Since its establishment in 1995, our Division has promoted many bilateral sci-tech collaborative activities.

The following is a brief summery:
1. Collaboration with National Research Council of Canada (NRC)

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC), a premier organization for research and development, is an agency of the Government of Canada, reporting to Parliament through the Minister of Industry. It consists of over 20 institutes and national programs. With the assistance of our division, a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) have been signed by NRC and NSTC since 1997. Both parties have collaborated in the fields of natural sciences and engineering, including the following:

A. Canada-Taiwan Sci-Tech Personnel Visiting Program
Since 1998, more than 600 sci-tech professionals from Taiwan have visited Canada, and 200 more Canadians have been to Taiwan in the last seven years. The executive officials of both NRC and NSTC pay visits to each other every year. Researchers from both sides have maintained close connections and friendly relationships.

B. Eminent Researchers Program
Each side recommends 5 outstanding scholars and researchers from Eminent Researchers Program to visit each other every year.

C. Postdoctoral researchers and PhD students exchange program
Every year NRC offers 5 positions for postdoctoral researchers and 5 positions for PhD students to conduct research at NRC.

D. Astrophysics and engineering collaborative study program
Since 2006, NRC offers 6 positions to young scientific researchers in Taiwan to study at the NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (NRC-HIA). The program includes studying astrophysics and various techniques for the proper use and maintenance of instruments and equipment.

E. Bilateral symposia and workshops
In the past seven years, approximately 30 symposia and workshops have been successfully held in the fields of:
· natural hazards mitigation
· civil engineering and structure
· neuroscience
· glycobiology
· next generation internet technology
· aerospace
· material computing
· material sciences
· fuel cell
· plant biotechnology
· agricultural biotechnology
· molecular biology
· biomedical science
· semiconductor technology
· pharmaceutical biotechnology
· nanotechnology
· marine biosciences
· advanced manufacturing technologies, and more.

F. Collaborative research projects
Both Canada and Taiwan believe that joint collaborative projects are an important part of cooperation. Through these MOUs we have developed substantial collaborative projects. Since 1998, NSTC and NRC have performed more than 34 joined research projects. The research themes include natural sciences and engineering and bio-tech related subjects, involving professors and researchers from the National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, National Chiao Tung University and Cheng Kung University…etc. The joint projects have produced more than 100 published articles, 11 international patents, and 2 items of license. These achievements result from the hard work put forward by the researchers and scientists from both sides and the full support of NRC.

G. Large-scale nanotechnology collaborative research projects
In addition to the joint projects in the areas of natural sciences mentioned above, a three-year collaborative project focusing on nanotechnology was launched in 2005. This program consists of three types of bio-medical projects and two nano measurement project:

• Molecular imaging for cancer diagnostics: nanobodies meet nanoparticles
•  An integrated multi-transduction sensor platform for direct and quantitative detection of pathogens
• Optimization of anode and cathode catalyst layers for DMFC's: decrease of CH3OH cross-over and lowering the Pt loadings. 
• Integrated gas nanosensor array for analysis of volatile mixtures
• Traceable metrological length instruments and material properties for nanotechnology

2. Collaboration with the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is a separate employer of the Government of Canada, reporting to Parliament through the Minister of Industry. NSERC, plays a similar role to that of the NSTC, as Canada's major source of funding for university-based research in the areas of natural sciences, engineering and life sciences. NSERC signed an MOU with the NSTC in September 1998. Forms of cooperation include: exchange of information, exchange of researchers between Taiwan and Canada, bilateral research collaborations in the fields of natural sciences and engineering research. With the assistance of our division, NSTC and NSERC have put forth a collaborative project "Summer Program in Taiwan" since 2004. Under this project, 5 to 10 Canadian graduate students are chosen for the opportunity to study or conduct internships in Taiwan for 8 weeks during the summer.

3. Collaboration with the Communications Research Centre

The Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC) is an Agency of Industry Canada. It is the primary federal laboratory for research and development in advanced telecommunications. With the promotion of our division, NSTC-CRC MOU on Telecommunication Technology was signed in May 2001. Two collaborative training programs MMIC Circuits and applications in the EHF band & Smart Antenna System were established. During the three phases of the MMIC project, NSTC sent 3 young scientific researchers to CRC laboratories every year for the joint design and production of chips. Since 2006, a new three-year collaborative project has been carried out by NSTC and CRC. This project is involved with the joint research and development on the design and fabrication of bio-medical chips and environmental detective chips. Four scientists from NSTC are sent to CRC to participate in this project every year.  
 

4. Collaboration with other federal Institutes

Humanities and social sciences are the strategic areas of development in research in Taiwan. With the assistance of our division, NSTC and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada have signed a NSTC-SSHRC MOU on Social Sciences and Humanities cooperation in March 1999. Activities under the MOU include exchange of personnel, bilateral workshops, etc. My division also maintains active and close relationships with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research(CIHR). Strategic planners in the development of bio-technology policies from Taiwan have visited CIHR over the past few years and the NSTC-CIHR Workshop on Hepatocellular Carcinoma was held in Taipei in Dec. 2007.

5. Collaboration with Canadian universities

Our Division has established close relationships with Canadian universities. The education system in Canada is similar to that of the United Kingdom. Each province in Canada has its own university. Dr. Wang pays frequent visits to every university in order to establish a channel for exchanges of visiting scholars. For instance, the University of Ottawa has built cooperative projects with Kaohsiung Medical University on the areas of orthopaedic research, nursing technology, etc. Dr. John Hepburn, the Vice President (Research) and Dr. Terry Kellam, Director Office of the Vice President (Research) of the University of British Columbia, have visited Academia Sinica and several universities, including National Tsing Hua University, National Ciao Tung University and National Taiwan University for a week in December 2006. Currently University of Ottawa has been planning a collaborative program on nanotechnology and nanomedicine with Taiwan.