New website to help UK organisations share in FP6 IST funding
UK organisations are being urged to register on a new website designed to advise them on how best to claim a share of the 3.6 billion euro funding allocated to European IT (information technology) research. The UK department of trade and industry's European funding support initiative, UKISHelp (UK information society help), who set up the site, says it has been designed to offer UK organisations a head start in gaining funding for information society technologies (IST) projects under the Sixth Framework programme for research, FP6. UKISHelp's Peter Walters explains the benefits of EU funding: 'The EU actually contributes a proportion - usually 50 per cent - of each project's costs. As a participant you collaborate with European partners who help you to achieve results that might not be possible working alone. At the end of each project, you can go on to commercially exploit the results.' He adds: 'Even where results aren't exploited commercially, collaboration offers valuable networking opportunities and helps organisations to access new markets. Participation can even raise your organisation's profile through media exposure, effectively positioning your organisation at the forefront of European technological innovation.' Visitors to the site can access regularly updated information on FP6 funding opportunities. The website also explains which UK organisations should consider applying for funding and offers advice for prospective participants. Those registered on the site will receive e-mail updates. The site also features previous Framework programme case studies like AQUARELLE (Sharing cultural heritage through multimedia telematics). This project used the Internet to meet the demand for documented information from museum visitors, gallery visitors, art traders and publishers. Through its work on AQUARELLE, UK software company System Simulation Ltd helped establish a database sharing information in digital form. Since AQUARELLE, the company has developed and applied the software to encourage tourists to visit smaller museums throughout Europe.
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