Updated daily at www.ResearchResearch.com 20 November 2014 Geoghegan-Quinn leaves mixed legacy – p13 ERA Less is more, or is it? – p5 Archiving Cologne collection’s comeback after construction collapse – p6 Commission bids Glover a silent farewell Researchers call for clarification as CSA post is left to expire A tense relationship between the European by Laura Greenhalgh [email protected] Commission and the chief scientific adviser to its pres- ident ended in unceremonious fashion this month, as work,” said Mark Downs, the chief executive of the Anne Glover was quietly relieved of her duties. UK’s Society of Biology. Glover’s mandate as CSA expired with the tenure Others linked Glover’s departure to her support for of president José Manuel Barroso on 31 October, but genetic modification, following a campaign by envi- her contract with the Commission lasts until February. ronmental groups to have the CSA post abolished. But However, on 11 November, she received an email according to Wilsdon: “Characterising this as some informing her that the function of the CSA had ceased sort of anti-science agenda from the Juncker presi- to exist, meaning she was free to leave if she wished. dency is incorrect—there’s no evidence of that.” Glover’s departure was expected, but many observers On 14 November, the European Academies Science were hoping that the incoming president Jean-Claude Advisory Council asked Juncker to clarify his inten- Juncker would appoint an immediate successor. tions. This was echoed in a statement from Paul Nurse, Instead, they say, the developments show that science the president of the UK’s Royal Society, who said: “If advice is not high on Juncker’s agenda. “It’s a combi- the Commission has a plausible plan for ensuring that nation of indifference and being too busy—it’s a low scientific evidence will be taken seriously, it needs priority,” says James Wilsdon, of the Science Policy to start sharing it with people soon, otherwise it will Research Unit at the UK’s University of Sussex. encourage those who portray the Commission as out This conclusion is seemingly supported by the of touch and not willing to listen to informed advice.” explanation from a Commission spokeswoman, who Some believe that Glover’s position should be rein- says that the CSA post has “simply expired” and the stated, but others argue that the Anglo-American president has “not yet decided” how to deal with inde- model of an individual CSA is not tenable in Europe, pendent scientific advice. where committees are usually employed to offer col- According to a Brussels source, Glover sent numer- lective advice at both the national and EU levels. ous messages to Juncker after he was elected to make “Europe is not a single monarchy, and if you don’t the case for the CSA post to be continued, including have a network you cannot accomplish much,” says requests for meetings. However, she received no reply. Jerzy Langer, a member of the Polish Academy of This illustrates the frosty nature of the relationship Sciences. “Glover is a superb individual, but she didn’t between the CSA and the Commission—a matter on have much influence.” which Glover has spoken frankly in recent months. Both options remain open to Juncker. “The way “The most worrying aspect of this was the cur- he formulated the email to Anne leaves him plenty of sory way in which it was dealt with,” says Wilsdon. “I room to say: ‘I never said there wouldn’t be a CSA’,” thought they might take longer to reach a decision, says the Brussels source. “He could claim there’s been and spend time talking to people. But Juncker refused a huge misunderstanding.” to engage in a serious way with Glover, which strikes It is also possible that Juncker me as utterly self-defeating.” will do nothing, believing he has the Every new opportunity As the news broke, research leaders expressed their right structures in place already. “He for research funding annoyance that the CSA post was not being renewed. could just ignore it, as he has ignored from every sponsor in the EU, US & beyond “This sends a signal that science and its role in policy- all previous debates on the CSA, and making has been downgraded at a time when Europe delay a decision until nobody’s asking Independent news needs to do all it can to support innovation through for it any more,” says the source. “It’s Direct from Brussels an effective, realist and evidence-led policy frame- a very popular political tactic.” Issue No. 398 2 editorial Research Europe, 20 November 2014

Edited by Colin Macilwain [email protected] Tel: +44 20 7216 6500 Fax: +44 20 7216 6501 Unit 111, 134-146 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3AR

elsewhere

“It would be good to find something Wrong rift totally unexpected.” Fabiola Gianotti, the next director-general of the particle physics laboratory Cern, sets her first goal. Horizon Magazine, 7/11/14. Anguish over losing the chief scientific adviser is “Proposals are only useful if they are largely confined to one side of the English Channel adopted, accepted and implemented properly on the ground.” The European Commission’s vice-president The departure of Anne Glover as chief scientific adviser to the president Frans Timmermans explains why the of the European Commission has been widely and unsympathetically por- Commission will collaborate with the European Parliament from the outset on trayed, at least in the UK media, as a symptom of anti-science sentiment future work programmes. Pan-European on the part of the Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker. Networks, 12/11/14. Scientific leaders who worked with Glover are understandably disap- pointed that the role hasn’t been retained. Some say that Juncker’s team “Those who fit in the category of ‘good sci- entists’ in the current peer-review-based doesn’t care about research, or that it takes issue with Glover’s well-publi- evaluation criteria may not always be so.” cised views, criticised by environmentalists, on genetically modified crops. Guillermo Orts-Gil, who leads a Max Planck nanotechnology research group in Germany, Neither assertion rings true. Research is more prominent in the EU’s says citizen engagement may soon equal budget plan—which Juncker was instrumental in framing as head of the citation rates in evaluations of job Eurogroup—than ever before. There is nothing in his public statements or performance. Euroscientist, 12/11/14. his reputation at the European Parliament (or back home in Luxembourg) “No must mean no.” to suggest that he carries any anti-science agenda in the sense of reject- European Green party spokesman Bart Staes ing scientific evidence in policy-making on ideological grounds. says it’s important for member states to have the right to opt out of trials of genetically And the idea that Juncker, a mainstream, pro-business conservative, modified crops. EurActiv, 12/11/14. is dropping Glover at the behest of the Greens is almost laughable. It is a fantasy to think that a handful of popular but poorly financed pressure “We definitely need to improve the tech- nology in all different energy sectors.” groups such as Greenpeace could hold such sway in Brussels. Giovanni De Santi, director of the Joint It is true that Glover made trouble for herself by taking a strident pub- Research Centre’s energy research institute, lic position on the issue of GM crops, which deeply divides EU member says the 2015 Strategic Energy Technology Plan should not attempt to prioritise too states. She struggled to acknowledge the case against the technology, much. Science Business, 13/11/14. last year describing it unhelpfully to The Scotsman as “a form of mad- ness”. Perhaps as a laboratory biologist, she was simply unaware of the “Maybe today we didn’t just land once, but twice.” powerful ecological arguments against GM crops. If so, her misunder- European Space Agency project manager standing may inadvertently demonstrate one of the reasons the CSA post Stephan Ulamec says a small bounce explains is not being renewed. the confusion about whether the Philae Different nations around the world have traditionally taken very differ- comet probe had landed. Science, 12/11/14. ent approaches to receiving scientific and technical advice. The concept “It is never entirely clear what the of a single CSA is essentially an Anglo-American one. The idea has never numbers really mean, especially in light of endemic corruption and misconduct.” taken root in France, Germany or any other major European nation, and Richard Suttmeier, a researcher of Chinese has not been employed in China or Japan. policy at the University of Oregon in the The idea of a single, politically appointed figurehead for science and United States, says reports that China may outspend the US on R&D by 2020 may be technology advice does not sit well with federalism or with the concept exaggerated. Nature, 12/11/14. of a democracy in which everyone should be allowed a voice. In Germany, for example, the influential Wissenschaftsrat is painstakingly constructed to reflect various different perspectives from all parts of the country. decade Everyone in Brussels is all too familiar with the infuriating tendency of the British to assume that theirs is the best way of doing things and “The research market is very that they are enduring any different approaches within the EU almost on sufferance. far away from being open.” Since Glover’s appointment by José Manuel Barroso in 2011, the onus Peter Nijkamp, chairman of the has been on advocates of the CSA approach to show that it can be genu- Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, says national research councils inely representative and effective. Merely asserting that this is the case in Europe should collaborate more. does not make it so. The Commission needs to take an approach to scien- tific advice that is based on collegiality and diversity, and the loss of the Research Europe, 18 November 2004 CSA post does not stand in the way of it doing this. Research Europe, 20 November 2014 news 3 what’s going on

