Austrian Science and Research Liaison Offices Ljubljana and Sofia

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Austrian Science and Research Liaison Offices
Ljubljana and Sofia
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Overview

• Background
• Programming principles and partners
• RTDI systems in SEE Structural activities of
  the ASOs
• Success stories
• Outlook

3

• Background
• Programming principles and partners
• RTDI systems in SEE Structural activities of
  the ASOs
• Success stories
• Outlook

4
Austrian Science and Research Liaison Offices -
ASOs

• established since 1990 in several CEE and SEE
  countries, Bulgaria 1994, Slovenia 1990 on
  behalf of Austrian Federal Ministry of Science
  and Research (BM.W_F)
• Initial task to promote bilateral scientific
  co-operation between Austrian scientists and
  scientists of the host countries to support
  socio-economic transformation and integration of
  scientific communities into international
  networks of scientific co-operation
• Additional task since 2004 to promote regional
  RTDI cooperation with Southeast European
  countries (focusing on so-called Western Balkan
  countries)

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ASO Background Austrian International
Cooperation Policies in the Field of Science

• Accompanying European enlargement and integration
  processes, the BM.W_F has decided to initiate and
  implement a research policy towards South East
  Europe (SEE) aiming to bring the target countries
  Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
  Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Kosovo/UNMIK, Montenegro,
  Romania, Serbia closer to the European Research
  Area (ERA)
• ASO Sofia and ASO Ljubljana
• support this SEE initiative of the BM.W_F

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Structural Challenges of RTD systems in South
East Europe

• Insufficient public and private investments in
  RTD
• Outdated research infrastructure
• Human resources development and Brain Drain
• New institutional settings in HEI ? Research?
• Changing culture of RTD funding (changing
  policy driven priority setting, competitive
  funding, role of donors and their priorities,
  etc.)
• Knowledge based Society EU Integration process
• (Lisbon strategy Bologna targets)
• ? Innovation systems with isolated players in SEE

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RD Expenditure in SEE
Data Source Statistical Yearbook of Romania
Central Bureau of Statistics, Republic of
Croatia National Statistical Institute,
Bulgaria Statistical Office of the State Union
of Serbia and Montenegro State Statistical
Office, FYR of Macedonia Notes (1) Serbia and
Montenegro 2001 no data for Albania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina Source Research and Development in
South Eastern Europe. Gesellschaft zur Förderung
der Forschung (Ed.)
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Remuneration of Researchers (in , not weighted
in terms of purchasing power) USA 63.000

• Austria 62.406 Italy 36.201Belgium
  58.462 Latvia 10.488Bulgaria 3.556
  Lithuania 13.851Croatia 16.671
  Luxembourg 63.865Cyprus 45.039 Malta
  28.078Czech Republic 19.620 Netherlands
  59.103Denmark 61.355 Norway 58.997Estonia
  11.748 Poland 11.659Finland 44.635
  Portugal 29.001France 50.879 Romania
  6.286Germany 56.132 Slovakia
  9.178Greece 25.685 Slovenia
  27.756Hungary 15.812 Spain 34.908Iceland
  50.803 Sweden 56.053Ireland 60.727
  Switzerland 82.725Israel 42.552 Turkey
  16.249 United Kingdom 56.048

Source European Commission. Research
Directorate General. Study on Remunerations of
researchers in the Public and Private Commercial
Sectors. 2007.
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• Background of the ASO activities
• Programming principles and partners
• RTDI systems in SEE Structural activities of
  the ASOs
• Success stories
• Outlook

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ASO - Approaches and Programming

• bottom up approach in all fields of science
  emphasis on networking between Austrian and SEE
  Researchers
• annual thematically focused topics
• Identification of horizontal structural topics
  and scientific topics activities related to
  Western Balkan Countries (WB) call topics
• working principle
• ASOs as organisers or co-organisers of scientific
  events, support for scientists, publications as
  follow-up of activities
• Main requirements A and BG and/or SLO, in
  particular WB (institutionalised) researchers
  have to take part (universities, non-university
  research institutions, academies of sciences)

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ASOs working principles

• In terms of Resources and Topics
• 1/3 support and funding of bilateral activities
  ASOs are permanent contact points for bilateral
  activities and grants (A, BG, SLO)
• 2/3 regional activities on crucial topics for SEE
• - Horizontal and structural approaches not
  confined to narrow scientific disciplines
  topics also relevant to decision
  makers/stakeholders
• - Explicit regional dimension
• - In accordance with European trends,
  initiatives and programmes (ERA, FP7,
  Bologna, Lisbon)

