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The conclusions stressed that “a fresh impetus is needed to design and implement concrete actions to be taken by the European Union and the Member States in those areas already identified as requiring urgent action for promoting mobility, better working conditions, and improved careers of researchers, with special attention to those issues which are related to age and gender aspects.” The conclusions also pointed to the importance of coordination among Member States and cooperation between different policy areas in the EU, and called for joint action to implement this cooperation when appropriate, particularly between policy approaches in the areas of Research and Employment and Social Security. The following areas were identified as requiring specific action:

• Provision to individual researchers of information on social security rights in case of trans-national mobility
• Solutions for social security needs of researchers
• Address the issue of supplementary pensions for researchers
• Apply the common principles of flexicurity to research careers
• Contribution to the “new skills for new jobs” agenda.

You can access this important document at: http://www.consilium.europa.eu//uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/intm/113121.pdf

... were two of the subjects discussed earlier in March by the formal Council of Competitiveness Ministers (Research) in Brussels, chaired by the Spanish Minister of Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia.

The Council had invited Member States “to extend social coverage to researchers in all stages of their careers, including Ph.D. students” according to their national legislation.

The Council also recommended to the European Commission that it presents a work plan with specific actions to promote social security coverage for all researchers that carry out remunerated research activities.

In terms of supplementary pensions for researchers, the European Commission is drafting a green paper on the creation of a European framework for “sufficient and sustainable” pensions.

(SOURCE: www.eu2010.es)

You can read more at: http://www.eu2010.es/en/documentosynoticias/noticias/mar2_garmendia.html

The report analyzes the implementation of the Bologna Process and its impact over the last decade on higher education across Europe in the context of broader reform processes affecting European higher education.

Based on questionnaire responses from 821 universities, 27 National Rectors’ Conferences, and site visits to 16 countries, the report was presented in a special meeting at the University of Vienna to mark the official launch of the European Higher Education Area and the end of the first phase of the Bologna Process. The meeting was held in parallel with the Ministerial meeting taking place in Budapest and Vienna.

The report, authored by Andrée Sursock and Hanne Smidt discussed the degree to which the European higher education landscape had changed in the last decade due to a variety of factors including demographic change and pressures related to globalization as well as to policy changes at the European level (not only through Bologna, but also the Lisbon strategy and the EC modernization agenda). There have also been major policy changes at the national level as most countries have introduced multiple reform policies alongside the Bologna Process within the last decade. The authors also presented a detailed analysis of the implementation of the Bologna ‘tools’ in universities (e.g. new degree structures, credit transfer and accumulation systems, and diploma supplement) and progress towards the underlying aims of the Bologna Process, such as improving quality of teaching, graduate employability, and mobility of students and staff.

The review concluded that while there had been a number of successes under Bologna, such as the implementation of new degree cycles, reviewing curricula, and creating a ”European identity” for higher education, a number of challenges remain for the decade ahead, including focusing on promoting vertical mobility between different degree cycles, and improving lifelong learning possibilities. (SOURCE: EUA Newsletter 5/2010)

Download the Trends 2010 report.

Download the presentations from the Vienna meeting.

The conclusions acknowledged the concerns expressed by the Independent Review Panel about the long-term sustainability of the ERC scheme, and the recommendations of the Review for legal, procedural and administrative improvements of the ERC operations (as well as the ERC’s scientific Council’s response to them). The following areas of ERC’s operations were identified are requiring further actions:

• Evaluation process: The conclusions called for establishing a database for the selection and maintenance of a pool of candidates for panelists and reviewers across Europe and abroad, including the appropriate provisions to guarantee a regular turnover; involvement of highly qualified scientist and experts on research management and evaluation to the ERC Executive Agency for periods of up to four years in addition to permanent staff, in order to continually replenish the Agency’s specific knowledge base; and continuation of efforts to simplify administrative procedures for appointing and reimbursing proposal evaluators.
• Integrating scientific and administrative functions: The conclusions recommended that scientists are better represented in the Steering Committee of the Executive Agency, and that it is possible to recruit highly qualified external scientists with tract record of achievement in their field and experience in management, and ensure regular turnover.
• Conflict of interest: The conclusions welcomed establishment of a subcommittee of the ERC’s Scientific Council to provide guidance on conflicts of interest, fraud and ethical issues
• Transparency: The conclusions welcomed the decision of ERC’s scientific Council to publish the summarized minutes of their plenary meetings, and called for establishment of an Identification Committee which would present to the Commissioner the names of candidates to replace outgoing members of the Scientific Council and the names of present members of the Scientific Council whose term should be renewed for a second term.
• Simplification: The conclusions called for more flexible funding instruments based on trust and for taking the necessary measures to avoid over-regulation, over-control and over-steering.
• External communication: The conclusions called for the European Commission to support the ERC in its efforts to effectively promote the attractiveness of the ERC to retain as well as repatriate and recruit the world’s most talented scientists and encourage the participation of scientists from the industrial or enterprise sector.