Moedas’s team shapes up Carlos Moedas, the incoming research commissioner, is to keep several staff members in the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. Jack Metthey, Maive Rute, Octavio Quintana Trias and Pablo Amor will remain as division heads, and Robert-Jan Smits will stay on as director-general at least temporarily. António Vicente, previously the chief of staff for Moedas in his former role as secretary of state to the Portuguese prime minister, will be chef de cabinet.

Concerns over unmet payments continue MEPs have called on the Council of Ministers to prioritise discussions about unpaid 2014 bills over 2015 budget negotiations. The Council met on 14 November to discuss the 2015 budget, after its first proposal was rejected by the European Parliament. But the Parliament’s budgets committee has asked the Council to focus on the EU’s unpaid bills, which reached €23.4 billion in 2013 and are expected to hit €28bn by the end of 2014.

Quake convictions overturned An Italian court of appeal has quashed the manslaughter convictions of six Italian seismologists. In 2012, a judge found the scientists guilty of releasing “overly optimistic” public statements in 2009 that may have led to people not preparing fully for an earthquake. The earthquake hit the town of L’Aquila, killing 309 people. L’Aquila’s court of appeal cleared the six scientists on 10 November after more than 5,000 of their peers asked for an acquittal.

More funding needed to halt brain drain in eastern Europe Eastern European researchers struggle to win enough funding to justify staying in the region, a survey by the Swiss National Science Foundation has shown. One third of the eastern European respondents said they could not find sufficient national funding to make collaboration in their own countries worthwhile. Researchers also said that not enough grants were given to doctoral students, forcing many to leave the region.

Commission taken to court over US trade deal A group campaigning against a proposed trade deal between the EU and the United States has filed a lawsuit against the European Commission for “stifling citizens”. The Stop TTIP coalition, comprising 290 civil society groups from 23 EU countries, submitted a European Citizens’ Initiative in July to ask for a hearing on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership at the European Parliament, but the Commission said it would not register the initiative.

Parliament calls for reassessment of EU spending The success of EU funding should be measured less in terms of error rates and more in terms of project progress, according to the European Parliament. The European Court of Auditors’ annual report showed that the error rate for EU spending dropped slightly between 2012 and 2013, to 4.7 per cent. However, MEPs said this number did not reflect wider problems affecting EU projects.

Medicines agency responds to ombudsman The European Medicines Agency has said it is slowly implementing its data publication policy to improve the transparency of clinical trials, but has to erase confidential data. Emily O’Reilly, the European ombudsman, wrote to the EMA in May to express her concerns about its proposal to only make data available to people who had agreed to its terms of use. 4 news Research Europe, 20 November 2014 europe

University rankings grow in influence but leave institutions confused

Universities feel pressured to use rankings despite con- by Safya Khan-Ruf [email protected] fusion and criticism over their scope and methodology, the European University Association has said. through increased scientific publications, says Carmen A study by the lobby group says that the rising influ- Pérez-Esparells, a former vice-rector for innovation at ence of league tables has pushed universities to follow the Autonomous University of Madrid. “It’s a cycle and rankings closely to maintain or improve their reputations. they’re all related: reputation, research production and Of the 171 higher education institutions in 39 European rankings.” She adds, however, that the data are useful as countries surveyed for the study, 60 per cent said they a transparency tool, particularly in Mediterranean coun- took rankings into account when developing plans. tries where finding accurate data can be difficult. However, there is some confusion at universities Many European universities are looking for alternative about what can be considered a ranking and how mean- measures of performance because of perceived league ingful the different indicators are, according to the table bias in favour of English-speaking universities. group’s report, Rankings in Institutional Strategies and But Brigitte Göbbels-Dreyling, the deputy secretary- Processes: Impact or Illusion. general of the HRK, Germany’s rectors‘ association, says Different ranking systems calculate and define indi- that scepticism about methodology has led to rankings cators in different ways, the report notes, which can having less importance in Germany: “We are convinced be a source of confusion and additional work for uni- it is not possible to measure the excellence of the whole versities as they submit information for league tables. university this way.” “Institutional people say it would be easier if they didn’t The report suggests the possibility of a common data have to calculate the number of students in different set to allow fairer comparisons at international level. ways for different purposes,” says Tia Loukkola of the However, this would require consensus between many EUA’s institutional development unit. different systems and institutions on indicators and Peer pressure also causes rankings to be used, and definitions of terms, and is thus “not very likely in the universities must constantly improve their reputation immediate future”, says Göbbels-Dreyling. Alzheimer’s research too risky for industry Europe is at risk of losing its momentum in Alzheimer’s by Safya Khan-Ruf [email protected] disease research, as increases in public funding are too low and companies are reluctant to take risks, research- minister David Cameron pledged to double spending on ers have said. Alzheimer’s research to £122m (€156m) by 2025. EU The EU-wide Joint Programme on Neurodegenerative member states have been asked to devise national action Disease Research, or JPND, launched in 2010, may not plans, but progress on these has been mixed. be enough to resurrect industry funding in the field, One problem is that the billions of euros spent on according to those involved. The initiative has led to Alzheimer’s disease so far have not yet led to any sig- greater collaboration and increases in public funding nificant advances in drug production, says Philippe for work on Alzheimer’s, but this progress is far short of Amouyel, the chairman of the JPND. As a result, the what is needed, they say. European pharmaceutical industry is stepping back The JPND spends about €370 million in pooled nation- from Alzheimer’s research because “it has poor return al and EU funding on neurodegenerative diseases. Work on investments, is too risky and is still very difficult to on Alzheimer’s receives a third of the funding, but a understand”, he says. single clinical trial for a potential drug can cost €80m, Wischik estimates that, globally, companies have says Claude Wischik, chairman of mental health at the spent €12bn to €16bn on the amyloid treatment option, University of Aberdeen and of the pharmaceutical compa- without producing a successful therapy. “Some of them ny TauRx. “€1m or €5m per project goes a long way when got so badly burnt, they just decided that Alzheimer’s you’re funding a basic researcher,” he says. “But to turn disease is too hard,” he says. that into a product that is useful for people is extraordi- For Amouyel, the problem could be tackled through narily expensive: a different order of magnitude.” the JPND if its members increased collaboration, as big A G8 summit held in London last December promised international projects offer the security and access to to focus more EU resources on Alzheimer’s, and has led knowledge that can reinvigorate industry spending. “We to an increase in public funding in the UK, where prime need a lot of brains and a lot of money,” he says. Research Europe, 20 November 2014 news 5