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Partners and Initiatives in the WBCs - Synergies

• Research organisations (Academies of Sciences,
  Universities, Public Research Institutes, NGOs,
  ..)
• Ministries of Science, Official Development
  Assistance providers
• RTD policy dialogue platforms and projects
• WBC-INCO.net, SEE-ERA.net
• Thematic EU projects and initiatives IST2WEB,
  SEEINNOVATION, SCORE, WINS ICT
• KAIP Austria - Kosovo Partnership on Higher
  Education and Research
• UNESCO ROSTE, ERI-SEE, RCC, RRPP(SDC), CEI, SEECP

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What do we offer to Austrian and SEE researchers?

• Services and consultation to Austrian, Bulgarian,
  Slovenian, SEE researchers intensifying or
  starting scientific co-operation
• Support in finding project partners
• Financial, administrative and/or consultative
  contribution to the organisation of workshops,
  conferences, seminars
• Support for preparatory and start-up activitities
  for joint research projects
• Financial support to and editorial work on
  publications in line with the thematic priorities
• Networking with relevant activities of regional
  or European initiatives and programmes like
  TEMPUS, FP7, ERA-NET, RCC etc.
• Annual call for proposals for projects in
  research cooperation between Austria and South
  Eastern Europe (WBCs), specific calls for the
  Kosovo/UNMIK

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Bilateral activities

• Bilateral cooperation ? Opening up a regional and
  multilateral perspective
• A/BG or A/SLO focus regional actors from SEE
  (optional)
• Thematically open
• Annual working programme and continuously
  proposed activities (at ASO Ljubljana cofinanced
  by Slovenian Ministry of Higher Education,
  Science and Technology)
• Networking instrument rather than real research
  funding
• European perspective important developments and
  Programmes like e.g. the FPs, territorial
  cooperation programmes etc.
• Vision for follow-up is required
• Approximately 1515 workshops, conferences,
  meetings are organised/supported annually based
  on a bottom up approach

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Recent Developments of RTD system in Bulgaria

• Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and more than 40
  Bulgarian universities
• Very low expenditures per researcher and lack of
  investment in RTD infrastructure
• Staff research vs. teaching
• Insufficient system of reporting and evaluation
• (programme level, ex-ante, ex-post)
• Threefold increase of National Science Fund 2007
  to 2009
• Private Non Profit Research Organisations
• Competition and cooperation with the traditional
  science sector
• Relation to civil society, social innovation
  gtMode 2
• Donors interests changed after Bulgarian EU
  Membership
• Future perspectives
• HR development in the sector

gt All types of organisations have specific
strong points
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Recent Developments/Highlights of RTD system in
Slovenia

• Excellent links to European Commission
• European Commissioner for Science and Research
  (Janez Potocnik) Deputy DG of DG Research Mr.
  Zoran Stancic are Slovene
• Slovenian EU presidency in I/2008 gave new
  impetus to European dimension of RD
• Ljubljana Process of ERA governance
• Potocnik Noordung Award for Donations to the
  Development of Research Infrastructure in WB
  countries http//www.investsciencesee.info
• ESFRI conference working group for regional
  issues
• Excellent Research Information System (including
  info on funding) http//sicris.izum.si/default.a
  spx?langeng
• COBISS.net Slovenian Initiative for a regional
  SEE online library and research information
  systems network
• Slovenian national Young Researchers Programme -
  an example of good practice in promotion of human
  capacities development and prevention of brain
  drain

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COBISS.net regional SEE online library and
research information systems network
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• Background of the ASO activities
• Programming principles and partners
• RTDI systems in SEE Structural activities of
  the ASOs
• Success stories
• Outlook

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Thematic Fields of Structural Activities of ASOs
in SEE
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Structural ST Events