The conclusions also called on the Commission to carry out by July 2010 an independent evaluation as a follow up to the Review recommendation

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/..../en/intm/113119.pdf

Four collaborative research projects have been shortlisted for funding. They involve fifty-two research institutes and SMEs from eighteen European countries and three international partners (Israel, China, and the United States). Influenza virus genes migrate across continents and between species and seriously threaten both human and animal health.

Two consortia will focus their research on influenza in pigs while the two others will develop innovative drugs against influenza in humans. Their selection is part of the European Union's longstanding support for research on influenza and brings the total Commission funding in this field to over €100 million since 2001.

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?...=EN&guiLanguage=en

Eligible to apply for the IIF are non-Europeans and European researchers who have been away from Europe for at least 3 years. European researchers are eligible to apply for the IOF. To find out more, please go to the Funding Opportunities and Fellowships section of this newsletter. More information can be also found at:

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.FP7CallsPage

Below we present an interview with Dr. Corey Cohn, an American researcher who held a Marie Curie Incoming International Mobility Fellowship in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Q. What is your area of research?

Dr. Corey Cohn (Photo: File)

A. My background is in geochemistry, astrobiology, and nanoparticle toxicity with work experience in the United States, Japan, Sweden, and Denmark.  I began my research career studying environmental geochemistry.  Later, as a Fulbright Fellow, NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes Fellow, and National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellow, I conducted origin of life research in Stockholm, Yokohama, and University of California San Diego, respectively.  My work led to collaborations with biochemists, pathologists, and scientists in the medical geology community. One result of this work was my trip to Amman, Jordan where I instructed Iraqi medical doctors on the use of equipment supplied as part of a USAID project to monitor the environment and human health of Iraq.  Most recently, I held a Marie Curie Incoming International Mobility Fellowship in Copenhagen, Denmark where I studied nanoparticle occupational health issues at the National Research Centre for the Working Environment.

Q. You are an American scientist with quite extensive experience of conducting research in Europe.  Where in Europe have you worked so far? Under which programs/fellowships?

A. I was a Fulbright Fellow in the Department of Geology and Geochemistry at Stockholm, Sweden, where I worked with Professor Nils G. Holm on issues related to the origin of life from 2000–2001 and I held a Marie Curie Incoming International Mobility Fellowship in Copenhagen, Denmark at the National Research Centre for the Working Environment where I worked with several scientists on the toxicity of nanoparticles from 2006–2008.

Q. Clearly mobility has been a part of your professional path so far. In your opinion, what are the advantages of being mobile across the Atlantic?  And what are the potential disadvantages of mobility in a researcher’s career?

A. The advantages and disadvantages of conducting research abroad are dependent on one’s values.  I value opportunities that enable me to witness and participate in different approaches to exploring scientific issues.  I also value meeting and working with scientists from other countries and I value the experiences of living in a new country.  Joining a foreign lab may offer the visiting scholar new insights into how science is done in a new environment, but care should be taken to avoid potential cultural-clashes and to ensure a timely assimilation into the new environment.  While most science is done in English and performed using the same types of equipment everywhere in the world, which is comforting when first starting out in a new lab, there are always differences in the social aspects surrounding science mostly evident in cultural-specific management styles and colleague interactions.  For example, in Sweden the Stockholm University Geology Department Director typically wore jeans and had an office only slightly larger than mine. In Japan I learned it is best to fully agree with your advisor’s scientific plans and ideas. And in Denmark I learned about the importance of consensus, and the importance of having institute-wide lunches with colleagues for cultivating friendships. 