Variety of funding models must stay, Commission told Minimising the differences between national funding by Cristina Gallardo [email protected] models in the European Research Area could be detri- mental for science, according to Science Europe. However, other research policy analysts disagree with In a position statement on ERA progress, the asso- Science Europe’s assessment. Manfred Horvat, a senior ciation of research organisations and funders says that adviser at Cesaer, a lobby group of engineering universi- national funders need to be flexible and choose the right ties, says that having more than 30 funding systems in policy mix for their own context and problems, rather Europe is hindering collaboration with agencies in other than being subjected to a one-size-fits-all approach. regions such as Asia and South America. The document, which refers to a 2012 communication “The ERA needs common basic principles and pro- issued by the European Commission, says that national cedures for funding research while allowing a certain needs vary and evolve. Matteo Razzanelli, a senior pol- degree of flexibility for the accommodation of specific icy officer at Science Europe, says that the Commission regional contexts,” he says. should not consider a Pan-European funding model as a Peter Tindemans, the secretary-general of the grass- goal in itself. “Going naively for one single model for the roots scientists’ organisation EuroScience, says that sake of the model would be detrimental for research,” he Science Europe’s statement is “a bit nit-picking and says. “Each country has to find its proper mix.” based on a misreading of the ERA roadmap”. Science Science Europe also warns that Pan-European peer Europe does not need to warn against homogenisation, review can result in biases, for instance against early- he says, because the Commission is not considering it. career researchers, women or interdisciplinary research. “The Commission says that the balance between com- This could be avoided by giving funders enough flex- petition-based funding and institutional funding will ibility to experiment with different forms of peer review, vary,” Tindemans says. “Science Europe seems to read says Stephan Kuster, the association’s head of policy. something in the ERA communication that is not there.” Ukraine seeks advice on Horizon 2020 success Ukraine’s research system needs more support from by Cristina Gallardo [email protected] the European Commission for the country to succeed in upcoming calls for proposals, according to its academics. research facilities and enables Ukrainian scientists to Ukraine’s researchers won €26.5 million during visit EU research organisations. An association agree- Framework 7, and the country’s government has said ment is expected in early 2015 to allow Ukraine to bid for that the aim is to improve on that figure in Horizon Horizon 2020 funding. 2020. To achieve this, academics say, the country needs To build on its Framework 7 success, the country more guidance on how to assemble winning proposals. hopes to open up some hitherto untapped research fields Yegor Dubynskyi, an adviser at the National Academy with the help of EU partners, Dubynskyi explains. “We of Sciences of Ukraine and a national contact point for need the Commission to come up with a project where the Framework programme, says that researchers have the most experienced EU countries can share informa- approached him looking for advice on how to improve tion and experience with us,” he says. their use of European research infrastructure and win The conflict with Russia has shaken Ukraine’s R&D funding for applied research and innovation. system and made its access to EU funding even more “Developing effective science and technology coop- necessary, says Yuriy Yakimenko, head of the Ukrainian eration with the EU is still a complicated task for us,” he Research and Academic Network, a group of universities says. “We would like to make our research and innova- and academies. Participation in Horizon 2020 is cru- tion system more in line with those of the EU countries.” cial for Ukraine to counteract a dramatic drop in public In a vote on 17 November, Itre, the European spending on R&D, which fell from 1.17 per cent of GDP Parliament’s industry, research and energy commit- in 2005 to 0.74 per cent in 2011 because of economic tee, renewed the EU’s bilateral treaty for science and problems and low public investment. technology cooperation with Ukraine for 5 years. This “Ukrainian universities really need to be integrated document, identical to the one signed for the first into Horizon 2020,” Yakimenko says. “It would be a time in 2002, gives Ukraine free access to EU-funded great step forward for us.” 6 news Research Europe, 20 November 2014 interview bettina schmidt-czaia From dust till dawn Five years ago, Cologne’s city archive collapsed during a construction project. Inga Vesper talks to director Bettina Schmidt-Czaia about salvaging the past.

