New web portal to target EU-US S&T synergies
International cooperation is the cornerstone of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), and the BILAT-USA and Link2US projects, which are funded under FP7's Capacities programme, are making major headway in fostering research synergies between the EU and US. BILAT-USA and Link2US have now launched a new web portal offering the latest information on joint EU-US activities and initiatives, as well as key documents and overviews that will advance transatlantic research cooperation. BILAT-USA ('Bilateral coordination for the enhancement and development of S&T [science and technology] 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') both kicked off in October 2009 seeking to raise greater awareness of potential S&T cooperation activities on both sides of the Atlantic. The strategic projects have received financial support totalling around EUR 870 000. The new www.EuUsScienceTechnology.eu portal will be the major information platform regarding S&T activities between the EU and US. BILAT-USA and Link2US will jointly issue quarterly e-newsletters offering the most up-to-date information about S&T cooperation between the two regions. Those who will benefit most from the portal are people who are interested, in one way or another, in transatlantic S&T cooperation. 'The portal will be a unique platform for up-to-date information on cooperation opportunities and funding, successful examples of cooperative activities and current development in science and technology in Europe and the US,' said BILAT-USA Project Coordinator Dr Sabine Herlitschka, Director of the European and International Programmes (EIP) Division at the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), and Coordinating National Contact Point for the FP7. 'We want to contribute to strengthening EU-US S&T cooperation through a broad range of services and activities offered by the projects.' The BILAT-USA section of the portal will provide information on project-related activities. Key features of the website include details of the EU's Framework Programme, specifically open calls targeting US researchers, an inventory database, and news and events. Dr Herlitschka told CORDIS News that the portal will expand with the duration of the two projects 'since we are still at the very beginning. A helpline has been set up and all the partners are also available for further information'. The partners believe the portal, the first of its kind ever, will also be particularly helpful for 'the practical aspects of EU-US S&T cooperation', she added. Scheduled to end in 2012, both BILAT-USA and Link2US are expected to be pivotal in helping researchers bypass obstacles that limit cooperation. BILAT-USA is establishing a knowledge-based, bi-regional and sustainable dialogue platform between S&T players and stakeholders from the EU, Associated Countries and the US. Furthermore, the BILAT-USA project is determined to launch partnerships with existing projects and initiatives to further establish and strengthen EU-US cooperation. Link2US, meanwhile, is enabling users to access key information on US cooperation programmes via electronic communities including an e-newsletter, website and virtual helpdesk. Ultimately, the project will fuel EU-US S&T cooperation activities by shedding light on the problems or obstacles limiting participation in US research funding schemes by EU scientists or research organisations. Link2US is coordinated by Dr Tom Wang from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). In terms of giving the EU and US the means to keep ahead of the competition, Dr Herlitschka said S&T is the success factor for future competitiveness. 'Several issues, take climate change or energy supply for example, are real global challenges, she commented. 'Therefore, I feel that the EU and the US, as global players jointly representing 60% of global GDP (gross domestic product) have a joint responsibility and opportunity.'
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