Q. Why did you apply for the Marie Curie Fellowship and how did the application process work for you?

A. Upon receiving my PhD, I considered options for postdoctoral research positions.  My decision to apply for a Marie Curie Fellowship was based on the following three factors: 1) valuable experiences from my previous international scientific visits to Sweden and Japan; 2) a favorable research environment in Europe in a scientific area I wanted to contribute to; and 3) the opportunity to enjoy living in a new country.  The application process was straight forward: I identified scientists abroad who were a potentially good match, contacted those scientists to determine if they were interested in having a visiting postdoc, and drafted a proposal for review by my foreign counterparts before submitting it to the Marie Curie program.  During my search for potential hosts, I was very fortunate that the foreign counterparts I contacted in Copenhagen were enthusiastic and they thoroughly reviewed my draft proposal, even before meeting me in person. 

Q. What are the benefits resulting from your stay in Copenhagen? How do you plan to capitalize on them long-term?

A. I will always remember my time in Copenhagen as one of the best times of my life.  Although packing up my life in the United States and moving to Copenhagen for two years was not easy, I learned about a new scientific field, conducted interesting research, met many European scientists, and made great friendships.  I recently made an interesting transition: I went from being a scientist involved in international collaborations to being a facilitator of scientific international collaborations in my new position as an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow in Washington, DC.  My experiences in establishing foreign collaborations, securing funding, and working as a researcher abroad are valuable in my current position.  I can, for example, capitalize on my experiences as a Marie Curie Fellow to support US-European scientific cooperation in basic energy sciences under the US-EU Energy Council.

European exhibit at the AAAS Annual Meeting
getting ready for visitors
(Photo: EURAXESS Links USA)

At the European booth
(Photo: EURAXESS Links USA)

Represented were various agencies operating under the Directorate, including the Joint Research Center, Marie Curie Actions, European Research Council, as well as officers in charge of Scientific Culture and Gender Issues, and others. Information materials, from the above agencies, as well as online access to the EURAXESS portal were available at the exhibit stand.

Visitors also had an opportunity to meet DGR officers in charge of various scientific areas. Several European-sponsored workshops and sessions were offered at the conference, including: Symposia “Science Meets Society: Walking the Talk,” Symposium “Flows of People, Ideas and Resources: When Science Goes Global, Can Everybody Win?” and “Top-Down or Bottom-Up? Comparing European and U.S. Gender Policies in Science” organized by the European Commission Directorate General for Research), as well as several conference sessions organized or co-organized by the Joint Research Centers.

There were also two EURAXESS-sponsored workshops: Workshop “Funding Opportunities in Europe for Creative Minds from Anywhere in the World” (Organized by the Research Executive Agency (Marie Curie Actions), European Research Council and EURAXESS) and Interactive Workshop “European Scientists in the United States: Challenges and Opportunities” (Organized by EURAXESS Links USA). An EU networking reception was held at the EU Stand in the Exhibit Hall in the afternoon of Feb. 20. Read on to find out more about those events.

Useful links:
European Commission, Directorate-General Research:  http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/research/index_en.html

The workshop panel, from left to right: Louise Byrne (MCA),
Samantha Christey (ERC), Pablo Amor (ERC),
Izabella Zandberg (EURAXESS Links USA) (Photo: ERC)

The workshop aimed to present funding opportunities for first-class, up-and-coming researchers, who are keen to develop and fast-track their careers in Europe. The objective was to explain the aims and synergies of funding schemes such as the Marie Curie Actions, European Research Council (ERC), and EURAXESS—Researchers in Motion, a one-stop shop for researchers seeking to advance their careers and personal development by moving to other countries. The workshop provided answers to practical questions that potential applicants might have, such as: What kind of support for research careers is available from the funding schemes? What are their main features? What are the selection criteria for various funding mechanisms? How long is the selection process? How does the application process work? How many researchers are funded each year? What are the chances of success? Where can more information be found?

