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.
[euroalert.net] International cooperation is the cornerstone of the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), and BILAT-USA ("Bilateral
coordination for the enhancement and development of S&T
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"), funded under the ‚Horizontal actions and measures in support of international cooperation‘ budget line of the Capacities Programme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) are making major headway in fostering research synergies between the EU and US.
BILAT-USA and
Link2US 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 website EU Science-Technology 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.
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.
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.
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.
The new projects follow on from another instrument of cooperation, the EU-US Science and Technology Agreement, which was established in 1998 and was later renewed in 2004 for another five years. This is an important tool for developing and enhancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest between the EU and US.
