Water security and regional sustainable development are closely linked with the national security as well as the regional and international peace and stability. As a positive response to the "Belt and Road" initiative, the Belt and road (B&R) Fund on Water and Sustainability was set up by the State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering (Hydro-Lab, Hohai University & Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute). Scholars and scientific researchers at home and abroad are warmly welcomed to conduct visiting research in the Hydro-Lab. Our purpose is to promote the collaborative research and cooperative development in the fields of hydrology-water resources and hydraulic engineering for countries and regions along the B&R.

    Consisting of Key and General Fund Projects, the B&R Fund will offer financial support to excellent scientists for the fundamental research and applied fundamental research projects on water security and sustainability in countries and regions along the B&R which are of high scientific values and application prospects.

    This Request for Applications (RFA) is seeking applications that take a system view to conduct investigations based on the five research topics lead by the Hydro-Lab. The applications are expected to focus on research topics on (1) hydrology, water resources, and ecological environment, (2) water cycle, flood and drought disasters, (3) water-sediment dynamics of rivers, (4) air-ocean-land surface interactions, (5) hydraulic constructions safety, etc. at typical climate zones along the Silk Road Economic Belt starting from western China (Hexi Corridor, Xinjiang) and 21^st-Century Maritime Silk Road starting from the southwestern headwater and Yangtze River economic belt of China.

    1) Water resources evolution mechanism and time-space equilibrium pattern

    2) Efficient utilization of water resources and comprehensive water saving

    3) Theories and methods of water resources allocation

    4) Integrated water resources management and water economy in river basins

    1) The evolution mechanism of hydrological process under changing environment

    2) The formation mechanism of hydrological extreme events under global change

    3) The theory and method of flood and drought disaster prediction and early warning

    4) Flood and drought risk assessment, regulation and resilience response

    1) Watershed water and sediment processes and eco-environmental effects 

    2) River-lake relationship and evolution

    3) Engineering water and sediment regulation

    4) Land-water interaction

    1) Estuarine and coastal water and sediment movement characteristics and biodynamic geomorphological processes

    2) Coastal marine water disaster formation mechanism and prediction and early warning

    3) Key technologies in river and coastal engineering construction

    4) Key technologies for coastal ecological protection and restoration

    1) Safety evaluation theory and disaster prevention and control technology of water conservancy project

    2) Intelligent and green construction materials and technology of water conservancy project

    3) Detection and repair technology and equipment of hidden danger in deep water of water conservancy project

    4) Group risk assessment method and risk reduction technology and equipment of water conservancy project

    5）Safety monitoring and early warning, intelligent management and emergency disposal technology of water conservancy project

    The B&R Fund in 2021 is expected to support about 10 Key projects and 25 General Fund Projects, which will be under dynamic management. The rolling funding may last 2 years.

    (1) Key Fund Projects

    Top-level talents at home and abroad in the related fields are encouraged to work together with researchers in the Hydro-Lab to apply the B&R Fund. Approximately ￥150,000 will be awarded to each Key Fund Project. The proposals should be developed following the research orientations and contents listed above. High-quality research achievement and publications are required.

    (2) General Fund Projects

    Young and middle-aged talents at home and abroad are encouraged to apply the B&R fund freely. Approximately ￥80,000 will be awarded to each General Fund Project. Feasible projects with prospective, original, and exploratory research are preferred.

    (1) The applicant should have already earned a PhD degree, and are scientific teachers or researchers with a middle-level professional title or above. For the applicant without a senior professional title, two recommendation letters from peer experts who have possessed a senior professional title in the related fields are required for the application. The Hydro-Lab staff are out of consideration.

    (2) Projects relying on the experimental platform and research bases of the Hydro-Lab will be given priority( please see the Attachment 1).

    (3) Projects relying on the Xin'anjiang Hydrologic Experimental Station of the Hydro-Lab will be given priority( please see the Attachment 2).

    (4) Projects relying on the Tibet Frigid Plateau Region Centre Lab & Eco-hydrological Experimental Sation will be given priority( please see the Attachment 3).

    (5) Projects which are conducted by applicants aboard or in collaboration with fixed researchers of the Hydro-Lab will be given priority.

    (6) Visiting scholars at home or aboard will be given priority.

    (7) Key Fund Projects are encouraged to be applied in cooperation with the team members of the Hydro-Lab. The first signature institution of the high-level papers should be assigned as “the State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering” and the B&R fund on water and sustainability should be acknowledged.

    (8) The application form is expected to be printed out in duplicate and submitted within the required time (accepted by postmark), and be submitted via email as well. Please see the Attachment 4 for the application form. All application materials submitted by the applicant will not be returned.

    Application will be accepted since the date of guideline promulgation. And the deadline is October 15, 2021.

    The applications will be reviewed by the organized expert group, and then be submitted to the B&R Fund Academic Commission of the Hydro-Lab for the final review. Based on the reviewers’ comments, the applicants will be informed after the laboratory director issues the project assignments. Besides, the specific regulations of the B&R fund will be conducted following the “Management regulations of the Belt and Road Fund on Water and Sustainability of the State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering” (Please see the Attachment 5).

 

 

Ranran Tao

State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering (Hohai University and Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute)

Phone: +86-025-83786606

Address: 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China

E-mail: wdl@hhu.edu.cn

Website: http://hydro-lab.hhu.edu.cn

 

 

Attachments:

Attachment 1: Functions of valuable equipmental instruments

Attachment 2: Introducation of the Xin'anjiang Hydrologic Experimental Station

Attachment 3: Introducation of the Tibet Frigid Plateau Region Centre Lab & Eco-hydrological Experimental Sation

Attachment 4: Application form of the Belt and Road Fund on Water and Sustainability

Attachment 5: Management Regulations of the Belt and Road Fund on Water and Sustainability