A total of 59 applications were submitted under the first call for proposals of the Research Council of Norway's new programme South Africa-Norway Cooperation on Climate Change, the Environment and Clean Energy (SANCOOP).
"This bodes well for continued close cooperation between our countries' researchers in the pursuit of excellence," says Arvid Hallén, Director General of the Research Council.
"The number of applications well exceeds the 40 or so we had anticipated," says programme coordinator Jan M. Haakonsen, adding that the final decision on grant allocations will be taken this December.
Third cooperation programme
The SCANCOOP programme will run from 2013 to 2017 and is the third in a series of bilateral research cooperation programmes between the two countries. Programme activities will be targeted toward research areas related to climate, the environment and renewable energy.
According to current plans, roughly NOK 40 million and ZAR 10 million (approximately 5,9 million Euro) will be available for allocation for the programme period.
Important to both countries
South Africa is one of Norway's priority countries for bilateral research cooperation outside the EU, along with countries such as China, Russia and the USA.
The wide interest shown in the new programme was positively received at a Norwegian'South African seminar held recently at the Research Council in Oslo.
"Previous programmes have produced several examples of research excellence generated by synergy effects of getting some of the best Norwegian and South African scientists together," emphasised Mr Hallén in his speech to the South African Ambassador to Norway, Queen Anne Zondo.
"International cooperation is an important part of the development of the South African research communities," stated H.E. the Ambassador in her reply.