Just before 2pm on 3 March 2009, a tube tunnel being archive content is still not sorted and catalogued, and dug below the Cologne archive building suddenly caved many documents have been split between different in. Shelves stretching for 30 kilometres tumbled into archives. “As a history researcher you rarely look at just the waterlogged construction ditch. Two people died. one piece; you usually do your research using context Handwritten medieval contracts, letters from Napoleon materials from the archive,” she says. “This kind of con- and Karl Marx, and countless microfilms, videos, deeds, text is what we cannot yet provide.” registers and photos were buried under tons of rubble, But the collapse has also given rise to brand-new dust and mud. research topics. The “Cologne damage symptoms”, Bettina Schmidt-Czaia, the director of the archive, including shredding, dust and water damage, and severe is still picking up the pieces. Literally. Thanks to hun- scrunching, are already part of studies on document res- dreds of volunteer helpers, about 95 per cent of the toration and preservation. Progress is also being made archive’s content has already been rescued—some of it on developing digitisation techniques for highly sensi- from depths of nearly 30 metres below ground and from tive and fragile materials. groundwater aquifers. To preserve these sodden docu- Schmidt-Czaia has taken her own lessons from the ments, chunks of archive material mixed with rubble collapse—what she calls the “10 commandments of and silt were deep-frozen and stored, while documents archiving”. She has become a staunch supporter of dig- that had remained dry were farmed out to other archives itisation of even the most recent materials, and is urging across Germany to be cleaned and catalogued. other archives to think more about proper packaging and “In the past 5 years we have reduced the number storage. She also says that the fire brigade and emer- of temporary emergency archives from 20 to 10,” says gency services should be involved in archive planning, Schmidt-Czaia. “About two-thirds of documents have so that they know where the most important material is been through phase one of our archiving process, so we kept and how archive materials can be safeguarded. And know what condition they are in and where we can find she is keen on public engagement to create pressure on them. But we still have to find space to create a tempo- authorities to support their archives. rary central archive for about 20km of shelving space, so “You need to tell people what cultural treasures are in that we can bring everything together until we have a an archive, and teach them why it’s important to support new archive building in Cologne.” and respect history and culture,” she says. “The archive Schmidt-Czaia praises the city council for standing by should accompany people for their whole lives.” the archive from the start, freely dispensing money and And there’s still considerable personal fallout from the staff to aid the salvage and reconstruction process. The collapse. Many staff members, including Schmidt-Czaia, total damage is estimated at an astonishing €1 billion, only made it out of the archive with seconds to spare. with €350 million to €400m needed for the document Some still have “scratches on their soul”, she says. restoration process alone. “Our aspiration is to make Long-time archivists saw their lives’ work drown in everything that was rescued available for use again. All mud and are disheartened by the fact that it could take will be restored,” says Schmidt-Czaia. 40 years for the archive to be fully restored. But the Thanks to the extra funding, the archive has increased eagerness of their new colleagues, many of whom joined its staff numbers from 38 at the time of the collapse to the archive specifically to help with the restoration, has about 200 today. Most are busy restor- motivated them to stick around. ing documents, but some are restarting A cost estimate for a brand-new archive building is ‘Our aspiration original, historical research, based on expected to be finalised this month, and the repository is to make the archive. Digitised content is being is back to receiving about 3,000 enquiries a year, mostly made available as soon as originals are from PhD students and other researchers. For Schmidt- everything that scanned, and several thousand docu- Czaia, this is motivation enough to continue—even if ments are ready for use in physical form. some people who lived through the collapse may never was rescued Still, the chaos resulting from the see the restoration completed. available for collapse has limited the speed at “If there were no research being done here in 30 years’ which such research can be resumed. time, that would be the real catastrophe,” she says. use again.’ Schmidt-Czaia explains that much More to say? Email [email protected] Research Europe, 20 November 2014 comment 7 arnold & burns view from the top Wildlife needs a drugs policy

When we take medication, a proportion of it passes However, this approach is still not generally accepted through our bodies unchanged and is flushed into the by regulators, who are more comfortable with lab-based sewage system. Some of the more persistent pharmaceu- results and mortality data. A challenge for scientists is ticals, such as antidepressants and the hormones in the therefore to provide a stronger evidence base for the contraceptive pill, evade clean-up processes; they are validity of ecologically relevant measures of eco-toxic- then pumped into streams and rivers, and also spread ity, so that these become reflected in regulation. on to fields via sewage sludge. On top on this, manure Even with a shift in regulators’ attitudes towards data, containing veterinary drugs is deposited straight on to challenges remain in getting scientific advice into policy. fields by livestock and used by farmers as fertiliser. Climate change debates illustrate all too clearly the gaps The effects on wildlife can be dramatic: in India, three that can appear between scientific advice and policy out- species of vulture were almost driven extinct by eating puts. These gaps have a number of causes. One is that the carcasses of livestock that had been treated with scientists can work with long time horizons, whereas the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac. Recent studies policymakers generally work within terms of office that suggest that drugs designed for humans are entering restrict the options they are prepared to consider, par- the food chain of fish-eating species such as otters and ticularly when some options are unpopular or expensive. ospreys, and can modify behaviour and physiology in Policymakers are also potentially susceptible to busi- creatures including snails, frogs and songbirds. For ness interests. In the EU, for example, moves in summer example, starlings that were fed worms containing a 2013 to regulate three pharmaceuticals, including concentration of Prozac equivalent to that seen in wild diclofenac and two hormones, as priority substances worms showed changes in feeding behaviour and libido presenting a significant ecological risk ran into prob- relative to controls. lems. The European Commission, following scientific Pharmaceuticals have been detected in waterways advice, called to have the pharmaceuticals regulated. and freshwater animals from Texas to Hyderabad and The European Parliament, however—following intense from Beijing to London. With expanding and ageing business lobbying—voted to have the substances placed human populations becoming ever more reliant on drugs on a watch list with no legislative force. to maintain their health and produce intensively reared MEPs argued that during a recession the costs of regu- livestock, the issue of pharmaceuticals in the environ- lation were unjustifiable. Even when scientists have a ment will only become more significant. compelling case, wider concerns often result in policy It might seem clear that pharmaceutical companies outputs that do not reflect scientific understanding. should be the ones paying to clean up what is effectively A further issue is communication between scientists pollution. But in the EU the onus falls on water compa- and policymakers. It is difficult to communicate com- nies, under the aegis of the Water Framework Directive. plex ideas and data to non-specialists, and scientists There is, then, a mismatch between the policymakers and are not always their own best advocates when it comes agencies regulating the production and release of phar- to presenting their findings and arguments in a read- maceuticals and those responsible for cleaning them up. ily understandable format. Moreover, they are often Luckily, mass mortality events involving large, char- competing for attention with corporations and interest ismatic animals such as vultures appear to be rare. groups who have experts at public relations on hand to Concentrations of the pharmaceuticals are usually low shape the public and policy debates. and the consequences for animals are apparently sub- These obstacles are not insurmountable: they require, tle—alterations to behaviour or reproductive success, as a first step, greater multidisciplinary and cross-sector for example, often in small, unobtrusive creatures such collaboration, and more effective policy coordination. as cuttlefish, minnows and starlings. Crucially, we need more integration Yet we have a poor understanding of the effects of the between research groups in different combinations of pharmaceuticals being released into the countries. Research funding agencies ‘Drugs designed environment, especially on marine and land animals. have a vital role to play in driving this, for humans are Ecologists are increasingly convinced that field stud- and the EU is in a perfect position, with ies are the best way to capture data on this issue, using its Horizon 2020 programme, to fund entering the toxicological endpoints such as behavioural changes as ecologically relevant research that can measures that should prompt regulation. bring to an end the unnecessary medi- food chains cating of nature. of otters and Kathryn Arnold and Charlotte Burns work in the Something to add? Email comment@ environment department at the University of York, UK. ResearchResearch.com ospreys.’ 8 comment Research Europe, 20 November 2014 view from the top alexander kritikos Four assets and five policies to help Greece innovate