Pablo Amor, ERC
(Photo: EURAXESS Links USA)

Welcomes and introductory presentation of the FP7 IDEAS Program were provided by Dr. Pablo Amor (ERCEA). The FP7 PEOPLE Program and Marie Curie Actions (MCA) were presented by Dr. Louise Byrne, Research Program Officer, Marie Curie Actions, REA. Samantha Christey, Communications Officer at ERCEA presented the ERC Starting Grant. The EURAXESS services were introduced by Dr. Izabella Zandberg, EURAXESS Links USA Project Manager. The event concluded with testimonials from the ERC Starting Grantee, Dr. Vladimir Canudas-Romo, Assistant Professor, John Hopkins Bloomberg, School of Public Health; and the Marie Curie Outgoing Fellow Dr. Juan Bautista Blanco Canosa, Scripps Research Institute & Universidade de Santiago de Compostela.

A Q&A session and informal interaction between speakers and attendees after the workshop provided further opportunities to pose questions and seek clarifications on the funding mechanisms. The content of the workshop attracted interest from the audience and questions were raised and addressed to both Pablo Amor and to the ERC Grantee.

More information about Marie Curie Actions
More information about European Research Council

The goal was to share experience and identify mechanisms to better support researchers in their careers, both in the United States and in Europe. The workshop explored various factors that relate to European researchers’ mobility across the Atlantic, particularly building on the experience of members of the EURAXESS Links USA network, and drawing on the online discussions that had been launched last year in the SINAPSE system. One-day conference passes were available free of charge to all EURAXESS Links USA network members interested in attending this workshop. Twelve members of the network and other European scientists applied for a free pass and attended the event.

The workshop panel, from left to right: Laurent Bochereau,
Tom Wang, Mary Minch, Sabine Herlitschka
and Izabella Zandberg (Photo: EURAXESS Links USA)

Laurent Bochereau, Minister-Counselor, Head of Science, Technology & Education, Delegation of the European Union to the United States welcomed the attendees. Mary Minch, Director for International Cooperation, DG Research, European Commission delivered an introductory presentation on “Mobility as a key element for European researchers’ careers.” In her presentation, Ms. Minch pointed at changes in the European research landscape and the actions that Europe undertakes to make the research profession more attractive.

There are changes taking place in the knowledge landscape in Europe that were unthinkable very recently. (For example, the creation of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT).) Ms. Minch stressed that she was aware of the fact that, at present, there are still weaknesses affecting the attractiveness of a research career in Europe. Many of these weaknesses, she observed, lie at the national level and need to be solved at the national level, as they concern national competences. But, the European Union can provide a framework for cooperation, give a push, confront Member States with their weaknesses, and propose concrete measures to overcome them.

The European Partnership for Researchers between the European Union and Member States is one of the recent initiatives that is particularly relevant to researchers as individuals. The Partnership has four broad action lines aimed at making the research profession more attractive: Open recruitment and portability of grants; Social security and pensions; Attractive employment and working conditions; and Enhancing training skills and experience.

The EURAXESS initiative, with its EURAXESS Jobs portal, where more and more research institutions are advertising new positions internationally, is an important element towards achieving open recruitment across Europe and internationally. As for the portability of grants, some funders are currently exploring the principle of “money follows the researcher,” as promoted by the association of funding agencies EUROHORC. This is the case in Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Other countries, however, still hesitate to give up the national ownership in the use of research money. As to the obstacles with respect to social security, the European Commission intends to launch an initiative later this year on fine-tuning the current arrangements to better coordinate social security for researchers on multiple short term contracts in several Member States. The Commission is also planning to present a discussion paper on pensions, including on the transfer of supplementary pension rights under existing pension schemes. At the same time, the feasibility of creating one or more pan-European Pension Funds for researchers is currently being considered.

With regards to the working conditions, the Commission encourages universities and other research institutions to bring their human resources strategies in line with the European Charter for Researchers and the Code for their Recruitment. (More information on those initiatives can be found on the EURAXESS Rights portal.)

Izabella Zandberg, EURAXESS Links USA Project Manager followed with a presentation of the “Push" and "Pull" factors for transatlantic mobility of European researchers,” where she outlined the findings from the online discussion of the network members. Referring to the Morebrain study (2009), she outlined that circumstances that may help a researcher decide to leave their country are known as push factors. Incentives that attract people away from home are known and pull factors. The push and pull factors vary at different career stages and are country dependent. The push and pull factors can be classified into the following key categories: research infrastructures, career opportunities, social economic factors, administrative and legal issues, and individual issues. Some literature exists on the international mobility of scientists. For example, a 2003 study of EU-born mobile scientists (UNU-MERIT, October) indicated that the most important factors for EU-born scientists planning to move from their home country include: broader scope of activities, better access to leading edge technologies, career advancement opportunities, and better access to R&D funding. Salary is an important consideration, but most often not identified as the key deciding factor in the decision to go abroad.

