Austria calls for more interdisciplinary research in FP6 proposals
Austria has broadly welcomed the European Commission's proposals on the specific programmes in the Sixth Framework programme (FP6), but proposes the integration of socio-economic research into each priority area. The Austrian federal ministry for education, science and culture has published two new papers which follow on from the position paper on FP6 published in June. In one paper, the ministry sets out its reaction to each of the proposed thematic areas, which is generally favourable, and in the second it calls for more interdisciplinary research and suggests how socio economic research can be integrated into each of the proposed thematic priorities. 'Despite the act that the current proposal declared its belief in interdisciplinary research, the current formulation of FP6 and the specific programmes rather indicates a step backwards in the direction of classical, discipline-oriented 'mode 1' research', states the Austrian paper. 'During the last four years, attempts have been made at bringing researchers from different disciplines and 'worlds' in closer contact with each other in order to be able to deal better jointly with urgent social problems. It would now be neither in the interest of the research community nor in the interest of the European Commission not to promote the learning and retraining process thus initiated and the development towards trans-disciplinary research further in the European research area [ERA] and in the next Framework programme,' continues the paper. For the priority area 'genomics and biotechnology for health', in analogy to the Fifth Framework programme, the paper recommends integrating bioethics, public health systems and services, socio-economic aspects of life sciences and biotechnologies, issues concerning demographic and social policy aspects of population ageing and research into improving the basis for the policy and planning of social welfare systems. For the action area 'confronting the major communicable diseases linked to poverty,' the Austrian ministry supports the inclusion of preventing major transmissible diseases, through, for example, instructional work and vaccinations, the social, economic and geographical aspects acting as barriers to access and an examination of the suitable use of newly developed drugs. One theme which runs through the Austrian papers is the inclusion of the candidate countries throughout the programme. This is particularly important for Austria in the priority 'information society technologies' (IST). In order to close the digital divide, research on improving the integration of the candidate countries, on ascertaining how much catching up needs to be done or outlining possible development scenarios is therefore required, according to Austria. Included in the IST priority should also be technology assessment, the development of concepts for lifelong learning and the development of 'intelligent environments' according to the Austrian ministry, which would also like to see 'future and emerging technologies' included in the IST programme as a separate research target, and not consigned to priority eight, 'anticipating scientific and technological needs'. In the light of recent events, safety research in aeronautics should now be broadened to include security aspects. 'This clearly exceeds safe construction of aeroplanes and suitable monitoring systems for flight operations,' states the paper. Austria also expresses some concern about the accessibility for all Member States in the practical implementation of aeronautics and space research, making the case that in both areas there are only a few leading enterprises in a small number of states, which have 'repeatedly ousted smaller partners or newcomers from the projects if there were budgetary constraints'. As a solution, the paper recommends 'observing suitable procedures which facilitate fair and equal access for all'. Funding for 'sustainable development and global change' should be equal to that of the Fifth Framework programme, the Austrian ministry argues. It also recommends a deepening and widening of research efforts in those areas relevant to the requirement of improving European society from an ecological and social point of view, and a subdivision of the programme into easily comprehensible thematic areas. For all priority thematic areas, Austria would like to see more details on international cooperation with Mediterranean countries (including the western Balkans), the countries of the former Soviet Union and developing countries. 'Useful measures from the INCO [international cooperation] under the Fifth Framework programme should be continued,' according to the paper.
Kraje
Austria