For a production process to increase its competitive- Third, Greece has an impressive diaspora. Of the ness, it needs to become cheaper or more innovative. country’s top researchers (defined as those in the most- Governments influence the capacity of companies to cited 10,000 worldwide), 85 per cent work outside the make either change to their processes by shaping the country. There is also no shortage of high-achievers in regulatory environment and the innovation system. finance and business in the diaspora, many of whom Greece has ample scope for reform in both areas. would be ready to help pull Greece into the future. Small-business owners complain that they spend up to And fourth, Greece has a quality of life that makes it 30 per cent of their time on bureaucracy related to regu- easy to convince people to move there—a crucial asset in lation. And support, financial or otherwise, to turn ideas the global competition for talent. into products is almost nonexistent, so most ideas cre- To unlock these hidden assets, the Greek government ated in Greece are turned into products elsewhere. must design an innovation policy that will narrow the But the public have been turned against further gaps in the innovation chain. There are five strategic reform of any kind by 6 years of recession and austerity: steps that could be taken, alongside better allocation of the result of the Greek government’s decision, under the the country’s meagre public funds. guidance of the European Commission, the European First and foremost, Greece needs to cut the red tape, Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, to making the business environment open to innovation. cut wages without aiding innovation. Second, Greece must use EU funds to invest in addi- Just what has been lost is shown by comparison with tional, cutting-edge applied research centres that eastern European countries such as the Baltic states produce high-quality science to support entrepreneurs. and Poland. Five years ago, they were much poorer than It needs an investment strategy that combines EU funds Greece. But they strengthened their innovation systems with a shift in public spending from consumption to R&D. and will soon overtake Greece in terms of GDP per capita. Third, Greece needs to encourage strong ties between The Greek economy is based on relatively small busi- universities, public research institutions and compa- nesses in low-value-added industries such as tourism, nies. Building scientifically competitive research drinks and food. These will not provide strong growth; campuses where people from academia and business instead, the country must lay the groundwork for higher-­ can mix will help close the gaps in the innovation chain value-added goods and services. R&D investments are and attract talent. Whether or not Greece becomes an critical because they yield innovative, exportable goods innovation hub depends not only on investments in while creating jobs, prosperity and hope. R&D and research centres, but also on establishing There are reforms under way, but they are not enough: partnerships between the worlds of research, entrepre- R&D needs an innovation-oriented industrial structure neurship and administration. and a well-functioning innovation system. This will be Fourth, this approach will only work if universities and a considerable challenge. Some Eurozone economies research institutes are politically independent. The gov- invest about 3 per cent of their GDP in R&D. Greece invests ernment needs to give them an overall budget and leave 0.67 per cent. It is the worst-placed Eurozone country on details such as appointment processes to researchers. the Commission’s innovation performance index. Finally, the Greek diaspora is not yet treated as an On the flipside, Greece has assets economic asset. Programmes designed to target its that could support a modern innovation potential could turn brain drain into brain circulation. ‘EU funds must system. First, it has excellent research Combined, these steps would create trust in the Greek institutes. Unfortunately, its publicly political system. The sooner that ministers and MPs be combined funded researchers have retreated into implement them, the sooner Greece will be on the path with a shift fundamental research and are not allowed to sustainable growth. to have real interactions with businesses. More to say? Email [email protected] in public Second, Greece has retained a few innovative firms, such as the energy com- Alexander Kritikos is a research director at the German spending from pany Systems Sunlight. These work with Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), a professor consumption research institutes sporadically but not in of economics at the University of Potsdam and a research organised clusters, despite the potential fellow at two employment research institutes: the IZA in to R&D.’ for mutually beneficial cooperation. Bonn and the IAB in Nuremberg. Research Europe funding opportunities 20 November 2014 every new opportunity every discipline

IL Lady Davis Fellowship Trust highlights deadlines postdoctoral fellowships 192789 europe Opportunities from previous issues IL Lady Davis Fellowship Trust visiting professorships 185087 Wood technology award Environmental policy of Research Europe, listed by closing Holzindustrie Schweighofer invites nomi- IL Lady Davis Fellowship Trust date. European Commission and nations for the Schweighofer prize. This The Directorate-General associated funders marked EU. visiting professorships at the Tech- nion 192790 recognises innovative ideas, technolo- for the Environment gies, products and services concerning Each entry is followed by a Web id JP Mazak Foundation research grants 192896 the European forest-based sector. Four invites tenders for a to seven prizes, worth up to €100,000, November FI Tiina and Antti Herlin Foundation framework contract grants 1182236 are available. EU Directorate-General for Maritime Web id: 207235 on economic analysis 28 Affairs and Fisheries study on the DE University of Heidelberg interna- Email: [email protected] tional research award in global evaluation of specific management [1] of environmental and scenarios for the preparation of history 1182069 Deadline: 2 February 2015 resource efficiency multiannual plans in the Mediter- ranean and the Black Sea 1182429 December EU environmental policy policies. The estimated EU Directorate-General for Maritime IT European Association of Plastic The Directorate-General for the Environ- value of the contract is Affairs and Fisheries study on the 1 Surgeons young plastic surgeon ment invites tenders for a framework implementation of the landing scholarship 209847 contract on economic analysis of environ- obligation in the Black Sea 1182431 €14 million [2]. IT European Association of Plastic mental and resource efficiency policies. GR Dragon Star travel grants for Surgeons fellowship 209839 The estimated value of the contract is twinning opportunities 1182493 Maritime policy NL European Society for Clinical €14 million over four years. UK University of East Anglia visiting Virology training fellowship 202938 Web id: 1182640 The Directorate-General research fellowships 206641 Email: [email protected] FR European Society of Cardiology for Maritime Affairs and FR Airbus fly your ideas 1170724 basic research fellowship 1174474 Deadline: 15 December 2014 [2] Fisheries invites tenders 30 IE Assistive Technologies for People DE Gerda Henkel Foundation with Intellectual Disabilities and research scholarships 1166545 EU water innovation Autism fellowships 1181813 for an evaluation in the UG International Union for Quater- EUREKA, through the ACQUEAU cluster, context of the European AU Australian Rangeland Society nary Research skills enhancement invites proposals for its open call. This scholarships 1170386 grants 1169710 promotes transnational collaboration for maritime and fisheries AU Australian Rangeland Society UG International Union for Qua- developing innovative projects in water fund. The estimated travel grants 1170385 ternary Research project grants technologies. The call facilitates access AU Australian Society of Orthodon- 260069 to national funding. value of the contract is tists Elsdon Storey research award SK International Visegrad Fund Web id: 1170705 1165881 small grants 1169918 Email: [email protected] €1 million [11]. [3] UK Bank of England Houblon-Nor- JP Japan Foundation advanced Deadline: 15 December 2014 Multiple sclerosis research man and George fellowships 207896 training programme for teachers of IL Dan David Foundation prizes Japanese language 1165159 EU defence technologies Merck Serono invites 204688 JP Japan Foundation graduate pro- The European Defence Agency invites ten- CZ European Academy of Neurology gramme in Japanese language and ders for a study. The tenderer will support applications for its department to department coopera- culture – master's course 1165157 the agency in assessing the criticality of multiple sclerosis tion programme 190976 JP Japan Foundation Japanese raw materials for defence technologies. CH European Association for the language programme for specialists The contract is worth up to €200,000 innovation grant. The Study of the Liver postdoctoral 1165160 over one year. budget is €1 million [20]. research fellowships 196095 JP Japan Foundation Japanese Web id: 1182709 NL European Society for Paediatric studies fellowship 1165161 Email: [email protected] Global challenges scheme Infectious Diseases training courses SG National Medical Research Deadline: 17 December 2014 [4] and workshop awards 254898 Council of Singapore research The Volkswagen FR International Agency for investigator award 1165918 EU noise reduction Foundation, the Wellcome Research on Cancer postdoctoral HK University Grants Commit- The Directorate-General for Enterprise fellowships for training 201420 tee Hong Kong PhD fellowships and Industry invites tenders for a study. Trust and Bank of Sweden FR International Agency for 1174229 The tenderer will deliver answers to three Tercentenary Foundation Research on Cancer postdoctoral UK British Academy Neil Ker memo- questions relating to the current scope position in section for molecular 3 rial fund 182097 and limit values relating to the noise pathology 1172618 invite applications for FR Agropolis Foundation Louis emission in the environment by equip- the Europe and global IR Iranian Research Organization 4 Malassis international scientific ment for use outdoors. The contract has for Science and Technology Khwar- prize 1167723 an estimated value of €150,000. izmi international award 138968 challenges programme. FR AXA Research Fund chairs pro- Web id: 1182731 Funding is worth up to IL Israel Brain Technologies 5 gramme 1157917 Deadline: 22 December 2014 [5] mathematical neuroscience prize UK National Centre for the Replace- €800,000 [21]. 1182106 ment, Refinement and Reduction EU maritime management 1 IL Lady Davis Fellowship Trust of Animals in Research 3Rs prize graduate fellowships 192788 186582 The Directorate-General for Maritime Renewable energy and water Affairs and Fisheries invites proposals The ERA-Net ERANETMED for its guardian of the sea programme. This aims to examine the feasibility and invites proposals for its Online Funding Search economic viability of maritime activities call on renewable energies other than fishing, using a reassigned For full details of every funding opportunity, visit fishing vessel. The indicative grant per and water resources. www.ResearchProfessional.com project will be worth up to €300,000. The total budget is Online subscribers can view full details of any funding opportunity by Web id: 1182623 simply searching for the Web id number as free text in a funding search. Email: [email protected] €13.42 million [25]. Deadline: 9 January 2015 [6]