The findings from the online discussion launched by EURAXESS Links USA in December 2009 indicate that, whereas the majority of those currently in the US are considering returning to Europe eventually, they declare lacking information on and expressed doubts about European research career prospects. As a way to state the problem for further discussion, the presentation briefly outlined the contents of each theme, providing direct quotes from the online contributions. In particular, the following major themes were evident in the online discussions:

• Appreciation of the US system. The American system promotes quality and eliminates bias. The American system recognizes contribution based on merit and offers fair wages. The American system offers researchers (including social scientists and humanists) a range of opportunities for individual funding that does not seem to be available in Europe. The American system promotes interdisciplinary opportunities.
• Challenges of being a foreign researcher in the United States. Many research funding mechanisms and other opportunities are available only to US citizens. Visa-related issues can take many years to get resolved. Obtaining a green card can be costly and difficult. Not all employers are willing to pay for a green card. Priority is given to US citizens when hiring. The labor position of foreign post-docs is weak. Foreign researchers often lack connections and are outside of the well-established networks.)
• Perception of a “closed nature” of the European job opportunities. There is a perception that job opportunities line up for insiders that there are entry age limits and age discrimination; that there are strong hierarchies in European research organizations; that a move back to Europe might mean giving up of tenure and pay cut; and that there is a lack of information on available positions, particularly for advanced researchers.
• Perception of limited opportunities to collaborate with home countries. There is a perception that there is a lack of mechanisms that would help European expatriates go back to work short-term in their home country in Europe, and initiate or strengthen collaboration with the hosting groups in their countries.

Numerous activities have been developed by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Research in order to remedy the problems raised in the above-mentioned discussion, which are offered under the EURAXESS – Researchers in Motion initiative. A more detailed description of EURAXESS Links USA and discussion of benefits of networking among European researchers in the United States followed. There are also several new programs that have been launched to remedy the above-mentioned lack of access to information.

Workshop participants (Photo: EURAXESS Links USA)

Presentations of the ways in which new EU-sponsored programs can help the community of European researchers in the United States followed, including two projects: Tom Wang, Director for International Cooperation, American Association for the Advancement of Science presented BILAT-USA, aimed at fostering dialogue and establishing new research partnerships by promoting and disseminating information on cooperative activities in the European Union and the United States ); and Sabine Herlitschka, Austrian Research Promotion Agency, FFG presented Link2US, focused on raising awareness of cooperative funding schemes in the United States among EU scientists and research institutes (presented by). (Click here to find out more about those projects.)
Following the above presentations,   representatives of European Union Member State networks Paul op den Brouw, Science, Technology & Innovation Counselor, Embassy of the Netherlands; Annick Suzor-Weiner, Counselor for Science and Technology, Embassy of France; Peter Nagele, President of the Ascina Network, Austria presented “Support mechanisms for the European researchers in the United States and opportunities for the expatriate community to contribute to Research and Innovation in their home countries”.

Immediately after the session, a networking reception was held at the European stand in the Exhibit Hall that all workshop participants were invited to attend. The reception provided further opportunities for the European researchers to exchange experiences among themselves and meet DGR officers.

European reception at AAAS, center: Dr. Astrid-Christina Koch,
Science Counselor, EU Delegation in Washington,
DC (Photo: EURAXESS Links USA)

European reception: Dr. Ioannis Spyropoulos (left) and
Dr. Jose Luis Ambite, members of the EURAXESS
Links USA network (Photo: EURAXESS Links USA)

European reception at AAAS Annual Meeting (Photo: EURAXESS Links USA)

European reception at AAAS Annual Meeting (Photo: EURAXESS Links USA)

This was timely and of particular importance as the annual San Francisco career fair did not take place this year due to the financial downturn. The satellite program was organized by the EU Delegation in Washington, in order to promote transatlantic funding opportunities under FP7 to top West Coast universities, and to establish contacts with the deans of these for further collaboration. The ERC representatives were Pablo Amor and Samantha Christey, who were accompanied by ERC grantee Dr. Vladimir Canudas-Romo.

