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I. Associate Programme
II. Analytical Skills Development Course
III. Conference Support Programme
IV. Equipment Exchange Programme
V. Information Service
VI. Internship Support Programme
VII. Laboratory Assistance Programme
VIII. Support for Research Projects
IX. Obtaining a programme document
• to facilitate national implementation of the Convention in relation to the chemical industry;
• to enhance national capacities in Member States by offering training to personnel
from industry, academic institutions, and government in chemistry, chemical engineering, and related areas;
• to facilitate trade in these areas through the adoption of sound practices in the chemical industry; and
• to broaden the pool of manpower for National Authorities and the OPCW.
The funding covers costs of course-related travel, accommodation, meals, course fees, and medical and travel insurances for all participants for the duration of the course.
• A first degree (BSc or equivalent) in chemistry or in chemical or process engineering from a university or another recognised institution of higher learning.
• Five years of relevant work experience (e.g. in the chemical industry, in process engineering, or in plant and production operations).
• Working experience with a National Authority or government agency implementing the Convention or a comparable international regulatory instrument would be an advantage.
• Proficiency in English.
• Since the Programme is intensive and involves a lot of course work, the applicants have to be physically fit and willing to travel.
• Candidates have to complete the Personal History Form attached to the invitation note which is issued by the Technical Secretariat by December each year (see section IX at the end of this document), and
• Application has to be submitted directly to the Technical Secretariat or through the National Authority for the Chemical Weapons Convention in the Member State of which the applicant is a citizen.
• If an application is submitted directly to the Technical Secretariat, an endorsement from the National Authority of the Member State will subsequently be required.
No. One should re-apply.
Ten weeks, normally between the end of July and beginning of October.
• Week 1: Induction segment at the OPCW headquarters in The Hague.
• Weeks 2 - 4: Skills development training at a university in a Member State.
• Week 5: Intermediate segment at the OPCW headquarters: practical exercises and visits to specialised institutions.
• Weeks 6 - 8: Industrial attachment at a chemical plant where participants will receive training in various industrial operations and gain exposure to industry working environments.
• Weeks 9 - 10: Presentations of industrial assignments, research activities, and a final review at the OPCW headquarters.
The Netherlands and other places (to be decided).
• to facilitate analysis of chemicals related to the national implementation the Convention;
• to enhance national capacities in the Member States by offering training in analytical chemistry to personnel from the industry, academic institutions, and government laboratories;
• to facilitate the adoption of good laboratory practices; and
• to broaden the pool of manpower from which National Authorities and the Secretariat can draw in the future
The support covers the costs of international course-related travel, accommodation, meals, course fees, and medical and travel insurance for all participants for the duration of course.
• Minimum first degree (B.Sc or equivalent) in chemistry or analytical chemistry from a recognised university or institution, with relevant practical and theoretical experience in analytical chemistry including GC and GC-MS.
• At least five years work experience in a chemical laboratory or research institution in the home country.
• Strong command of both written and spoken English, as the course will be conducted in English.
• Selected candidates are required to sign terms and conditions for participation in the course, and a confidentiality agreement with the OPCW.
• complete the application form annexed to the note to be issued by the Secretariat by December each year;
• attach a curriculum vitae accompanied by a one-page description of the candidate’s practical experience;
• recommendation letter from the supervisor of the candidate regarding the candidate’s qualifications and attesting the relevance of the training to the work of the institution; and
• submission of the application either through the National Authority, or through the Permanent Representation (Embassy) of the OPCW.
No. One should re-apply.
It is conducted annually about two weeks around June-July. Selected candidates will be informed of the exact dates, venue, and other details of the course.
• First week: Theoretical and practical training in gas chromatography - GC, covering hardware, optimisation, system validation and trouble-shooting.
• Second week: Introduction to extraction, clean-up and derivatisation procedures and hands-on training in the preparation of different sample matrices for GC and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses with different detection modes.
Note: Course content may be modified or changed based upon review of the past experience.
