Editorial message
Welcome to the July issue of ERA-Link USA News. We invite you to explore the recently launched EURAXESS website that has replaced several portals related to researchers’ mobility. The new EURAXESS website hosts EURAXESS Jobs (former European Researcher’s Mobility Portal); EURAXESS Services (former ERA-MORE Network); EURAXESS Rights (European Charter & Code); and EURAXESS Links. The ERA-Link USA website will migrate to the EURAXESS website later this year, making all the information that European researchers need (including those working abroad), accessible under one umbrella. We hope that this change will be helpful in making information more uniform and easier to find.
This issue also brings you updates on recent developments in the European research policy, including the selection of Budapest as a site for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.
A couple of new ERA-Link events are in the planning – among them a European researchers’ get-together in Chicago on 15th September, and a workshop at the annual conference of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, DC, on November 15th. Please mark your calendars!
The ERA-Link USA teamFeatures
Europe to make researchers’ life easier: Launch of EURAXESS, a user-friendly web portal for researchers
On June 24, 2008, in Brussels, European Union Science and Research Commissioner, Janez Potočnik, launched EURAXESS – Researchers in Motion, a networking portal for researchers who want to promote their mobility and career development. The Commissioner, and Philippe Busquin, Member of European Parliament, joined research partners from across Europe to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the European Researcher’s Mobility Portal – embedded in the new EURAXESS website.
The European Commission is intensifying efforts to promote the mobility and career development of researchers. The objective of the new Portal is to provide a single access point to information and support services that can assist researchers and their families in pursuing careers in another Member State.
To maximize the full potential of EURAXESS, collaboration with Member States is crucial. This goes hand in hand with the newly adopted Partnership for Researchers between the European Commission and the Member States, which also works to improve researcher’s career development and mobility.
The EURAXESS Portal hosts the following initiatives:
- EURAXESS Jobs (former European Researcher’s Mobility Portal) is a recruitment tool for researchers throughout Europe with constantly updated job vacancies.
- EURAXESS Services (former ERA-MORE Network) assists researchers and their families in organizing their stay in a foreign country.
- EURAXESS Rights (European Charter & Code) set out the rights and duties of researchers and their employers.
EURAXESS Links - a networking tool for European researchers working outside Europe (US, Japan). ERA-Link USA will be migrating to this new website in the near future.
For further details please go to the EURAXESS website.
European researchers in Japan get connected
On June 16, 2008, the European Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potočnik, officially launched the network of European Researchers in Japan. In an on-line survey, European researchers working in Japan showed their support for the network (74% of the respondents), and looked forward to developing contacts and having access to information on career development, research funding and Europe-Japan cooperation opportunities. It is estimated that there are several thousand European researchers working in Japan.
Together, Japan and the European Union accounts for about 40% of the world's GDP and are among each other’s main trade and investment partners. Both partners are convinced that research and innovation are at the heart of a successful strategy to address the challenges of industrial competitiveness and sustainable development.
Because of the strategic position of Japan in worldwide R&D, and with several thousand European researchers living there, Japan is the second country, after the US, where such a network has been launched. The Japanese network will provide similar services to those provided by ERA-Link USA.
More information on the survey of European researchers in Japan.
Budapest will host the headquarters of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
On June 18, 2008, the science ministers of all European Union’s Member States decided that Budapest, the Hungarian capital, will become the seat of the headquarters of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Budapest was chosen as the winner among five bids for the EIT seat, including Wroclaw in Poland, Sant Cugat del Vallès near Barcelona in Spain, Jena in Germany, and a joint bid from Bratislava (Slovakia) and Vienna (Austria).
The start of the operation of the EIT will mark an important milestone in the history of European research policy. The EIT will bring “excellence in enterprise, research and higher education together, to maximize potential synergies and cross-fertilization of ideas,” said the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, Ján Figel. The Institute is expected to become a flagship for excellence in European innovation to face the challenges of globalization. (SOURCE: IPR Helpdesk News)
Website of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).
