• Research activities
• Research and innovation, 'start-ups' and SMEs
• Research Infrastructures
• Human Resources
• Science, society and citizens
  

In line with the European Research Area document launched in January by Philippe Busquin, the EC Commissioner for Research, two funding possibilities are offered under the Human Potential programme. The EUROTRON conferences, as part as the High-level Scientific Conferences activity; and measure 3 on Accompanying Measures, "Utilization of broadband electronic networks in research". The former will have another deadline on 1 February 2001 while the latter has a next deadline for proposals in January 2001.

Are you or have you been one of the 5000 young researchers (Pre- or Post-Doctoral) who has worked or is still working on one of the Training and Mobility of Researchers Networks funded under the Fourth Framework Programme? Are you a young researcher working on one of the recently started contracts under the Improving Human Potential Programme? If so, would you like to share your experiences with others? We would like to hear from you.

The Commission is planning a publication featuring the scientific work and personal profiles of the young researchers who worked in these networks and contributed to the success of the TMR programme. We would like to hear of your achievements, impressions and experiences during your time in the network. If you have already left, to learn about your career since then, about your plans and how you feel you may have benefited from the time you spent with the network. The aim of the publication is to make known the opportunities available to young researchers under the Networks Activity.

If you are or have been a young researcher in a network and would like to take part in the publication, please contact Jane Shiel (jane.shiel@ec.europa.eu, Fax 00 32 2 296.23.16) for more details.

In our last newsletter, we launched a call for essays in which we invited young researchers with transnational fellowship experience to submit their thoughts on EU research. Over 200 contributions were received, and from these 113 young researchers (representing 25 different countries) were finally selected to attend the conference, which allowed young researchers and research administrators to exchange views on present the mobility opportunities in Europe and how these might be developed in the 21st century.

Significance of this dialogue is illustrated by the following exerts from comments made by the fellows:"I very much appreciated the basic idea of direct discussions between researchers and politicians/policy-makers. I believe that this type of meeting is an effective shortcut communication that bypasses all the bureaucratic levels in between, and I really believe this is an efficient way to improve mutual understanding and ultimately to improve research in Europe." Another comment was "I appreciated the round table discussions, which were, for most of them, very productive; the very broad background and diversity of the participants…". Other comments included "… a pleasant and informative interaction with colleges and National Contact Points. Being on the verge of leaving for another country, I particularly appreciated the exchange and suggestions relative to living and doing research in the country I am heading to".

Fellows also expressed their great satisfaction with the opportunity afforded to them for their scientific and personal progress by being able to conduct research abroad. In the eight discussion workshops difficulties, which can result from moving the focus of professional activities from one country to another were highlighted. Obstacles resulting from mobility, such as: lack of contacts back home, the low interest shown towards them by their home institutes, and/or the barriers to the transfer of their acquired knowledge on returning home were pointed out by the fellows. Several suggestions to the Commission were presented: such as "starting-up grants, rating institutes while evaluating on the basis of mobility, creation of bilateral fellowships and co-financing of positions for returning fellows" etc. For more information on the results and outcome of this important exchange of ideas keep watching the Marie Curie fellowships' internet pages, where conference proceedings will be posted shortly. Submitted conference essays are already available for consultation on the event organisers' web site: /improving

In the next few weeks, the Human Potential Programme will be launching a new database of social exclusion initiatives, which will be accessible to the general public via the Internet. The database is the fruit of a study launched by the EC

former training and mobility programme in 1996. Following a call, the Commission selected 15 social exclusion experts, one in each Member State, who were responsible for gathering information on local projects to combat unemployment in their country. Provided initiatives met the following selection criteria, they were then entered into the LOCIN database:

• duration of at least 3 years
• economic viability
• use of best practice and innovation
• potential for job creation.

There are currently just over 700 initiatives in the database, however development is on going. If you know of or are currently running a project to combat social exclusion you can enter details of your initiative on-line and your project will be considered for inclusion. Keep a look out for the LOCIN database, it will be appearing on this web site. For further information contact: michael.plombier@ec.europa.eu

During this conference the possibility and benefits of establishing an international network of science shops will be explored. This co-operative network should improve public access to and awareness of science (in its broadest sense). The conference is one of the outputs of SCIPAS the 'Study and Conference on Improved Public Access to Science by means of Science Shops', one of the projects supported by Human Potential's STRATA activity.

