The Non-Linear Systems (NLS) Programme is sponsored by the the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, NWO, and has been operational since 1993. The aim of the programme is to stimulate the interaction, collaboration and cross-fertilisation between mathematicians, population biologists and epidemiologists with respect to the study of non-linear phenomena. On the one hand, mathematicians explain and translate recent progress in the understanding and analysis of non-linear systems to biologists. On the other hand biologists make clear to the mathematicians, through this interaction, what the relevant problems are from the applied point of view. Over the years the programme has sponsored post-docs, Ph-D positions, summerschools, winterschools and many scientific visitors and lectures. A substantial number of long lasting collaborations have been established with help of the programme as well as a large network of scientists with strong interconnections both within the Netherlands and with scientists abroad. For more information about the activities of the programme we refer to the web-site:http://www.bio.vu.nl/thb/users/nls/