European Investment Bank opens Universities Research Action
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has launched its 'Universities Research Action', designed to develop relations with universities by offering funding and scholarships to students at EU institutions. The bank currently funds many EU projects that fit into constraints set by the Lisbon agenda. The action is divided into three distinct areas: The first, the EIB University Research Sponsorship Programme, gives support to universities that specialise in four areas settled on by the EIB. In this first year, the bank will focus on: financial and economic valuation of environmental impacts (deadline for submissions: 9 May); technology assessment and acceleration of innovation (deadline: 16 May); public-private partnerships (deadline: 23 May); and social dimensions of sustainable development (deadline: 30 May). The bank offers scholarships worth up to 100,000 euro per year for up to three years in these categories. The second, STAREBEI (Stages De Recherche BEI - EIB research internships), provides financing for students working on joint EIB-university projects. The support normally comes in the shape of traineeships which are then monitored by both the university and an EIB tutor. Projects are research-based, and the monitoring period will last between six months and one year. Students will also be expected to work for periods at the EIB in Luxembourg. Finally, the EIB University Networks aim to establish more general networks with universities working in fields of particular interest to the EIB. This could give these universities the right to use the EIB label in promotional material. The EIB will also now offer smaller-scale grants, and traineeships in universities with clear EU-wide interest.