What is a science shop? Science shops mediate or perform research in all disciplines from sociology to chemistry, largely on behalf of civil society organisations

- for whom the research is often cross subsidised or even free of charge. Most existing science shops are linked to or are based in universities, where research is done by students under the supervision of science shop staff and other associated (university) staff. However, many initiatives not linked to universities - such as community based research centres - are similar to science shops.

This conference planned for 26-27 January 2001 in Brussels will look at ways of setting up different science shops, how they operate and case studies. It will be of interest to researchers, public authorities, citizen

groups and NGO policy makers.

For further information and registration please contact:
Conference secretariat Living Knowledge
Science Shop for Biology
Utrecht University
Padualaan 8
3584 CH Utrecht
The Netherlands
Phone: + 31 30 253 7363
Fax: +31 30 253 5795
e-mail: scipas@bio.uu.nl

On-line information on the conference and on the SCIPAS project and registration forms will be available. Keep checking the following web page: http://www.bio.uu.nl/
living-knowledge.

We would like to remind you that there is still time to register to participate in one of the Key Action's dialogue workshops. These workshops are extremely important as they

give you the opportunity to play a role in shaping the direction of the priorities for the social and economic sciences in the Fifth Framework Programme. Remember that, unlike most of the other Human Potential Programme activities, the Key Action's research tasks are redefined for each call.

In addition to the workshops planned for December and January, for which there is still time to register, there are a further 7 workshops planned for the year 2001. Don't miss this opportunity to get involved. For further information, go to: /improving/socio-economic/mechanism.htm

At the beginning of December the next update to the Human Potential Work Programme will be published on the programme web site. The Work Programme, which describes the structure, content and timing of the different activities of the programme is updated a number of times throughout the duration of the Framework Programme. This document will provide the 4th update. Some of the key modifications will include:

• An update of the indicative timetable for several activities Changes to the action line Support for the Development of Science and Technology Policies in Europe - STRATA and the Indicators
• Raising the ceilings for funding of High-level Scientific Conferences per overall contract and for each event
• Inclusion of travel and subsistence allowance rates for Marie Curie Fellowships relating to the Associated States - previously this was calculated on a case by case basis
• Widening of the eligibility criterion for funds to purchase durable equipment in less-favoured regions under Research Training Networks.

Any modifications to current rules will come into force once the Work Programme is published. Details will be clearly explained in supporting documentation i.e. the Guides for Proposers.

The 5th Work Programme update is foreseen in summer 2001.

Are you wearing your pins with pride? No? If you are or were a Marie Curie fellow or the supervisor of a Marie Curie fellow, we would like to send you the new badge that has been produced. We hope that as well as smartening up your look this will help to raise general awareness of the scheme within the research community, industry and the general public. To receive your free badge, send an e-mail to: sharon.jones@ec.europa.eu (make sure you write 'Pins' in the subject line).

Access to Research Infrastructures, or ARI as this activity has become known, is publishing a series of brochures this year, which report on the advances made by Infrastructure Co-operation Networks (ICN) in key scientific fields that have been supported by this and earlier programmes.

Those who have participated in the Access to Research Infrastructures' activity may know that the ICN is one of the funding mechanisms used to support research infrastructures. These working groups (also known as Round-Tables in the past) bring together the operators and representatives of the users of a particular type of research facility. As well as seeding new collaborative relationships, the ICN provide a framework for finding solutions to common problems as well as to exchange experience and best practice.

The five publications listed below are already

available and describe the contribution made by some of the Round-Tables supported under the earlier TMR Programme to specific research fields.

The publications also look to the future by highlighting foreseeable developments.

• Energy
• Synchroton Light and Free-Electron Lasers
• Earthquake Engineering
• High-Performance Computing
• Frontiers in Nuclear Physics

To obtain your copy contact the Human Potential helpdesk: improving@cec.int.eu.

