European Science Foundation Collaborative Research Programmes

1
LEuropean Research Council (Consell Europeu de
Recerca) Enric Banda Barcelona, 5 desembre 2003
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ESF Member Organisations76 in 29 countries
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European Research Council (ERC)

• Agència de finançament incloent totes les
  disciplines
• Sense responsabilitats de gestió i execució de
  recerca

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European Research Council (ERC)

• Articles Science, Nature, diaris,
• Debats Estocolm, Madrid, Copenague, Dublin,
  Barcelona i molts altres

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ESF ERC

• Generar debat
• Consulta web
• Posició el 2003

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Need for ERC?
N 817
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ERC

• European Research Council
• Strengthening Research Quality in Europe
• Developing capacity across the continent
• Competition at a European level

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Basic research as a policy

• Treaty (Constitution)
• National responsibility (?)
• Europe needs the continental dimension

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No confusion!!!

• Basic, fundamental, curiosity-driven,
  understanding-driven, in the forefront of
  knowledge, investigator-initiated,
  researcher-initiated, bottom-up, blue-skies, not
  applied yet, discovery-oriented, leading edge,
  cutting edge, long-term, excellent, world-class,
  first-class, top-notch,

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The European RD system

• Funding system nationally led
• Not a federal system
• Complex decision making

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European Research Area

• Some weaknesses
• Low investment
• Fragmentation
• Lack of competition
• Decision making processes
• Mobility
• Lack European fundamental research
• Diversity

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NIH Budget History(dollars in millions)
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Fiscal Year
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SE degrees earned by foreign students 1998-99
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Share of EU born PhD recipients who plan to stay
in the US after PhD, 1990-1999
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European challenges

• Lisbon and Barcelona
• ERA
• Gap with the US
• 3
• Way forward?
• New discoveries
• Innovation
• Education

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R
EC
The European Research Council shall serve as a
forward looking scientific conscience of the EC.
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European Research Area

• A European Research Council?
• Value added (I)
• genuine European competition
• critical mass
• long-term research
• more efficient use of funds

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European Research Area

• A European Research Council?
• Value added (II)
• go beyond the scope of single nation
• harmonise infrastructures and help decision
  making
• strategy and policy focus
• International voice

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European Research Council

• Led by scientists
• Bottom up
• Excellence as basis for decision
• Arms length from Gov./EC
• Accountable

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European Research Council

• European competition
• Infrastructures
• Research coordination (Involvement of national
  research organisations)
• Policy
• Science education

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European Research Council

• How?
• Big Bang
• Evolutionary (step by step)
• Who?
• How much?

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Do we need new structures?

• Yes, we need deep structural changes to make
  sense of the European Research Area
• No barriers to creativity