• Ethnic Minorities in Science and Higher
  Education. A Human Resource Development Challenge
  to Present and Future EU Member States
  (Dubrovnik, 2004)
• Women Science SEE Promotion of Women in
  Science in Southeast Europe in the context of the
  European Integration (Sofia 2004)
• Benchmarking RTDI Organisations in CEC and SEE
  (Sofia 2004)
• Implications of the Bologna Process for the
  Development of Higher Education and Research in
  SEEExperiences and Dilemmas (Belgrade 2005)
• Implementation of the Sustainable Development
  Concept in South East Europe - The RTD
  Perspective (Dubrovnik, 2005)
• Religion and European Integration - Religions as
  a Factor of Stability and Development in SEE
  (Maribor 2005)
• International Project Management for Research
  Managers from SEE UNESCO-ASO-EARMA TRAINING
  SEMINAR (Ljubljana, 2005)
• Linking University Research and Entrepreneurship
  New Social Roles for Universities in SEE? (Sofia
  2005)
• Participation of Western Balkan Countries in EU
  RTD-Framework Programmes Lessons from the Past
  and Visions for the Future (Brussels 2005)

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Structural ST Events II

• West Balkan Science Day A matching event for
  researchers from Austria and the Western Balkan
  countries (Vienna 2006)
• Perspectives for project financed research and
  project oriented research institutions in
  Southeast Europe (Sofia 2006)
• Why invest in science in SEE? (Ljubljana 2006)
  http//www.investsciencesee.info
• Training Seminar 'Foresight Knowledge Based
  Governance Responses to Climate Change' for
  researchers from SEE countries (Bled 2008)
• Shifting Planning Culture in South Eastern
  Europe Development of Strategic Approaches in
  Urban Planning (Ohrid 2008)
• Global Environmental Change Challenges to
  Science and Society in South Eastern Europe
  (Sofia 2008)
• Migration Patterns in and from South Eastern
  Europe (Sofia 2008)
• Identifying the Research base for a Sustainable
  development of the Mountain Regions in
  Southeastern Europe (Borovets, Bulgaria 2009)
• Contribution of RTD to developing sustainable
  knowledge-based economies in Central and South
  East Europe (Dubrovnik 2009)
• Scientific Diaspora and ICT- Using Modern
  Information and Communication Technologies to
  Harness the Potential of Southeast Europe's
  Scientific Diaspora (Sarajevo2009)

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ASO Calls for Proposals

• gtThe main goal is to promote networking and the
  exchange of research results and scientific
  knowledge generation of comparative studies and
  know-how exchange on European standards and
  practices in the specified areas.
• ...The activities should build on already
  existing scientific activities.

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ASO Calls Objectives

• ...to intensify the short-term cooperation in a
  scientific field with the aim to support the
  development of long-term scientific collaboration
  (e.g. in FP7)
• specific requirements for the Kosovo-calls
• gtFostering Research cooperation and networking
  in and with South East Europe
• gtAdded value for all project partners involved

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Call topics

• 2004/2005 Governance and Civil Society in a
  Knowledge based Economy
• 2005/2006 Contribution of Science to the
  EU-integration of the South East European
  Countries Research on the EducationSociety
  Nexus and on the ScienceSociety Nexus
• 2006/2007 Information Science and Society in SEE
  countries
• 2007/2008 South Eastern Europes Scientific
  Response to Biodiversity protection, climate
  change and energy scarcity
• 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 Research Cooperation and
  Networking between Austria, Kosovo/UNMIK and
  South East Europe

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ASO Calls for Proposals

• Annually 120.000 for 10 joint proposals
  (each 10.000-14.000)
• Consortium A SLO/BG (WBCs and RO)
• Kosovo A K SEE (WBCs, BG, RO)
• Results of the 4 thematic calls 2004/05-2007/08
• Results of the 2 Kosovo calls 2007/08-2008/09
• submitted proposals 404020253026 181
• 5209170 681 institutions from ASEE
  participated (all applications)
• Funded projects 109991013 60
• Most of the funded activities 2005-2009
• 4-7 partners in their consortia
• Most of the Kosovo/UNMIK funded activities
  2008-2010
• 3-5 partners in their consortia
• Kosovo/UNMIK call 1
• Kosovo/UNMIK call 2

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Activities concerning YS

• Information campaign for PhDs, incoming research
  grants for Austria, success rate of e.g. 90
  2007/2009 for Bulgarian students
• Ernst Mach Grant,
• Richard Plaschka Grant,
• Franz Werfel Grant
• Widening of the geographical scope 2008, 2009
• Promotion in the whole SEE region
• Specific activities in FYRoMacedonia and Serbia
• (Until 2009 no successful applicants)
• Grants Database WBC-INCO.net update, promotion
• The Impact of the European Research Area on the
  Development of Young Scientists (2006)
  successful follow up
• Alumni-meeting 2008 of grant holders back in
  Bulgaria to foster institutional cooperation with
  their Austrian host organisations