New report on agenda for reforming European universities
Earlier this month Bruegel – a European think tank devoted to international economics – published a report entitled "Higher Aspirations: An Agenda for Reforming European Universities." The report suggests that the lagging European growth over the last 30 years is closely linked to the state of innovation and higher education in Europe. How can the European Union and its member states ensure that Europe's higher education systems achieve their dual goal of excellence with equal access for all? In the innovation economy of the 21st century, this question, and Europe’s answers to it, is of vital importance for the continent. The report presents new findings, points at different reform priorities for higher education in Europe, and makes concrete suggestions to policymakers on how to "connect Lisbon to Bologna."
ERA-Link reports
European researchers’ get-together in Philadelphia, 19 June 2008
On June 19th, ERA-Link co-organized with the University of Pennsylvania Biomedical Postdoctoral Council, a European researchers’ get-together. The event, held on the university campus, was attended by approximately 40 participants, mostly European post-docs in the area of health research, currently affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania, but also representing other local universities. Dr. Mikolaj Pawlak, Co-Chair of the Postdoctoral Council opened the event. Dr. Astrid-Christina Koch, Science, Technology & Education Counselor at the EC Delegation in Washington, DC, delivered a presentation on "European Commission Funding Opportunities for Transatlantic Cooperation." The ERA-Link USA Project Manager, Izabella Zandberg, introduced ERA-Link USA and described services provided by the network.
A lively Q&A session and a networking reception followed the event, providing an opportunity for more informal interactions among event participants. Discussion points by participants included: differences in grant applications for ERC grants and NIH R01 grants, the review process of ERC grant applications, and opportunities to become independent experts for proposal evaluations and project monitoring and review.
The event was attended by the Dean of the School of Medicine, the Director of Administration and by the representatives of the Post-graduate Students’ Office. ERA-Link was invited to attend other events on the University of Pennsylvania campus, possibly as a part of their annual Career Seminars series.
European Symposium at the Plant Biology Annual Conference, Merida, Mexico, 29 June 2008
Founded in 1924, the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) seeks to promote the growth and development of plant biology, encourage and publish research in plant biology, and to promote the interests and growth of plant scientists in general. Membership goes far beyond the US and spans the six continents. Members work in such diverse areas as academia, government laboratories, and industrial and commercial environments. The Society also has a large student membership.
ASPB plays a key role in uniting the international plant science disciplines. In an effort to increase its international presence, the 2008 annual meeting took place in Merida, Mexico with the view to reaching out towards Latin and Central America. The agenda included a symposium on European Plant Sciences and the opportunities for transatlantic cooperation. Presentations were given by Laurent Bochereau, Head of Science, Technology and Education, Delegation of the European Commission to the USA, on the Transatlantic Cooperation and ERA-Link; Professor Wilhelm Gruissem, Chairman of the European Plant Science Organisation, EPSO, Switzerland, on Plant Science in Europe; and Professor Dianna Bowles, Project Coordinator, University of York, U.K. on an Example of Transatlantic Cooperation in Bio-based products research.
A discussion followed with introductions by Professor Sarah Hake, Center Director of the Plant Gene Expression Center and Adjunct Professor at University of California, Berkeley, and Dr. Richard V. Greene, Program Manager for Energy Biosciences. Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy.
The debate concluding the workshop addressed a number of issues such as the access to large-scale plant genomics database, the balance between bottom-up and top-down approaches in establishing transatlantic research partnerships, the impact of foundations (e.g. the Gates Foundation) on the global funding of research partnerships, the implications of food and fuel price increases on plant sciences funding levels, as well as the advocacy role of organizations such as ASPB, and EPSO, its European equivalent.
During the week of the ASPB conference, the European office of the Mexican Council for Science and Technology European (UEMEXCyT), the EC delegation in Mexico City, the French Embassy, and several other European entities organized an information seminar on research cooperation opportunities between Mexico and the European Union. The full-day meeting took place at the Instituto Frances de America Latina and attracted a mix of Mexican and European researchers working in Mexico.
The meeting provided excellent opportunities for advertising the recently launched call for proposals of EU-Mexican research partnerships (total budget: 20 millions euros), taking stock of FP7 first results and upcoming calls, or offering the possibility for European researchers working in Mexico to join the ERA-Link network. Several participants expressed interest in establishing triangular research partnerships involving Mexican, US and European research groups.
