European Union: 7th Research Framework Programme
Increase of funds intended
Dieser Artikel in Deutsch
Half-time has been reached in the 6th Research Framework Programme of the European Union (EU) and discussions about the 7th Framework Programme are beginning at both EU and national levels. Running as it will for 4.5 years, the 7th Framework Programme - just like its programme predecessors - will define the way in which the EU is going to sponsor research. It will probably come into force in the second half of 2006. The 7th Framework Programme will also be marked by the expansion of the European Union.
Some indication of what the 7th Framework Programme could look like has been sketched out by the European Commission in its bulletin "Science and technology, the key to Europe's future - Guidelines for future European Union policy to support research". In order to create the European Research Area, taking all the actions together, the funds are supposed to be doubled. In this context the Commission has designated six major aims:
- to create European Centres of Excellence by collaboration between laboratories
- to start up European technological initiatives
- to achieve greater creativity in basic research by competition between teams at European level
- to make Europe more attractive for the best researchers
- to extend research infrastructures of interest to Europe
- to increase coordination between single state research programmes.
To what extent these aims will actually be made concrete in the 7th Framework Programme will emerge from the discussions with the Member States and the plans of the newly appointed Commission. It is, however, already clear that, with regard to research sponsorship and structures, the opportunities for European researchers - and to some extent for researchers from other countries, too - will be extended. European research programmes supplement national sponsorship programmes such as those of the Humboldt Foundation. In this way, mobile researchers' degree of choice is increased.
The increased offer leads to a concomitant increase in the need for advice so that mobile researchers can find the programme most suited to their requirements. Through its EU Section, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation contributes to this: the "National Contact Point for Human Resources and Mobility" located there provides information on the European mobility actions in the Framework Programme, especially for institutions and researchers in Germany. The "Mobility Centre" offers an even broader spectrum of advice: being part of a Europe-wide network, it tells mobile researchers - both those coming to Germany and those leaving Germany for another European country - everything they need to know, from entry requirements via social security to kindergarten - and this is all done in close collaboration with colleagues in other European countries.
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