In line with subparagraph 2(b) of Article XI of the Convention, this programme is aimed at facilitating the fullest possible exchange of scientific and technical information relating to the development and application of chemistry for purposes not prohibited under the Convention.
Institutions or recognised scientific organisations of the Member States may apply for support under the programme so as to:
• enable scientists and engineers and other technical personnel who are citizens of Member States whose economies are developing to participate as resource persons or otherwise in international conferences, seminars or workshops in fields related to the peaceful application of chemistry, and
• enable similar scientific personnel from other Member States to attend, as resource persons, in such conferences, seminars or workshops.
• travel grants for participants and resource persons whose contributions (e.g. a paper or a poster) the organising institution considers would be sufficiently important to warrant such support; and/or
• some core administration costs to cover the publication of conference proceedings, translation of the proceedings into one of the official languages of the Organisation, etc.
These include the following: natural products chemistry, analytical chemistry including environmental analysis, biochemistry, green chemistry, physical chemistry, chemical and technological aspects of the destruction of toxic materials, risk assessment, communication and management with respect to toxic chemicals, environmental chemistry and clinical and occupational toxicology, prophylaxis and treatment of intoxications, hazard waste management, education in chemistry, and chemical laboratory capacity-building and network and other fields of chemistry for purposes which are not prohibited under the Convention.
This programme aims to promote exchange of scientific equipment relating to the development and application of chemistry for industrial, agricultural, research, medical, pharmaceutical, and other peaceful purposes.
In industrialised countries, equipment which was once state-of-the-art is often replaced long before it ceases to be functional. On the other hand, institutions in countries whose economies are developing sometimes need such equipment to enable them to achieve their development objectives.
Using Annex 3 (Equipment Transfer Offer Form annexed the Note S/307/2002) interested donors may inform the Secretariat that they have available equipment for donation. Recipients may also use Annex 2 (Equipment Transfer Request Form) to inform the needed equipment. The Secretariat maintains a database from which such information could be provided to interested parties upon request.
The recipient institution has to apply with the following documents:
(a) A duly completed application form (Annex 1 to the Note S/307/2002) is to be signed by an authorised representative of the recipient institution;
(b) A letter of offer from the donor indicating the technical specifications of the equipment to be donated;
(c) A certificate from the supplier or any other competent person regarding the remaining useful life of the equipment;
(d) A cost estimate of the proposed transfer, based on quotations from at least three reputable transporters; and
(e) The duly completed and signed application shall be submitted either through the relevant National Authority, or through the Permanent Representation of the recipient’s Member State.
This is through financial support for the cost of transporting the equipment from donor institutions in Member States to recipient institutions in developing countries.
• The Secretariat will pay to the recipient institution, in advance, 70% of the total costs, calculated on the basis of the quotations received including insurance costs. The balance will be paid after the receiving institution submits a report confirming that the equipment has been received (see subparagraph 5.4 in the Note).
• If a technician from the recipient institution needs to be trained or an expert from the donor institution needs to visit the recipient institution to provide such training, the Secretariat will provide the cost of the travel, daily subsistence allowance for the trainee or the expert.
This service is based on Article XI sub-paragraph (b) of the Convention which, inter alia, fully recognises the right of member states to participate in the fullest possible scientific and technical information relating to the development and application of chemistry for purposes not prohibited under this Convention.
Scientific and technical information related to the properties of hazardous substances, possible substitutes for hazardous chemicals and schedule chemicals under the CWC, as well as suppliers and producers of chemicals and chemical technologies etc.
The information is drawn from commercial and other publicly available data sources as well as from the CWC-related literature, subject to copyright regulations.
Normally less than 2 weeks after the request is received.
The Internship Support Programme is designed to implement Article XI of the Chemical Weapons Convention which, inter alia, lays down the promotion of the fullest possible exchange of scientific and technical information between Member States for the development and application of chemistry for industrial, agricultural, research, medical, pharmaceutical and other peaceful purposes. The intern will work for a limited period of time in a more advanced laboratory or facility in another Member State.