not to be Funding search EU law information exchange The Directorate-General for Home Affairs Search photocopieD Free text: 1234567 x invites proposals for its internal security For subscriptions call +44 20 7216 6500 fund police call on law enforcement infor- 10 funding opportunities Research Europe, 20 November 2014 mation exchange. Grants support projects Web ids: 1172326 , 1172324, 1172325, Doctoral programme €9 million. addressing one or both or the following 1172327 The European University Institute invites Web id: 1176401 priorities: the establishment or streamlin- Email: [email protected] applications for its doctoral programme. Email: [email protected] ing of structures and methods for cross- Deadlines: 27, 28 and 29 April 2015, This offers a fully structured programme Deadline: 14 January 2015 [30] border information exchange; supporting respectively [15] with close supervision in writing disserta- the exchange of passenger name record tions. Researchers will acquire teaching, Agricultural research data. The budget is €6 million and propos- Cardiology grants research and other skills in the fields of The Swedish Farmers' Foundation for als must request at least €250,000 over a The European Association of Percutane- economics, history and civilisation, law, Agricultural Research invites applications maximum term of 30 months. ous Cardiovascular Interventions, under and political and social sciences. The for grants from the Olle Hakelius scholar- Web id: 1182693 the European Society of Cardiology, programme is for four years. ship fund. These support research and Email: [email protected] invites applications for its grants. These Web id: 1170933 studies related to agricultural co-oper- Deadline: 14 January 2015 [7] offer specialised research or clinical train- Email: [email protected] ative industries' development in order ing in interventional cardiology. Grants Deadline: 31 January 2015 [24] to enhance primary production. Grants EU maritime management 2 are worth €25,000. are worth up to SEK100,000 (€10,800). The Directorate-General for Maritime Web id: 259095 EU renewable energy and water Web id: 196251 Affairs and Fisheries invites proposals Email: [email protected] The ERA-Net ERANETMED invites proposals Email: jessica.ekstrom@lantbruksfor- for strengthening regional cooperation Deadline: 15 January 2015 [17] for its joint call. This supports transna- skning.se in the area of fisheries data collection. tional research on renewable energies, No deadline [31] This call covers work by regions relating to Human growth research water resources and their connections coordination of collection management Merck Serono invites applications for its for the Mediterranean region. The total Mathematics fellowships and use of data or provision of these data grant for growth innovation. This sup- Institut Mittag-Leffler invites applica- to end users, of biological, economic or budget is €13.42 million for two to three ports the advancement of science and tions for its postdoctoral fellowships. fisheries data. Two grants, worth up to years. medical research in the field of growth These support projects within symplectic €400,000 each, are available. Web id: 1181502 and facilitates new external research [email protected] geometry and topology, and the classifi- Web id: 1182593 Email: to identify potential clinical markers in cation of operator algebras – complexity, Email: [email protected] Deadline: 2 February 2015 [25] patients with growth disorders. A total rigidity and dynamics. Fellowships consist Deadline: 15 January 2015 [8] grant of up to €400,000 will be shared EU toxicology of accommodation and office space, a High-performance computing between one to three selected projects. The European Food Safety Authority monthly stipend and travel expenses to Web id: 1182670 invites proposals for new approaches in and from Stockholm. The Partnership for Advanced Comput- Email: [email protected] Web id: 1169870 ing in Europe invites applications for its identifying and characterising micro- Deadline: 6 January 2015 [19] biological and chemical hazards. EFSA Email: [email protected] programme. This aims to raise awareness Deadline: 12 January 2015 [32] and provide European SMEs with the aims to fund projects focusing on the Multiple sclerosis research development and application of read- expertise necessary to take advantage of Mathematics grants the innovation possibilities created by Merck Serono invites applications for its across methodologies for the hazard high-performance computing. multiple sclerosis innovation grant. This characterisation of chemicals. The grants Institut Mittag-Leffler invites propos- supports translational research projects als for its research programme grants. Web id: 1182699 are worth up to €500,000. Email: [email protected] improving understanding of MS for the Web id: 1182735 These support programmes that enable Deadline: 15 January 2015 [9] benefit of patients. A total of €1 million Email: procurement&grants@efsa. scientists and postdoctoral students to will be awarded to one or more projects. europa.eu collaborate in specialised areas of math- EU cybercrime and abuse Web id: 1182663 Deadline: 30 April 2015 [26] ematics. The duration of the programme Email: [email protected] is one to 12 months. The Directorate-General for Home Affairs Deadline: 23 January 2015 [20] Web id: 260411 invites proposals for its internal security Early-career innovation The Netherlands Organisation for Scien- Email: [email protected] fund police call. Grants support projects Global challenges scheme Deadline: 9 February 2015 [34] addressing one of the following priorities: tific Research, the Netherlands Organisa- creating public-private partnerships; The Volkswagen Foundation, in col- tion for Health Research and Development supporting an integrated EU approach to laboration with the Wellcome Trust and and Technology Foundation STW invite Cancer research grants prevent and fight cybercrime; prevention Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Founda- proposals for their innovation research The Union for International Cancer of, and fight against, child sexual abuse tion, invites applications for the Europe incentives scheme Veni awards. These Control invites applications for the online. The budget is €5 million and and global challenges programme. This enable researchers at the start of their Yamagiwa-Yoshida memorial interna- proposals must request at least €250,000. aims to stimulate collaboration between academic career to conduct independent tional study grants. These enable cancer Web id: 1182696 researchers based in Europe and other research and develop their own innova- investigators from any country to carry Email: [email protected] parts of the world on important global tive lines of research within a research out bilateral research projects abroad Deadline: 16 January 2015 [10] issues. Funding is worth up to €800,000 institution. Grants are worth up to that exploit complementary materials for up to three years. €250,000 each over a three-year period. or skills. Between 14 and 16 grants with EU maritime policy Web id: 212711 Web id: 260542 an average value of US$10,000 (€8,000) mail: [email protected] [email