 (research lines 1, 2 and 3): fundamental strategic research – grants for a maximum of two researchers set to follow a three or four-year PhD programme and/or three-year postdoc position;

Grant type 2 (research line 4): longitudinal high-quality exploratory research – a grant with a maximum budget of € 700,000 and a duration of approximately four years is available for one programme, whereby the grant is requested for PhD students and/or postdocs.

Grant type 3 (specific themes 1, 2 and 3): practical and applied-orientated research – grants for a project with a maximum budget of € 130,000 and a duration of approximately two years, whereby the grant is requested for one postdoc.

When can be applied

Closing date for the submission of full proposals was 23 November 2009, 12:00 hours.

Criteria

All proposals will be assessed according to the following fixed criteria:

• scientific quality of the proposal
• scientific quality of the applicant and the research group with regard to Youth and Family
• programmatic and societal relevance
• planned output and dissemination/valorisation
• financial/technical criteria

Applicants within one of the three specific themes are required to set up a users’ committee.

Further information can be found in the accompanying brochure.

Procedure

The proposals will be assessed by national and/or international referees. After this the applicant will be given the opportunity to respond. An evaluation committee will assess the proposals and designate them as being ‘fundable’ or ‘not fundable’. The fundable proposals within grant type 1 will be prioritised by the evaluation committee, who will then inform the programme committee of its recommendations regarding the proposals put forward within grant type 1.

The fundable proposals within grant type 2 will be presented to the committee of the FWOS for prioritisation, accompanied by advice from the evaluation committee. The FWOS committee will inform the programme committee of its recommendations regarding the proposals put forward.

The fundable proposals within grant type 3 will be presented to the committee of the ‘Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland’ for prioritisation, accompanied by advice from the evaluation committee. The ‘Kinderpostzegels’ committee will decide which proposal or proposals they consider eligible for a grant and present their findings to the programme committee.

Committees

The Youth and Family programme falls under the responsibility of the programme committee. The programme committee is made up of researchers and representatives from a number of participating organisations, with the aim of encouraging direct interaction between scientists and users. All members are experts in the field of Youth and Family. The programme committee is in charge of general coordination as well as being responsible for supervision on a daily basis and coordination of the broad scope of the programme.

Budget

4.34 million euro.

Financiers

Ministry for Youth and Families, the Ministry of Justice, the ‘Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland’ (Children's Welfare Stamps Foundation), the Fund for Scientific Research of Sexuality (FWOS), the Netherlands Youth Institute (NJi), the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR) and the NWO Division for Social Sciences.

Contacts

• Mw. drs. P.S. Griffioen (programmasecretaris)
  phone: +31 (0)70 344 09 28, e-mail: p.griffioen@nwo.nl
• Mw. M. Sahin (secretaresse)
  phone: +31 (0)70 344 09 52, fax: +31 (0)70 383 28 41, e-mail: m.sahin@nwo.nl