EU

 

Kosovo’s deal with Serbia brings high prospects for boost in EU research funding

Posted 1 May 2013 by Mićo Tatalović

Kosovo may soon be allowed to take a greater part in EU research funding programs after the country signed an EU-brokered reconciliatory deal with Serbia last month (19 April), following years of conflict, reports Science Insider. After the signing of the deal, the European Commission formally proposed to let Kosovo participate in 22 EU programmes, including the €55 billion Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) for R&D, which is expected to also apply to its successor, Horizon 2020. If EU member states... Read more

Author Posted in Kosovo, Regional collaboration, Science funding, Serbia | Kommentare 0 Comments | Permalink

EU’s Horizon 2020 should pay researchers in Eastern Europe the same salaries as in Western Europe

Posted 19 April 2013 by Mićo Tatalović

The worrying brain drain from Eastern Europe and poor participation of scientists from the region in the EU's research projects could be reversed if the scientists were paid salaries equal to those of their Western colleagues, a paper published this week (17 April) argues. Such a move would come at a minimal cost to the EU's research budget but would level the playing field, allowing the East to retain and even attract talent, says the paper in Journal of Health... Read more

Author Posted in Business, Regional collaboration, Science funding, Science policy | Kommentare 1 Comments | Permalink

How do Western Balkan countries fare with EU research grants?

Posted 5 March 2013 by Mićo Tatalović

In 2011, Slovenia received the largest number of EU research grants of any Western Balkan country, with 98 projects worth a total of €32,401,000 (Turkey was just ahead of it with 158 projects worth €36,685,000). Most of these grants went to the Jožef Stefan Institute, the National Institute of Biology, and the University of Ljubljana and most of the projects’ partners were based in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and France. None of the Slovenian institutions ranked in the... Read more

Author Posted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Science funding, Serbia, Slovenia | Kommentare 0 Comments | Permalink

Montenegro’s science seals first chapter in EU accession

Posted 21 December 2012 by Mićo Tatalović

Montenegro saw its first chapter in negotiations for joining the European Union – on science and research –  successfully closed earlier this week (18 December). EU commissioner Štefan Füle said this marks the start of the accession negotiations entering a real substance. Research and development "are essential to push innovation and thus economic growth" he added. "In this work, Montenegro has kept a close eye on developments in the European Union. It has actively participated in the EU Research Programmes so... Read more

Author Posted in Montenegro | Kommentare 0 Comments | Permalink

Revealed: details of the World Bank draft strategy for Western Balkans’ science

Posted 2 December 2012 by Mićo Tatalović

Four years in the making, the World Bank-led project responding to the Western Balkans science ministers' 2009 plea for aid to integrate their countries' scientific efforts is expected soon to result in concrete new research funds, networks of excellence, technology transfer and research evaluation bodies. The latest draft of the project's strategy, dated November 2012 and presented at a UNESCO-sponsored expert meeting in Sarajevo, has "five major lines" which will be discussed with national governments over the next two months,... Read more

Author Posted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Regional collaboration, Science funding, Science policy | Kommentare 1 Comments | Permalink

EC’s Researchers’ Report 2012: results for Balkan countries

Posted 30 November 2012 by Mićo Tatalović

The European Union needs a million more researchers over the next decade and it plans to devote 3% of GDP to R&D by 2020 to keep up with its main economic competitors and be a knowledge-based economy, according to this year's European Commission Researchers' Report. To achieve all this, it needs equal opportunities for women, attractive working conditions, open and merit-based recruitment, together with cross-border mobility, high-quality and attractive doctoral and post-doctoral training, and greater movement between the public and... Read more

Author Posted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Science policy, Serbia | Kommentare 0 Comments | Permalink

Science ministers to meet in Sarajevo to flesh out new 10 million Euro science fund

Posted 18 October 2012 by Mićo Tatalović

Science ministers from South-East Europe will meet in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) on 22 and 23 November 2012, under the auspices of UNESCO, to try to take forward research aspects of a recent EU initiative to develop the Danube region (‘The Danube Region Strategy’). The meeting will attempt to flesh out an agreement on a regional research fund totalling at least 10 million Euros – half coming from nations, half from the EU – agreed for further consideration at... Read more

Author Posted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Regional collaboration, Science funding, Science policy | Kommentare 0 Comments | Permalink

EC finds mixed progress, and some setbacks, in research in South-East Europe

Posted 17 October 2012 by Mićo Tatalović

Research and development systems in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey were among the issues put under the spotlight in a series of reports on states' preparedness of those nations for EU membership, published by European Commission last week (10 October). The EC adopted its 'Enlargement package' - a set of documents explaining its policy on EU enlargement and reporting on progress achieved over the past year in each candidate or potential candidate country. The... Read more

Author Posted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Science funding, Science policy, Serbia | Kommentare 0 Comments | Permalink

Can you RELATE to this? Research Labs for Teaching Journalists experience

Posted 20 December 2010 by Mićo Tatalović

Over the past two years a European Union project has taken 80 journalism students and early-career journalists for one-week courses visiting research labs across Europe. I was lucky enough to take part in the last cohort of journalists sent to universities in either Paris or Bologna. I joined a group of four journalists travelling to the latter. The RELATE project promised to bring journalists face-to-face with cutting edge research and provide open access to some of Europe’s best researchers. All... Read more

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