protected] each are available. The Directorate-General for Maritime Email: Deadline: 30 January 2015 [21] [28] Web id: 211248 Affairs and Fisheries invites tenders for Deadline: 6 January 2015 Email: [email protected] an evaluation. The tenderer will provide Deadline: 15 January 2015 [35] support services related to fisheries and EU ship time Theme group collaboration aquaculture monitoring and evaluation The European Science Foundation invites The Netherlands Institute for Advanced in the context of the European maritime applications for ship time under the Euro- Study in the Humanities and Social Sci- CERN summer studentships and fisheries fund. The contract is worth fleets 2 programme. This provides access ences and the Lorentz Center invite The European Organisation for Nuclear an estimated €1 million over one year, and to 13 research vessels and marine equip- proposals for their theme group pro- Research (CERN) invites applications for can be renewed up to six times. ment for European scientists and their gramme. This enables members to engage its summer student programme for non- Web id: 1182738 international and industrial partners in intensive interdisciplinary collabora- member states. This enables students to Email: [email protected] working in all fields of marine science. tion. Three- or five-month fellowships visit CERN, join the day to day work with Deadline: 19 January 2015 [11] Web id: 1161880 at NIAS are offered. In addition, the fel- the experimental teams, attend lectures, Email: [email protected] lowship includes a compulsory one-week workshops and discussions with experts Mobilex mobility grants Deadline: 10 February 2015 [22] workshop and organisational support. in their field. The scholarships last for The Danish Council for Independent Web id: 1177468 eight weeks and cover accommodation Research, in collaboration with COFUND, Hypertension award Email: [email protected] and meals. A limited number of travel invites applications for the mobilex The European Society of Hypertension, Deadline: 1 April 2015 [29] scholarships will also be available. mobility grants, available in the areas of through the Talal Zein Foundation, invites Web id: 1182667 technology, natural sciences, humanities nominations for the Talal Zein award. EU systems biology Deadline: 28 January 2015 [36] and social sciences. These aim to facilitate This recognises work related to basic sci- ERA-Net ERASysAPP invites proposals more career paths in Danish research, to ence, epidemiology, pathophysiology or for its joint call. This aims to generate Infectious diseases increase the mobility in research envi- therapy of hypertension and other cardio- transnational collaboration for research The European Society for Paediatric Infec- ronments and enable researchers at the vascular diseases. The award comprises and development on systems biology in tious Diseases invites applications for its beginning of their research careers to €3,000 and travel expenses. the European research area, with a par- fellowship awards. These support basic or carry out projects at research institu- Web id: 1181792 ticular focus on application-oriented and clinical research that utilises advanced tions in Denmark and abroad. Grants are Email: [email protected] industry-relevant systems biology. The techniques and methods to improve the worth DKK2.5 million (€335,800) each. Deadline: 31 March 2015 [23] budget is expected to be approximately health of children through the prevention Research Europe, 20 November 2014 funding opportunities 11 or management of infectious diseases. Turkish fellowships Natural sciences fellowships •Past & Present fellowships, worth The annual stipend is worth €50,000 for The scientific and Technological Research The Royal Society and the Engineering approximately £20,000 (€25,200) each. fellows working in the European region or Council of Turkey, under the Newton- and Physical Sciences Research Council Web id: 211537 US$50,000 (€40,200) for fellows working Katip Çelebi Fund, invites applications invite applications for the Dorothy Hodg- •the Pearsall fellowship in naval and in the US or Americas. The duration of the for its fellowship grants. These promote kin fellowships. These enable early-career maritime history. Web id: 211538 fellowship is two years. scientific and technological collabora- scientists and engineers to take the first Email: [email protected] Web id: 201147 tion between Turkey and the countries of step into an independent research career. Deadline: 11 April 2015 [57] Email: [email protected] prospective fellows. Fellowships include Research may address any subject in Deadline: 31 January 2015 [37] monthly stipends, which for visiting sci- the natural sciences, including agricul- entists are up to US$3,000 (€2,400) and ture, mathematics, technology, medical, rest of world Animals in research for sabbatical leave researchers up to environmental or engineering science. The 3R Research Foundation Switzer- US$3,500. Travel costs and health insur- Fellowships include coverage of salary land invites applications for its grants to ance are also included. costs, estate costs and indirect costs for a Library award reduce animal experiments in research. Web id: 1182562 guaranteed maximum period of five years. The University of Queensland invites The foundation supports projects aimed No deadline [43] Web id: 212549 applications for the Fryer Library award. at developing new methods or refining Email: [email protected] This supports research on Australian accepted methods, or validation, which Cot death research Deadline: 12 January 2015 [49] studies utilising the collections of the offer improvements vis-à-vis standard The Scottish Cot Death Trust invites out- University of Queensland's Fryer Library. animal experimentation in line with the line proposals for its grants. These aim to Levant research grants The award is worth AU$10,000 (€7,000). 3R motto reduce, refine, replace. Grants increase knowledge and understanding The Palestine Exploration Fund invites Web id: 1172240 are worth up to CHF250,000 (€208,000). of why some babies die suddenly and applications for its grants for travel and Email: [email protected] Web id: 211761 unexpectedly with no cause of death to research. These enable scholars to con- Deadline: 31 January 2015 [58] Email: ernst.hunziker-research3r@ be found. The majority of awards will be duct research into the archaeology and bluewin.ch in the region of £30,000 (€37,800) to history, topography, geology, natural Theoretical physics visits Deadline: 15 February 2015 [38] £80,000 over three years. Small grants sciences, and manners, customs and cul- The Perimeter Institute for Theoreti- of up to £5,000 per year will also be ture of biblical Palestine and the Levant. Science and engineering cal Physics invites applications for the considered. A total of £4,000 (€5,000) is available, of Emmy Noether visiting fellowships. These The European Organisation for Nuclear Web id: 167929 which up to three awards of £500 each are enable theoretical physicists to pursue Research invites applications for its post Email: contact@scottishcotdeathtrust. set aside for student travel to the Levant. their research, collaborate and