The Knowledge for Climate National Research Programme Organisation

Wageningen University and Research Centre and the University of Utrecht have jointly founded the Knowledge for Climate Foundation, which has the aim of bringing scientifically funded and practically obtained knowledge concerning climate and related themes such as spatial planning, infrastructure and sustainability into the public arena.

Together with the co-initiators of the Knowledge for Climate programme, the VU University, the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI) and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), they have drawn up an agreement for the scientific implementation of the programme. The programme is partially funded using FES (Economic Structure Enhancing Fund) resources (50 million euros).

Overview of Knowledge for Climate Organisation
The foundation is represented by the Executive Board (EB), made up of three individuals. The EB is entrusted with management of the Foundation and convenes at least four times a year. The foundation has a Supervisory Board (SB), made up of a minimum of five and a maximum of seven individuals. The SB is entrusted with supervising EB policy and general Foundation activities. The SB supports the EB and functions as advisor and sounding board. The SB convenes at least twice a year.

The EB can decide to create an Executive Advisory Board (EAB). The EAB functions as an independent body and advises the EB on strategic affairs, in particular on cooperation with the relevant public and private parties concerning knowledge development and knowledge transfer, as well as FES funds. EAB members convene at least twice a year, together with the members of the EB.

The foundation has a Programme Office (PO), entrusted with preparing and implenting EB resolutions and supporting subsidy award and assessment within the framework of the Knowledge for Climate Programme.

The Programme Board plays an important advisory role in subsidy applications and in the preparation of various programme assessments. The Programme Board is made up of a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 18 members. It advises the EB regarding possible research issues which may come up in the programme lines. The Board also advises the EB regarding the annual plan and produces the results for the previous years’ annual report. The EB makes the decisions concerning the annual plan and the annual report, which it presents to the SB for approval. Programme Board recommendations are not binding.

The chairperson of the EB is also the Programme Board chairperson. The other members are representatives of the hotspots, the Climate Knowledge Facility and the Knowledge Transfer and central government. The Programme Board convenes at least once a year.