Delegation of the European Union to China and Mongolia
Europe Aid
Cooperation Section
EU-China Research and Innovation Partnership
SEW-REAP: Addressing food Security, Environmental stress
and Water by promoting multidisciplinary Research EU And
China Partnerships in science and business
Duration
36 months (1 Apr. 2015 – 31 Mar. 2018) )
Beneficiary countries
China
EU Grant
681,975.20 EUR
Partner Contribution
175,201.74 EUR
Coordinator
Lancaster University
Partners
Location
Project Website
Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investagaciones Cientificas
Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of
Sciences
UK (Lancaster University), Spain (CSIC, Barcelona/Seville/
Salamanca/Murcia) China (CAU, Beijing/Hong KongShenzhen/Gansu; CAS, Guangzhou)
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lec/news-andevents/news/2014/december/research-opportunities-in-china/
Project Contact
d.tyfield@lancaster.ac.uk
EU Delegation Contact
Wang Zhengyu (Zhengyu.Wang@eeas.europa.eu)
Background
China is the world’s most populous nation and in the quite recent past, food availability has been a
serious national problem. Food demand and supply in China are now approximately balanced,
largely due to a combination of enhanced crop improvement and novel crop management. From
1949 to 2011, China’s total grain output increased 5 fold from 113 to 571 MT, while per capita grain
production grew from 209 to 424 kg/year (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2012). This is
largely due to expanding production of rice, wheat and maize but vegetable/fruit production is also
increasing in many parts of the country. As prosperity in China grows, meat consumption is rising
for many and livestock production has approximately doubled.
Crop yields have increased with the production of new crop varieties, intensification of cropping and
vastly increased inputs in irrigation, fertilizer, and other agricultural chemicals (Li et al., 2013).
However, these practices have resulted in serious environmental problems such as water shortage
and contamination, and soil acidification in many regions. Water availability for agriculture is a
major problem for expansion of production as is the quality of water for domestic use. Indeed, the
largest threat to food security may be the looming water shortage in China due to highly uneven
distribution of surface water resources, and rising demands from irrigation, population increase and
rapid urbanization. Moreover, serious surface water pollution in China worsens the situation in
areas with water shortage and even threatens areas where water is abundant, causing water
quality-related water shortage problems. It is also leading to grain quality degradation, and affecting
food safety and human health.
Project Overall Objectives
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Delegation of the European Union to China and Mongolia
Europe Aid O1 – To build research capacity in the EU specifically to tackle key global challenges regarding
food, agriculture, biotechnology and water.
O2 – To develop and normalize a research culture of international and interdisciplinary
collaboration between EU and Chinese researchers through deeply rooted person-to-person and
institutional research connections with internationally-renowned groups in China.
Specific Objectives
SO – To build upon established connections in order to construct an institutional platform,
including personnel and capabilities, to support a new generation of profound, productive &
multidisciplinary EU- China research collaboration.
Estimated Project Results
1. Strong & sustainable networks between leading EU (UK, Spain) and Chinese research
institutions in environmental research regarding food, agriculture, biotechnology and water will
have been established, crystallized around a platform for such international collaboration at the
International Research & Innovation Centre for the Environment (I-RICE), Guangzhou.
2. Building on existing connections, extended secondments of EU-based staff to Chinese partners,
especially of PhDs & post-docs, will be significantly increased in number and duration. Through
the Lancaster China Catalyst Project (LCCP), private sector funding will also be mobilized for
further collaboration. I-RICE will also facilitate funding applications by linking EU partners to
Chinese business and academics for joint funding applications to Chinese government,
including local government. For instance, I-RICE has already influenced the Guangdong
provincial government regarding its development of an R&D funding scheme to include
EU/foreign partners.
3. These staff will return to their home EU institution, strengthening expertise regarding research in
China and person-to-person connections with leading (and often young) Chinese researchers.
This in turn will create a culture within the EU partner institutions where multiple staff will have
spent time in China, understand working there and take such international collaboration and
experience for granted, hence encouraging further colleagues (junior and senior) to explore joint
work. Secondments/exchanges will also be focused on joint priority areas of (inter-)national
importance, further ensuring continued collaboration beyond the Action.
4. This increased flow of research personnel will directly (i.e. in the staff seconded) and indirectly
(e.g. supervisors in EU and China of joint PhDs) increase person-to-person connections and
research capacity in China.
Main Project Activities
A1.1 & A3.1 – "Opening and Closing Network Workshops" (R1, R3)
A1.2 – “I-RICE International Seminar Series" (R1)
A1.3 & A2.2 – “Growing the Strong, Building the New - Selection of Secondees" (R1, R2)
 A1.3.1 – “Erasmus, H2020”
A1.4 & A3.5 – “Private Sector Engagement and Bursaries” (R1, R3)
A2.1 – "306 – 26" or “San Ling Liu – Ershi Liu”
 A2.1.1 – 8 x 2-year secondment scholarships for PhDs/post-docs
 A2.1.2 – 4 x 12-month (total) secondments for mid-career staff
 A2.1.3 – 8 x 6-month (total) secondments for junior & senior staff
 A2.1.4 – 6x3-month (total) secondments for senior & management staff
A2.3 – “I-RICE and LCCP Support” (R2)
A2.4 – “Language and Cultural Training” (R2)
A3.2 & A4.1 – “EU Dissemination Event and Early-Career Roadshow” (R3, R4)
A3.3 – “Multimedia Visibility Strategy” (R3)
 A3.3.1 – “Euraxess” (R3)
A4.2 – “Steering Group” (R4)
A4.3 – “Dual PhDs and Summer Schools” (R4)
Updated time of fiche: May 2015
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