Science asks the opinion of Caribbean residents and institutions

THE HAGUE - The Dutch Research Council (NWO) invites residents and organizations from the Caribbean islands of the Kingdom to submit their questions to science. NWO will use this information to draw up an agenda pinpointing the most important scientific and societal knowledge questions that will shape the direction of the research for the coming years.

For example, do we need more research into climate change or coral restoration? Is more knowledge required about the economic development of the islands? Which questions play a role in the field of education? What are the most urgent questions in the areas of nutrition and health?

With this initiative, NWO wants to ensure that future research matches the current challenges and developments in the Caribbean region. 'We have deliberately decided to submit these questions to both organizations and residents; that will give a diverse picture', says Josef Stuefer, program manager Caribbean Research at NWO.

Residents of the islands and employees of organizations on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and Saba can submit their questions via the website CaribbeanResearch.nl until 15 September 2019. The survey is available in three languages: Dutch, English and Papiamento. The information obtained will be linked to experiences from the existing NWO program Caribbean Research and an inventory of current knowledge projects. Towards the end of 2019 this will result in a research agenda for the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.