Final Report Summary - ARMS (Strengthening of "Carol Davila University of Medicine - Research centre on the pathology and treatment of the systemic rheumatic diseases" ...)' The overall objective of ARMS was to increase the quality of Carol Davila University of Medicine Research centre on the pathology and treatment of the systemic rheumatic diseases (RCRD) in order to become a leader in Romanian medical research and a reliable partner for EU research groups. The project was developed in a period when Romania was not an EU member but just a candidate to this position. In between, Romania joined the EU and many other opportunities (including research funding and cooperations) are now possible. In the same time, the Romanian internal political, economical and juridical environment changed (sometimes more than few times) during the 2005-2009 period. As a consequence, the need for support changed too. That's why, ARMS management worked under a great pressure to ensure the best cost / benefit ratio for this project. Generally speaking ARMS objectives were circumscribed in the following areas:- Networking with other research centres from EU Member States or Associated Countries. - Increasing the quality of RCRD team by identifying and hiring new high potential young researchers and organising meetings and workshops in order to offer them new opportunities to learn and also to present their work. - Increasing the quality of S&T equipment in order to allow our researchers to approach new research themes from the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) and the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) priorities. - Mobilisation of other scientists from Romania to join RCRD activity or to improve their participation in European Research Area (ERA).Our research activity was designed to benefit from several high-tech devices and / or new components added to our facilities. The list included: one atomic force microscope, one DEXA scan, freezers, and computers. A special work package and several special tasks were designed to share both our new gained knowledge and our high-tech equipment with similar Romanian units. Our project had special activities designed to promote a higher representation of women especially in the upper levels of the research area. All new scientists hired were women and 10 out of 12 national research projects developed by RCRD team in these last four years have been coordinated by RCRD women scientists. The ARMS project intended to raise the interest of students and new graduates for the research activity. During special courses we presented our work, our results and also our research facilities to the young scientists. ARMS intended to identify two-four high potential researchers and to offer them a job inside our team. Now, at the end of this project, we have two such scientists added to our initial team. Related documents Final Report - ARMS (Strengthening of "Carol Davila University of Medicine - Research centre on the pathology and treatment of the systemic rheumatic diseases" for a successful contribution to ERA)