Dr. Vladimir Canudas-Romo (Photo: ERC)

Presentations and discussions were organized in Stanford and Berkeley and were followed by a networking lunch which allowed participants to ask further questions on the funding schemes and application procedures. More than fifty people attended in Berkeley and sixty people in Stanford. Attendees were a mix of American and European researchers interested in EU funding opportunities.

The Deans of the UC Davis faculties opted for a different format to exchange information and ideas. A working dinner was organized with top researchers working on the campus, and attended by more than thirty people. A presentation on the ERC was given by Pablo Amor and Dr. Canudas-Romo gave a testimonial based on his experience as an ERC Starting grantee. ERC will follow up on these events by sending additional information on their grants and calls for proposals to the deans of the faculties, who will then disseminate it on a regular basis to their students and faculty.
More information about European Research Council

Article ERC in California

The Italian Experience” was co-organized by EURAXESS Links USA, ISSNAF (Italian Scientists and Scholars in North America Foundation: www.issnaf.org), the EU Delegation to the United States, and the Consulate General of Italy. It attracted over fifty participants, including European postdocs, faculty members, and research staff at New York and New Jersey universities and research organizations. The aim of the event was to explore various programs and mechanisms that have been established to support the European research diaspora in the United States.

Welcoming remarks were offered by Consul General Francesco Maria Talò, who stressed the importance of transatlantic collaborations for European research. His remarks were followed by Prof. Giorgio Einaudi, who introduced the objectives of the ISSNAF foundation—a bottom-up initiative of Italian scientists in the United States, which is recognized as the most representative organization of Italian research diaspora. Dr. Laurent Bochereau from the EU Delegation to the United States discussed ”EU Research Policies as Related to Transatlantic Mobility and Research Collaboration,” (presentation available on-line). This presentation was followed by Dr. Antonella Tajani from the National Research Council (CNR), who introduced this largest Italian research public organization, distributed all over Italy through a network of 108 institutes. Its main duty is to carry out, promote, spread, transfer, and improve research activities in the main sectors of knowledge growth and of its applications for the scientific, technological, economic, and social development of Italy. These goals of the mission of CNR are covered by the eighty-five projects on acquired strategic areas such as Energy & Transportation, Earth & Environment, Agriculture & Food, Medicine, Life Sciences, Molecular Design, Materials & Devices, Advanced Manufacturing Systems, Information and Communication Technologies, Cultural Identity, and Cultural Heritage which represent the departments in which the CNR scientific network is organized. Dr. Tajani introduced various examples of CNR projects carried out under European cooperation programs. CNR also manages a short-term mobility program that funds short-term travels for Italian and foreign researchers, the area of exchange covering mostly Europe and the United States, and a Technological and Scientific Cooperation program with the US National Endowment for the Humanities that offers three scholarships a year for six to eight-month-long stays of CNR researchers in the United States.

(Website: http://www.cnr.it/sitocnr/home.html; brochure: http://www.cnr.it/sitocnr/home.html)

The panel, from left to right: Izabella Zandberg,
Antonella Tajani, Laurent Bochereau, Marina Santilli and
Ninoslav Marina (Photo: EURAXESS Links USA)

Dr. Izabella Zandberg, EURAXESS Links USA Project Manager, presented the EURAXESS-Researchers in Motion initiative, including EURAXESS Jobs, EURAXESS Services, EURAXESS Rights, and EURAXESS Links (presentation available on-line). Her presentation was followed by Prof. Marina Santilli, who further discussed the objectives and activities of ISSNAF. Two Marie Curie Outgoing fellows who currently pursue their research projects in the New York area—Dr. Ninoslav Marina (currently at Princeton University), and Dr. Nathalie Gontier (currently at the American Museum of Natural History)—provided brief testimonials.