The length of the internship will normally not exceed three months, which, in exceptional cases, could be extended for a maximum of six months.
Scientists and engineers are eligible provided they work in government research institutions, or in publicly-funded laboratories, or in recognised universities in Member States which are either developing countries. A prospective intern should be proficient in the working language of the institution where the internship will be conducted.
Before an internship applicant requests for financial support from the Secretariat, he/she must ensure the following are fulfilled:
a. a duly completed application form which should include details of bank account (Name of account holder, Bank name, Account number, Swift code and Address of the Bank) of the (i) host institution and of (ii) prospective intern;
b. Photocopies of the relevant pages from the intern’s passport;
c. An updated curriculum vitae;
d. A copy of the statement from the receiving institution that the candidate has been accepted;
e. A statement from the candidate’s present supervisor confirming he/she will be granted leave to assume the internship; and
f. An endorsement of the Member State’s National Authority or its Permanent Representation to the OPCW (see space in the Annex).
The Internship Support Programme is described in the Secretariat Note S/289/2002 dated 14 January 2002. The annex of the document contains the application form.
The programme aims at strengthening national capacities for chemical analysis and monitoring, as an important element in enabling Member States’ analytical laboratories which have already an adequate infrastructure but which could benefit from an increased level of technical competence to promote economic and technological development.
The financial support to be offered under the programme will be for the specific type(s) of activities listed under paragraph 4 of the Secretariat Note S/328/2002 dated 19 December 2002. The Secretariat does not support the acquisition of laboratory equipment or hardware, or other forms of investment.
A laboratory may apply in the following manner:
• Complete the application form annexed to Note S/328/2003 and submit it through either the National Authority of the Member State or the Permanent Representation to the OPCW.
• If assistance for training is requested, a copy of the letter of agreement or acceptance from the concerned training institution or laboratory is to be submitted.
• For regional cooperation or twinning projects, each participating laboratory is requested to complete a separate application form and forward the same through their National Authority/Permanent Representation to the OPCW
The programme is designed in the spirit of Article XI to support small-scale research projects in Member States with developing economies, in order to facilitate the development and application of chemistry for purposes not prohibited under the Convention, i.e. in areas of peaceful applications of chemistry.
The areas of research that may receive grants from the OPCW are listed in sub-paragraph 2.4 of the Secretariat Note S/228/2002. They should focus on the development and promotion of scientific and technical knowledge in the field of chemistry for industrial, agricultural, research, medical, pharmaceutical or other peaceful purposes.
• Submit a completed application form through the National Authority of the Member State which has to endorse that the research proposal is in line with national development objectives and priorities for peaceful applications of chemistry.
• Projects to be co-funded with another organisation are to be vetted first and approved by the co-funding organisation.
The Secretariat applies the selection criteria set out in subparagraph 3.2 in the Note S/228/2000. The project should
• be problem-oriented, with direct relevance to the Member State concerned;
• enable independent research teams to generate scientific results and/or; and
• contribute to the strengthening of sustainable research programmes.
A research grant is approved for acquisition of relevant consumables, viz, chemicals, accessories/spare parts and literature, and for meeting the cost of testing and field trials including collection of samples. The laboratory should have adequate infrastructure to conduct the research. The programme does not support cost of salaries or honoraria for research staff, acquisition of research equipment, hardware and other forms of investment.
This programme is described in Secretariat note S/228/2002 dated 5 December 2000. The annex of the document contains the application form.
The requested document can be received as an email attachment or as a hard copy from the International Cooperation Branch (ICB): IntCoopBr@opcw.org. One may also print it from the OPCW website www.opcw.org under the section on International Cooperation Programmes where these documents are hyperlinked.
• Follow up information from the OPCW web site
• See the note issued to the Member States well in advance of the course
• Request for programme information via email (IntCoopBr@opcw.org) around beginning of the year