Joint projects to spark EU-US research collaboration
Two new EU-funded projects to promote research between the EU and the US will help both continents to increase their research expertise, expand bilateral relations and create a greater global science and technology base in accordance with the goals of the Lisbon Agenda. The new projects, BILAT-USA ('Bilateral coordination for the enhancement and development of S&T partnerships between the European Union and the United States of America') and LINK2US ('European Union - United States research cooperation network: Link to the United States') are both funded under the 'Horizontal actions and measures in support of international cooperation' budget line of the Capacities Programme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Both BILAT-USA and LINK2US began in October 2009 and are scheduled to run for 36 months. Coordination of the projects will be carried out by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). BILAT-USA, with EU funding of EUR 500,000 will set up a sustainable knowledge based bio-regional dialogue platform for science and technology stakeholders from EU Member States, associated countries and the US. Its activities will include supporting discussion platforms by bringing together stakeholders from the EU and US to develop dialogues on the most important innovation areas to concentrate on, and particularly addressing issues of global importance such as climate change. Promoting scientific excellence will be an important part of the work of BILAT-USA and this will be achieved by organising scientific workshops, conferences and symposia on cross-cutting multidisciplinary S&T issues. It will also help to establish new research partnerships by promoting and disseminating information on S&T cooperative activities in the EU and US. LINK2US has been established to enhance EU-US S&T cooperation activities by increasing awareness of problems with or barriers to participation in US research funding schemes by EU scientists or research organisations. Its activities will include collating information about funding schemes and research opportunities in the US and raising awareness of these for EU scientists and research institutes. It will also identify possible obstacles to successful participation by EU scientists in US research schemes. The outcome of the projects is intended to be a clearer focus on the most pressing current global research topics, as well as inspiration for a fruitful EU-US research collaboration based on these. The new projects follow on from another instrument of cooperation, the EU-US Science and Technology Agreement, which was established in 1998 and was later renewed in 2004 for another five years. This is an important tool for developing and enhancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest between the EU and US.
Countries
United States