Event participants (Photo: EURAXESS Links USA)

A Q&A session that followed provided opportunities to further explore the subject of the presentations. Event participants asked why CNR has not made a bilateral agreement with the United States (the answer being that an institution like CNR does not exist in the United States, there is also no equivalent of a minister of research here, therefore such an agreement has not been possible). A question was posed whether ISSNAF is trying to duplicate EURAXESS Links, and the discussion followed on the differences and similarities of these two initiatives. One is bottom-up and focused on addressing the national issues, and one is a top-down initiative, aiming to address the issues that are common to all European researchers who pursue their research projects in the United States. A researcher who has recently obtained a faculty position at a New York university was interested in the mechanisms that would allow her to bring European students to her department. Those mechanisms include participation in the Marie Curie Initial Training Networks programs (US universities can be a part of ITNs), and the Erasmus Mundus program that is currently open to US-based universities that wish to work with European universities on setting up programs and hosting students at both masters and PhD levels.

Networking reception (Photo: EURAXESS Links USA)

A question was posed about the ways to facilitate exchanges between the United States and Italy, and an example of free space available in student housing at Italian universities was put forward by one of the event participants as a resource that should be utilized to promote short-term exchanges (housing is oftentimes the largest expense in such short-term exchange programs, so using the available student housing over the summer break would be a great way to accommodate more exchange researchers in Italy). Finally, participants expressed interest in a workshop that would provide a detailed guidance on how to apply for the EU research funding. In fact, EURAXESS Links USA is currently exploring possibilities for conducting such training in a form of a webinar (online seminar). The event concluded with a networking reception with excellent Italian food and drinks.

The Institute on Membrane Technology (ITM‐CNR) will host the NanoMemCourse on “Nanostructured materials and membranes for Food Processing.”

The NanoMemCourse project is a series of “Marie Curie training courses” designed to deliver the most relevant state of the art knowledge on nanostructured materials to the young researchers for a career development in line with the scientific, industrial and societal needs and challenges. The event will take place in Cetraro (Grand Hotel San Michele), where all participants will be accommodated, with some demonstration activities at the Institute of Membrane Technology located in Rende - CS (Italy) from 15 to 24 September 2010. Young researchers and PhD students are invited to make an application for funding to attend this 10 days course.

Eligible participants should apply through the following website:
http://www.nanomemcourse.eu/new/site/courses/EA3/index.htm

A number of grants for covering part of the expenses will be available.

A limited number of participants may attend the Course even if not granted. Further information can be found in on the website.

The following calls are currently open under the Ideas program:

European Research Council’s Advanced Grant

The following calls are open under the Cooperation program:

• Information and Communication Technologies / 2 Open calls
• Joint Technology Initiatives (Annex IV-SP1) / 3 Open calls

Participants from the United States are eligible to join research proposals under these schemes. To do so, these programs require at least three partners in three different EU or Associated Countries plus a partner the United States. In principle, there is no funding from the European Union for the US-based partners, unless the participation of the US partner is deemed necessary for the success of the program.

The following calls are open under the Capacities program:

•   Science in Society / 1 Open call

To access a full list of currently open calls for proposals launched by the European

Commission, go to: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.FP7CallsPage or http://www.interfaceurope.eu/calls/calls_for_proposals

Detailed descriptions of the currently open calls that are relevant to individual applicants are provided in the following sections.

Proposals from all areas of scientific and technological research of interest to the European Community are welcome. Proposals are submitted by the researcher in liaison with the organization that will host him/her in a Member State or Associated Country and evaluated by external independent experts against a series of predetermined criteria. Financial support will be provided to the best proposals for a period of one to two years, and eventually for an additional return phase of one year if the researcher originates from an International cooperation partner country. Funding includes, in particular, a salary for the researcher and a contribution towards research-related costs. The call opened on 17 March 2010, and applications are due on 17 August 2010. More information can be found at: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.FP7CallsPage

Eligible to apply are researchers from a Member State or Associated Country in possession of a doctoral degree or at least four years full-time equivalent research experience after obtaining the degree allowing them to embark on a doctorate (it is however expected that researchers will have more experience).

Proposals from all areas of scientific and technological research of interest to the European Community are welcome. Proposals are submitted by the researcher in liaison with the return host organization in a Member State or Associated Country and evaluated by external, independent experts against a series of predetermined criteria.

Financial support will be provided to the best proposals for a period of up to three years, including an initial outgoing phase (one to two years) in a third country and a mandatory reintegration phase. Funding is provided for advanced training on the basis of “personal career development plan” established by the researcher with his/her supervisor in the host organization. It includes a salary for the researcher and a contribution towards research-related costs.

