By Strengthening S&T Ties, Europe and U.S. Seek New Ways to Address Grand Challenges

While scientists from the United States and Europe have collaborated on research projects for decades, there is a new push to strengthen trans-Atlantic ties, including boosting American participation in a key European Union research program.

There are U.S. participants in about 260 of the 7000 projects funded so far under the seven-year program according to figures presented at a 13 May session of the annual AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy.

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 covering all scientific disciplines. The program runs from 2007 to 2013 and will distribute 50 billion Euros or about $61.8 billion. The 7,000 approved projects were selected from 43,000 submissions, a 16 % success rate.

There is “still a lot of work to do to improve trans-Atlantic 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 trans-Atlantic 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.

To learn more about European-U.S. science and technology cooperation, read the full story.