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BILAT USA & Link2US: Strengthening S&T Ties Between Europe and the US to Address Grand Challenges Print E-mail
bridges vol. 26, July 2010 / Noteworthy Information

By Earl Lane

While scientists from the United States and Europe have collaborated on research projects for decades, there is a new push to strengthen transatlantic ties, including boosting American participation in a key European Union research program. Called the 7th EU Framework Program for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration, or FP7, it is the European Union's main instrument for funding research and development activities across all scientific disciplines. The program runs from 2007 to 2013 and will distribute €50 billion or about $61.8 billion. The 7,000 approved projects were selected from 43,000 submissions, a 16 percent success rate.

There are US participants in about 260 of the 7,000 projects funded so far under the seven-year program, according to figures presented at a session of the annual AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy on May 13, 2010.
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Panel at the AAAS Forum, from left: Alex Dehgan (USAID), Mary Minch (European Commission), Maria Cristina Pedicchio (ERAB), and Moderator Tom Wang (AAAS).


The Forum session, called “New Approaches to International S&T Engagement: Trans-Atlantic Perspectives” was attended by about 97 Forum participants and took a look at mechanisms for international research cooperation from a transatlantic perspective. The session was organized by the leaders of two complementary projects aimed at bringing together scientists in the US and in Europe to tackle important questions in fields such as health, agriculture, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. During the two-part session, speakers spoke about “New Approaches to Science Engagement Taken by Governments in the US and Europe for Capacity Building and Development and Diplomacy,” along with “New Approaches to US-EU Collaboration to Address Global Challenges.”

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Sabine Herlitschka
There is "still a lot of work to do to improve transatlantic joint activities and tackle the grand challenges that are out there," said Sabine Herlitschka, director of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency's division of European and international programs. She coordinates the project called BILAT-USA, aimed at strengthening the transatlantic dialogue and increasing American participation in the European FP7 research program through a range of activities. A flip-side effort, Link2US, is coordinated by Tom Wang of the AAAS International Office and seeks to raise awareness among European scientists about cooperative research opportunities in the United States.

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