The call opened on 17 March 2010, and applications are due on 17 August 2010.

More information can be found at: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.FP7CallsPage

The duration of the grants is between two and four years. Research projects are chosen freely by candidates. Eligible to apply are researchers from EU Member States or Associated Countries (i.e. Albania, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Israel, Lichtenstein, Norway, Republic of Montenegro, Serbia, Switzerland, and Turkey) with at least four years full-time postgraduate research experience or a doctoral degree, who at the deadline of the call for proposals, have been active in research in a third country for at least three years.

The researcher applies in liaison with a reintegration host organization located in an EU Member State or Associated Country. Proposals from all areas of scientific and technological research of interest to the European Community are welcome. Applications are evaluated twice a year. If the proposal is selected, the Commission signs a grant agreement with the reintegration host.

The reintegration host will then sign an employment agreement with the researcher. The grant is a flat-rate contribution to the project costs and amounts to €25,000 per year during the period of reintegration. Continuous submission with cut-off dates on 9 March 2010 and 7 September 2010.

Further information: Cordis including links to contact points and enquiry services.

ERC Advanced Grants allow exceptional, established research leaders in any field of science, engineering, and scholarship to pursue frontier research of their choice.

Candidates can be of any nationality, must be scientifically independent and have a recent research track-record and profile which identifies them as leaders in their respective field(s) of research. They will be required to conduct their research in a host organization (public or private research organization) situated in an EU Member State or an Associated Country.

The grant scheme operates on a bottom-up basis without predetermined topics or thematic priorities.

The new call for the European Research Council’s Advanced Grant proposals was launched on 29 October 2009, with the following deadlines (depending on the subject area): Physical Sciences and Engineering: 24 February 2010 Life Sciences: 17 March 2010 Social Sciences and Humanities: 07 April 2010 Further information is available from the ERC.

http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/links/usa/funding_opportunities_en.htm

The call for experts is open both for individuals and for organizations.

Further information

For research careers in Europe, visit the EURAXESS Jobs website.

As of 18 December, there were 706 jobs advertised on the EURAXESS Jobs website. Also advertised were 13 grants and fellowships under the European funding, 399 grants and fellowships offered at national levels, and 22 offered at international level.

For further details, please go to: http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index_en.cfm

The European Job Mobility Portal

Find A Postdoc: http://www.findapostdoc.com/

Career.edu: http://www.career.edu/index.php

Nature.jobs: http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/index.html

Jobs.ac.uk: www.jobs.ac.uk

Research Jobs in the Netherlands: http://www.academictransfer.org/org/

Euro Science Jobs: http://www.eurosciencejobs.com/

The JRC Publications Repository is an online service giving access to data of research publications produced by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre.

This service was established to assist with central storage, management and search of JRC’s research publications. Bibliographic data of almost 10,000 articles and papers representing a wealth of knowledge are now available to the public.

http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/

European Commission, Joint Research Centre: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm

You may be surprised to find out that, with 15,000 hits a month on average, the European energy research page is already one of the most successful websites in the field. For newcomers, exploring the new website is easier than ever. Over 200 pages will offer you complete information on all funding opportunities in the field of energy and nuclear energy research at the EU level. Our completely updated visual content, including videos, animations, interviews,  clips, and a  comprehensive publication search tool,  together with a concise description of the policy framework will guide you quickly and efficiently through the European panorama on  energy research.

Visit the website: http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/index_en.cfm

19 February 2010 can be downloaded from: http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/rtd/eesdwatkeact/info/data/ETR_index.htm

They concern strategic health research areas, such as stroke, influenza, cancer, new therapies, etc, as well as general publications on health research funding. The PDF versions are available free of charge from this e-Library, where you can also order one paper copy of each publication (also free of charge) online.

You can view the publications by year (2006-2009) and/or research area and then add the ones that interest you most to your order, which you can then review and change before making your online request.

http://ec.europa.eu/research/health/elibrary.cfm

1. FAQ-Preparing your research stay in Germany
2. German Funding Programs for Science and Research
3. German Research Institutions at a Glance
4. How to do a doctorate in Germany (will be published in May)

They can all be downloaded on the portal (www.research-in-germany/downloads.

Research in Germany also publishes a monthly newsletter (http://www.research-in-germany.de/52/home.html).