Portal seeks to increase involvement of African scientists in EU water research
A new website - africanwater.net - designed to encourage participation of African scientists in EU-funded water research, was launched on 12 June. Funded under African Water, a Specific Support Action of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), the website will provide information about the specific mechanisms of EU funding for research, especially on water research and the African development process. 'This is very much needed,' Coleen Vogel, Researcher from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, told scidev.Net. 'Many African researchers, particularly young ones and those not linked into any research networks, will not know of funding sources and opportunities.' Online services include step-by-step guides on how to apply to take part EU Framework Programme projects, as well as information on training opportunities for researchers on how to write project proposals. Users can also subscribe to news updates on the latest calls for proposals. The website also provides a restricted area for sharing documents and information between African scientists who are already coordinating research in their region, but still lack suitable infrastructure and tools. It is hoped that such exchanges will help to create internationally-connected African network