Memorandum of Understanding on Scientific Cooperation between the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Canada

Recognising the importance of international scientific cooperation and the mutual benefit to be derived from bilateral collaboration, the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Canada, hereinafter referred to as "the Parties", have agreed to:

• facilitate the exchange of information;
• facilitate the movement of researchers between Canada and Taiwan; and
• Promote bilateral research collaborations in the fields of natural sciences and engineering.

More specifically, the parties agree to:

1. Implementation and coordination

The cooperating agencies for the parties will be the National Science Council (NSC) in Taipei and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada.

Each agency will designate one person as a contact point. The NSERC contact point will be the NSERC International Relations Advisor; the NSC contact point will be the Division of International Programs, NSC. Officials of the cooperating agencies will contact each other and meet as necessary to discuss matters of mutual interest related to the cooperation outlined in this Memorandum of Understanding, to exchange information on their respective programs, policies, practices, and to share information about requests for support involving bilateral collaborations, as appropriate.

2. Provision of Information

The cooperating agencies will facilitate research exchanges and collaboration in the natural sciences and engineering between each other by:

• publicising and providing information on mechanisms of support for scientific collaboration with the other country;
• publicising and providing information on research activities in both countries, so as to assist researchers in developing joint research projects;
• advising its national research community of its interest in supporting research in specified areas, if appropriate.

3. Support Mechanisms

Each cooperating agency will have in place funding mechanisms with a degree of flexibility sufficient to permit their use for the support of joint research, bilateral visits, and workshops. Applicants and applications will be required to meet selection criteria for the relevant program.

In NSERC's case, proposals will be submitted and evaluated through NSERC's regular programs and in accordance with the normal program cycle and regulations, keeping in mind NSERC's interest in funding cooperative research with partners from Chinese Taipei. Canadian researchers will be notified of the opportunity to apply for funding, through NSERC's normal information channels (newsletters, other publications, and Internet). Canadian researchers will be encouraged to contact interested researchers from Taiwan to establish joint projects and workshops.

In the case of NSC, international collaborations will be supported through research projects, industrial-academic research projects, bilateral research projects and inviting foreign scholars visiting Taiwan programs. NSC will, through its normal information channels, encourage researchers in Taiwan to contact interested researchers from Canada to establish joint projects and workshops.

4. Selected Areas of Research Interest

Each cooperating agency may select specific areas of research interest and solicit from its national research community research proposals in those areas. In such a case, the agency concerned will notify the other of its selected areas. Both agencies may also exchange views on their respective selected areas to promote mutual understanding and cooperation in areas of mutual research interest.

5. Other

The information exchange and dissemination activities outlined in this Memorandum will complement exchanges of researchers resulting from individual-to-individual or university-to-university agreements.

This Memorandum is based on equality, reciprocity, and mutual benefit, and implies no financial commitment from either party.

This Memorandum of Understanding will take effect from the date of signing. It will remain in force until terminated by either party giving six (6) months' notice in writing. It may be amended at any time by mutual written agreement of the parties.

Signed in duplicate in English, both copies being equally valid.