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• Background of the ASO activities
• Programming principles and partners
• RTDI systems in SEE Structural activities of
  the ASOs
• Success stories
• Outlook

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Success Stories

• Follow-up from calls and structural ST events
• Databases in specific fields and project
  webpages
• Application in other funding schemes (national,
  FPs, COST)
• Granted follow-up projects in the FPs
• Widening the scope towards Kosovo/UNMIK in
  following ASO calls
• Follow-up activities of grantholders of Austrian
  scholarships (Bulgaria)
• Establishing regional initiatives in global
  research networks
• Example Mountain Research Initiative - MRI

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Success Stories/Highlights II

• Administration of Slovenian EU presidency
  initiative Potocnik-Noordung Award for Donations
  to the Development of Research Infrastructure in
  Western Balkan Countries by ASO Ljubljana
  http//investsciencesee.info/news1.html
• International Conference Participation of
  Western Balkan Countries in EU RTD Framework
  Programmes, February 2005 in the European
  Parliament http//www.aso.zsi.at/sl/veranstaltung
  /190.html
• Publication Martin Felix Gajdusek, Andrea
  Christiane Mayr, Miroslav Polzer (eds.), Science
  Policy and Human Resources Development in
  South-Eastern Europe in the Context of European
  Integration, Vienna, 2006
• Miroslav Polzer, Silvo Devetak, Ludvik Toplak,
  Felix Unger (eds.), Religion and European
  Integration Religion as a Factor of Stability
  and Development In South Eastern Europe,
  Collection of contributions from the Maribor
  Symposium editon weimar, European Academy of
  Sciences and Arts, Salzburg, 2007

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• Background of the ASO activities
• Programming principles and partners
• RTDI systems in SEE Structural activities of
  the ASOs
• Success stories
• Outlook

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Outlook

• Structural SEE events 2009
• Bilateral activities
• Assisting Kosovo/UNMIK call
• ASO Publication on Climate Change SEE
• Annual topic for II/2009-I/2010
• ...Contract 7/2009-6/2011 (2013?)

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Outlook ASO Sofia

• Developing perspectives of research capacities at
  Universities in the WBC in the Social Sciences
  (October 2009)
• Workshop Supporting measures towards successful
  scientific careers in WB countries (2009/10)
• Training of presentation skills for early stage
  researchers and PhDs grants holders of Austrian
  Ernst Mach Grants (2009)
• Follow-up activities Identifying the Research
  Base for a Sustainable Development of the
  Mountain Regions in Southeastern Europe
  (Borovets, Bulgaria 2009)
• Co-ordination ASO joint publication (forthcoming
  2009)
• 3 publications of structural events (forthcoming
  2009)
• Several bilateral activities bottom-up proposed
  (to be selected)
• Cooperation with the Austrian Embassy
• Promotion of the Austrian Ernst Mach grants in
  the WBCs

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Outlook ASO Ljubljana

• Follow-up with UNESCO and Regional Cooperation
  Council to Sarajevo workshop on ICT and
  Scientific diaspora
• Follow-up to Dubrovnik conference on
  science-industry relations in CEESEE
  www.investsciencesee.info/dubrovnikprogramme.html
  (incl. ideas for some kind of CEE/SEE Research
  and Innovation Area)
• International conference The Role of Education
  and Universities in the Modernization and
  Europeanization Processes in Central and
  South-Eastern European Countries in 19th and 20th
  Century in cooperation with the Institute for
  Contemporary History, Ljubljana, 2009
• International conference 1989-2009. Religion und
  Wende in Mittel- und Südosteuropa, Vienna
  (October 7-9 2009)
• International conference Kärnten/Koroka und die
  Vereinten Nationen, Klagenfurt 2010
• International conference Climate Change
  Religion
• Regional SEE Seminar with the University of
  Belgrade on Climate Change and the UN system in
  autumn 2009 and contribution to the development
  of scientific capacities in SEE with regard to
  global governance

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Thank you for your attention!
Austrian Science and Research Liaison Office
Ljubljana Miroslav Polzer (Head of the office
Ljubljana) aso-ljubljana_at_zsi.at Austrian Science
and Research Liaison Office Sofia Martin Felix
Gajdusek (Head of the office Sofia) aso-sofia_at_zsi.
at Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI) Hanna
Scheck, Andrea C. Mayr Co-ordination Austrian
Science and Research Liaison Offices scheck_at_zsi.at
mayr_at_zsi.at http//www.aso.zsi.at