Remember the final call for ARI, to be launched on 15 November, covers all funding mechanisms including ICN.

There are plenty of them already available and many more coming soon. The Common Basis of Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (CBSTII) may be one of Human Potential's smaller activities, but it is certainly playing an important role in supporting the development of European S&T policy and in the development of the European Research Area. Basically three types of work are foreseen on indicators:

1. assembling a comprehensive and up to date set of indicators from existing national and international sources necessary for the analysis of the role of research and innovation in the economy;
2. improving existing indicators by increasing comparability, providing additional breakdowns, refining methodologies, etc.;
3. stimulating the development of new S&T indicators and analyses, especially in emerging fields.

• · Feasibility of developing bibliometric and patent indicators by gender
• Patents in services
• Linking science to technology
• Comparative analysis of public research centres Benchmarking biotech research centres
• The brain-drain of qualified scientific personnel

Important news - Very soon there will be a call for proposals for RTD projects and Thematic Networks, probably in December this year. This call will allow scientists to propose work on science and technology indicators that they consider important - allowing a more bottom up approach within the activity.

Recent publication - The DG Research team responsible for the Indicators activity and Eurostat have recently published

the third edition of their annual booklet on science, technology and innovation indicators. If you would like a copy send an e-mail to: fontini.chiou@ec.europa.eu.

Don't forget that the call for expression of interest for experts launched in 1999 is still open until early in 2002.

More than 360 hosts are looking for young researchers to take up positions supported by the Commission in their laboratories and research centres. Training Sites and Development Host fellowships are two of the brand new fellowship schemes that have been launched under the Fifth Framework Programme. Development Host Fellowships aim to enable research organisations in less-favoured regions to develop a particular area of research competence

by taking on post-doctoral fellows for periods of up to 24 months. Whereas, Training Sites support the widespread training of PhD students as part of their doctoral degree, by funding stays ranging between 3 months and 1 academic year. To take up a vacancy, young researchers (usually 35 years or less) should check the vacancy database, select a position of interest and contact the host organisation directly. The Commission is not involved in the selection of fellows.

Following the second deadline (1st February 2000) 254 new contracts, corresponding to 361 events have been negotiated.

Details are now available on our Web site. The next deadline for proposal submission is the1st February 2001. Since the last deadline the Work Programme, the Guides for Proposers, Application Forms and related documents have been updated. It is therefore indispensable to download the new versions of these documents before submitting an application.

• to provide a focus for articulated analysis and discussion on the many aspects of science policy that relate to infrastructures
• to outline the main topics where important questions are likely to emerge in the future definition of R&D policy on research infrastructures at national and EU Community level

the European level. Research Commissioner, Philippe Busquin also underlined this concept in his intervention, but the conference showed that the scope for Europe-wide action was a real need. The other objective of stimulating informed debate was clearly achieved. To start with some of the scientists were perhaps sceptical about discussion with policy-makers however, this proved to be extremely fruitful and challenging. Many attendees, moreover, were surprised at how many different disciplines (including, e.g. the social sciences) were also featured in this conference.
The fact that we expected 300 participants and received nearly 500, and that five science ministers attended, showed the importance that was given to this event.
I'm sure that many of the ideas expressed in Strasbourg will influence future policy at both the national and EU level " .

If you weren't able to attend this event but would like to find out more about the discussions held and their outcomes keep checking the Enhancing Access to Research Infrastructures pages of this web site, where the conference proceedings will be published. You may also be interested in requesting your copy on a CD-ROM by sending an e-mail to: campbell.warden@ec.europa.eu

• The final call for Enhancing Access to Research Infrastructures Activity will be launched on 15 November 2000.

• There are many opportunities open for individual researchers and research teams to gain access to important research infrastructures supported by the Human Potential Programme, at: http://improving-ari-fp5.sti.
  jrc.it/access/

"To my mind, the conference achieved its two main goals. There was a very clear consensus from both the scientists and the policy-makers about the need for a more co-ordinated approach on research infrastructure to go forward at