CORDIS revamps FP6 service on New and Emerging Science and Technology (NEST)
CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service, has launched a new version of the New and Emerging Science and Technology (NEST) section of its information service covering the Sixth Framework Programme for research and development (FP6). The total budget for the NEST programme is 215 million euro, and it comprises three complementary action lines: Adventure, Insight and Pathfinder. The NEST programme was a new activity launched with FP6 in order to support unconventional and visionary research with the potential to open new fields for science and technology. The first selected projects within the programme have been confirmed, and the project abstracts are now available under 'Find a project' in the updated service. In particular, the success of NEST's Pathfinder initiative is reflected in an expanded section within the service. Pathfinder projects are made up of a number of complementary projects, plus a coordinating action, to create targeted actions with budgets of between 10 and 12 million euro. Projects are selected by the Commission, based on consultation with the scientific community, outputs of other NEST projects, and high-level scientific advice. The Pathfinder section of the new NEST service includes information on the proposal and selection procedure, successfully launched projects and an 'Ideas Box' for interested stakeholders to propose their own topics for research. The revamped service continues to provide contacts for support and a documentation library for more detailed information. The news, events and highlights sections have greater prominence to reflect the rapid progress of the activity. The updated NEST service will help scientists to shape the direction of future visionary research in Europe, and thus establish leadership in the most important areas of science and technology for the future.