[Discussion] News of European Grants---to stem brain drain

[Paksoy, Hb]

 <<...OLE_Obj...>>  Wednesday, October 16, 2002  =09

 <<...OLE_Obj...>> 	European Group Plans Grant Program in Effort to =
Stem
Flow of Young Researchers Elsewhere By BURTON BOLLAG
<mailto:bollag@internet.sk>  National research organizations in Europe =
are
expected to approve soon a generous new program of research grants =
designed
to keep bright young scientists and scholars working on the continent.
Promoters say the program, which would be called the "European Young
Investigators Awards," should provide an average of $1.5-million over =
five
years to winners. Thirty researchers are expected to win grants in the =
first
batch of awards next year.  The proposal is expected to be adopted at a
meeting in Athens this month of an association of major publicly =
financed
national research organizations from the 15 European Union countries, =
as
well as Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland. The group, known as the =
European
Union Research Organizations Heads of Research Councils,
<http://www.esf.org/eurohorcs/> will administer the program.  =
Researchers in
all disciplines, including the social sciences and humanities, will be
eligible for the awards. The prizes will be given on the basis of
"scientific excellence, originality, and potential," according to Lea
Ryyn=E4nen-Karjalainen, of the Academy of Finland, who is scientific =
secretary
of the Europe-wide research association.  Officials hope to issue the =
first
call for candidates in January. Evaluation will take place in two =
stages.
First, national research councils will pick candidates they consider =
most
worthy. Then the nominees will be considered by one of five or so
Europe-wide evaluation committees, each covering a different =
discipline,
under the aegis of the European Science Foundation, based in =
Strasbourg,
France.  To be eligible, researchers must be either under 35 or have =
between
two and five years of postdoctoral experience. They may be from any =
country
worldwide, but winners must use the grant in a member country of the
European research group. "Mobility," meaning young scientists working =
in a
European country other than their own, will be considered a plus in
evaluating candidates, says Matilde Sanchez Ayuso, director of =
International
Relations of the Spanish Council of Research. She has been involved in
putting together the proposed program.  "The way to build truly =
European
science is to have European programs and not just national ones," she =
says.
At a 2000 summit meeting, European leaders adopted the goal of creating =
a
"European Research Area," in which cross-border cooperation and =
excellence
in scientific research would be encouraged.  European research =
officials
have grown increasingly anxious in recent years over a perceived =
research
gap with the other major economic powers. According to European Union
statistics, Europe spent 1.92 percent of its gross domestic product on
research and development in 1999. In the same year, the United States =
spent
2.64 percent of its GDP and Japan spent 3.04 percent.  At a summit =
meeting
last spring, European leaders set a target of 3 percent of GDP for
research-and-development spending, saying two-thirds of the money =
should
come from the private sector.  Officials say a lack of funds and rigid
academic hiring-and-promotion policies in Europe have contributed to an
exodus of bright young scientists to posts in the United States. The
proposed research grants are one step in efforts to "increase the
attractiveness of the European research environment," says Tony Mayer, =
head
of the office of the secretary general of the European Science =
Foundation.