On 7 November, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) Fund 2016 awarded support to 12 projects to further its scientific and technological work in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), an area that encompasses mountain landscapes and people from Afghanistan to Myanmar.

The awards mark a new stage of strategic collaboration between NSFC and ICIMOD, who began this project in Chengdu this past April when they met to discuss research needs and resources.

The NSFC and ICIMOD signed a memorandum of understanding in November 2015 on mutual cooperation to promote science and technology for sustainable mountain development. The objective of this joint call is to promote the scientific collaboration between Chinese scientists with ICIMOD scientists or with scientists from the HKH region to carry out basic research on topics relevant to mountain people.

NSFC has made 30 million RMB (USD 441,0000) available to the 12 projects, which will initiate later this year or in early 2017.

NSFC will make this call for projects available on an annual basis going forward. They expect the awards will not only produce meaningful data and results for mountain people in the HKH, but also strengthen China and ICIMOD’s cooperative potential in the future.

A full list of the projects can be viewed on the NSFC website:

http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/publish/portal0/tab38/info53248.htm 

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