Canada to tackle low participation in framework programmes with new EU-Canada cooperation office
Both the EU and Canada need to do more in terms of scientific collaboration, says Paola de Rose, the Science and Technology Counsellor at the Canadian Mission to the EU. Speaking to CORDIS News, Ms de Rose highlighted how, despite the signing of a science and technology agreement between the two parties in 1996 and again in 1999, only ad hoc measures have followed. Ms de Rose also noted that although the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) 'does a lot of what it is charged to do in terms of pan-European collaboration, it is not designed for collaboration outside the EU and it is often an uphill struggle for third countries to get involved in FP6 projects.' Ms de Rose has been working in Brussels for three years, trying to increase scientific collaboration between the EU and Canada by providing information to both European and Canadian researchers on how to participate in multinational consortia. In 2004 she organised two workshops, on climate change and population genomics, bringing together scientists from Canada and the EU, as well as policy makers and funding agencies. 'Both workshops were a success,' Ms de Rose told CORDIS News. 'There is a strong interest on both sides.' Some 120 Canadians were involved in FP5 projects. For FP6 the statistics are promising, said Ms de Rose - it appears that 284 Canadians were involved in proposals. It is obviously too early for definite numbers, but the latest figures show that at the end of the first call, 30 projects involving Canadian scientists had been retained. 'I am pleased with the way we are moving forward,' stated Ms de Rose, noting however that while collaboration works well on a bilateral level, especially with France, Germany and the UK, collaboration at EU level remains more difficult. The introduction of the larger instruments and the increasing size of the EU have exacerbated the problem. This is partly due to a lack of awareness, said Ms de Rose, as European scientists are often not aware that they can include third countries in their projects. 'It is also regrettable that even within the European Commission's DG Research, some officials are not aware of the international side,' she added. A science and technology agreement between the EU and Canada was first signed in 1996 to further cooperation in fields such as agriculture, medical and health research, non-nuclear energy, environment and earth observation, forestry, information technologies and mineral processing. The agreement was later modified in 1999 to include research in all sectors. The aim of the agreement was to open Canadian and EU research programmes to reciprocal self-funded access, which meant that Canadians would participate in EU programmes using Canadian funds and vice versa. 'Unfortunately,' said Ms De Rose, 'although the political will is there, neither side has put forward enough money to implement the agreement.' Asked about future measures to increase collaboration between the EU and Canada, Ms de Rose explained that Canada is planning to present a proposal in response to a recent DG Research open call for international collaboration. 'The idea is to create a dedicated body, the activities of which would be co-funded by the EU and Canada,' she explained. Called ERA-CAN, the body would take the form of a Canada-Europe Science and technology cooperation office in Ottawa with the mandate of increasing linkages between Canada and the European Research Area (ERA). Quoting the ERA-CAN concept document, Ms de Rose explained that 'Canadian and European researchers would benefit from practical services to facilitate development of collaborative R&D. There is no need or capacity for governments to oversee or facilitate all collaborative research. Nonetheless, certain services to facilitate collaboration are fragmented or lacking. ERA-CAN could compliment what individual stakeholders now accomplish in relatively uncoordinated fashion.' The office will help build greater R&D collaboration by creating awareness of opportunities, for example for collaborative research, researcher mobility, peer review engagement, technology transfer, dialogue on systems and outcomes. The office will not only provide information on brokering partnerships, research funding and scholarship programmes, but will also offer practical assistance with applications, contracts and intellectual property rights issues.
Kraje
Canada