The pdf presentations of Professors Bowles and Gruissem and interviews of key participants of the conference will be soon available on the ERA-Link USA website’s " Events" page.
Forthcoming events
Mark your calendars: European researchers’ get-together in Chicago, 15 September 2008
On 15 September 2008, ERA-Link USA will host a European researchers’ get-together in Chicago. The event will be held in the Polish Consulate at 1530 N. Lake Shore Drive, at 6:00PM. More details will be available in our August newsletter and on the ERA-Link USA website’s " What’s New" page.
FP7 Workshop at the Society for Neuroscience Annual Conference, 15 November 2008
ERA-Link USA and the Brain and Related Diseases Unit of the EC Directorate General for Research will co-host an exhibit booth at the forthcoming SfN Annual Conference in Washington, DC, 16-19 November 2008.
On Saturday, November 15, at 9:00AM-noon, the DG for Research, Brain and Related Diseases Unit, will offer a workshop on “EU Funding Opportunities in Brain Research.” An ERA-Link USA sponsored lunch reception will follow the workshop. See program details ( PDF file, 101KB).
We cordially invite all European scientists attending this year’s SfN annual conference to join us for the workshop on the 15th of November and visit our booth during the conference (we will be in booth number 3237). More details about this event will be provided in the August newsletter and on the ERA-Link USA website’s “What’s New” page.
Funding opportunities and fellowships
Reminder: New fellowship program for young European Union researchers willing to spend two years working in China
A deadline for applications for the new fellowship program for young European Union researchers willing to spend two years working in China is approaching. This Science & Technology Fellowships (STF) Program offers an opportunity to come to China, train during 6 months in Chinese language and culture, then work in a research organization in China for 18 months.
The program is a pilot action, financed through a special fund derived from a European Parliament amendment (MEP James Elles). Its objective is to promote EU's interest in its relationship with China. It does not belong to the Framework Program for Research, and it is meant to be complementary to Marie Curie Actions.
The program targets young researchers with at least two years of experience or with a doctoral degree. They must identify a sending organization in the European Union and a host organization in China, and present a research project. There is no mandatory return phase.
The deadline for application is 5 September 2008. Applications must be sent to the EC Delegation in Beijing.
In 2008, 30 European young researchers will be selected for a fellowship in China. This number is expected to increase in the years to come. The fellows will receive 1800 euros/month and an allowance for their installation and travels.
To find out more about this program, please check the official website.
Current calls for proposals
To access a full list of currently open calls for proposals launched by the European Commission, go to:
Research careers and other employment opportunities
Vacancies at the European University Institute in Florence
Several academic and non-academic positions are currently available at the European University Institute in Florence. Among them are:
- Research Fellow in the Robert Schuman Center for Advanced Studies
- Chair in Microeconomics
- Chair in Early Modern History of Europe (15th to 18th Centuries)
- Chair in Sociology and Social Research
- Chair in Political and Social Sciences
Deadlines for applications are between September 1st and 15th. For more information, please go to the website of the European University Institute - Florence.
EURAXESS Jobs
If you are a researcher planning your next career move, the EURAXESS portal provides links to information on career and grant opportunities in science and technology in European countries.
For further details, please go to the EURAXESS website.
Tools
CORDIS Wire – your news direct to the European research community
If you are interested in bringing your news, events announcements and scientific achievements directly to research and innovation communities across Europe, you can sign up to use CORDIS Wire. Established to meet the growing demand of project co-ordinators and science communicators, and to reach out directly to an international audience, it is an open platform that supports pro-active communication among the various stakeholders of the European Research Area.
CORDIS Wire allows accredited contributors to publish their own promotional material to a European audience. Information is entered via an online form, and if selected as relevant, it is published without editorial interference. Furthermore, the service is free of charge to those who both contribute and use the information. Announcements can be submitted and published in English, French or German.
CORDIS Wire now connects over 2000 contributors to thousands more users, including those who have registered for e-mail alerts, to receive news on specific topics as soon as they are posted on Wire. With the growing international dimension of European research, now is a good opportunity to extend the Wire across the Atlantic. (SOURCE: CORDIS)
To see the service and to register for e-mail news/or as a contributor visit the CORDIS Wire website.