European Science Foundation paper on Fifth Framework Programme
The European Science Foundation (ESF) has published its position paper on the shape of the European Community's Fifth RTD Framework Programme, due to come into operation in January 1999. The ESF represents 59 major research funding agencies in 21 European countries. The ESF has picked out five major themes around which the European research agenda should, in its opinion, be established, together with priority areas for research within these themes: - Information and communications technology - the perpetual revolution: Using information; The digital society; - Industrial technologies for complex systems and products: Man-machine interface; Micro-systems; Health engineering; Energy systems; Clean processing systems and materials flows; Energy technologies; Materials technologies; - Molecular mechanisms in life and health: Beyond the genomes; Structural biology; Integrated biology; - Sustaining our environment: Sustainable use of natural resources; Managing environmental resources; Environment and health; - Change and stability in European society: Driving forces of the European economy; European institution building; Culture as an integrating force; A mobile society; Households and lifestyles. The ESF paper discusses ways in which to build capacity for European research. Pooling expertise and building on existing strengths, particularly through training and mobility of researchers, will be the key. In particular, improved links between industry and the scientific community need to be formed. The ESF also advocates further development of a European policy on research infrastructure, and stresses the importance of integrating scientists from Central and East European countries. The paper calls for programme management to be decentralized, to ensure that EC research is more science driven than politically driven. Long-term research must be addressed to support knowledge generation. The paper also calls for more flexibility in the specific programmes and greater interface between them. In respect of evaluation procedures, the ESF raises the possibility of pre-screening and is in favour of greater targeting, in order to lower the rejection rate in calls for proposals. The peer review process could be improved, particularly through moderating the volume of demand, but its transparency must be maintained.