take part career break fellowship. This offers full- org Web id: 1170860 in workshops and conferences at the time or part-time fellowships to science Email: [email protected] No deadline [44] Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, Ontario. and engineering graduates wishing to Deadline: 31 January 2015 [50] Fellowships include financial and organi- restart their careers. One full-time fel- Wellcome senior fellowships sational support. lowship or two part-time fellowships are The Wellcome Trust invites applications Clean technology competition available for up to two years, covering Web id: 1175887 for the following fellowships: The London School of Business and Uni- Email: [email protected] stipend, insurance, travel expenses and versity College London invite submissions •senior research fellowships in basic Deadline: 15 January 2015 [59] family allowances. biomedical science. These include a basic for their CleanTech challenge. This is a Web id: 1176979 salary, normally worth up to £55,000 business plan competition that helps Inflammatory bowel disease Deadline: 2 March 2015 [39] (€69,300) per year, and a supplement of students to form teams and develop inno- £12,500 per year. Web id: 251190 vative clean technology business ideas The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Dermatologic research •senior research fellowships in clinical to create viable start ups. The winner Canada invites applications for its inno- The LEO Pharma Research Foundation, science. Web id: 254862 receives £10,000 (€12,600). vations in inflammatory bowel disease together with the European Society for Email: [email protected] Web id: 1166240 research grants. These support inno- Dermatological Research, invites appli- Deadline: 5 December 2014 [46] Email: info@cleantechnologychallenge. vative projects that refine hypotheses cations for its awards. These are given to com or produce preliminary data that will young scientists who show potential to EU astronomy grants Deadline: 31 January 2015 [51] help seed larger projects and have the become prominent contributors to the The European Science Foundation invites potential to improve diagnosis, therapy field of dermatological research. Awards proposals, under its Gaia research for Jacobite history and prevention of inflammatory bowel are worth up to DKK1 million (€134,400). European training in astronomy pro- The Institute of Historical Research invites disease. Grants are worth up to CA$50,000 Web id: 1173790 gramme, for exchange visits. These ena- applications for the Jacobite Studies Trust (€35,300). Email: [email protected] ble researchers to pursue collaborative fellowships. These non-residential fel- Web id: 1176131 Deadline: 30 March 2015 [40] work on astronomy, astrometry, galaxy, lowships support historical research into Email: [email protected] stellar evolution and solar system physics. the Stuart dynasty in the British Isles and Deadline: 20 January 2015 [60] Clinical research Grants provide an allowance of €1,600 in exile, from the departure of James II The AO Foundation invites applications for per month, €400 per week or €57 per in 1688 to the death of Henry Benedict Science fellowships the clinical investigation and documenta- day, plus travel costs worth up to €500, Stuart in 1807. Two six-month fellowships The Feinberg Graduate School invites tion research fellowships. These provide over a period of 15 days to four months. of £7,500 (€9,500) each are available. applications for its postdoctoral fellow- surgeons with training and experience Web id: 1158727 Web id: 1160615 ships. These support research in the [email protected] in all phases of clinical research, includ- Email: [email protected] Email: areas of life sciences, chemical sciences, Deadline: 28 February 2015 [53] ing study planning, monitoring, data Deadline: 19 December 2014 [47] physical sciences, mathematical sciences, analysis and publication. Grants also computer sciences and science teaching. include accommodation and return travel DFID agriculture/nutrition Leukaemia research Fellowships cover a monthly stipend, to Switzerland. The Department for International Devel- The Lady Tata Memorial Trust invites which was worth ILS8,960 (€1,900) in Web id: 1173199 opment invites concept memos for its applications for its international awards. 2013, insurance, travel and relocation Email: alexander.joeris@aofoundation. postdoctoral fellowships on innovative These support individuals in conducting allowance for up to three years. org leukaemia research, restricted to studies methods and metrics for agriculture and Web id: 251469 Deadline: 31 May 2015 [41] of the leukaemogenic agents, the epide- nutrition actions. These aim to create Email: [email protected] miology, pathogenesis, immunology and emerging leaders in agriculture, nutri- No deadline [61] Palliative care research tion and health research by supporting genetic basis of leukaemia. Awards are usually worth up to £35,000 (€44,100) The European Society for Medical Oncol- early career researchers in developing Jewish theology ogy invites applications for its palliative and adapting innovative methodologi- per year. In addition, one or more MPhil care fellowships. These enable oncolo- cal approaches with mentors in ongo- or PhD studentships may be granted, nor- The Herzl Institute in Jerusalem, in part- gists or oncology fellows to conduct ing research programmes in low- and mally for two years with renewal possible nership with the John Templeton Founda- observations or research at one of the middle-income countries. Fellows receive for a third year. tion, invites expressions of interest for ESMO designated centres. The research a stipend of £34,000 (€42,900) and a Web id: 202132 its fellowships in Jewish philosophical fellowship is worth €5,000 over up to research allowance of £7,500 to cover Email: [email protected] theology. These support philosophical three months and the observation fel- travel and other fieldwork expenses. An Deadline: 15 March 2015 [55] projects in the area of Jewish theology. lowship is worth €2,500 for a minimum honorarium of £1,750 is paid to each of Awards are worth up to US$100,000 of one month. the mentors. Fellowships last for one year. History fellowships (€80,200), available for up to two years. Web id: 209398 Web id: 1182733 The Institute of Historical Research Web id: 1169831 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] invites applications for the following Email: [email protected] Deadline: 1 June 2015 [42] Deadline: 10 January 2015 [48] fellowships: Deadline: 15 December 2014 [62] 12 funding opportunities Research Europe, 20 November 2014

tenders usa policy diary Database maintenance *ESA Broad Foundations inflammatory bowel November The European Space Agency invites disease research grants 26 NanoTechItaly 2014, Venice, tenders for evolutive maintenance of Web id: 199735 No deadline [70] Italy. To 28. TEC-SW database reference facility. The http://rsrch.co/1vDtwx4 tenderer will maintain the system site Institute for Aegean Prehistory publica- survey data bank and the VEGA VIDB/ tion team support 27 JRC Conference: Future-ori- ISSN 1366-9885 FED software up to full coverage by the Web id: 1169667 entated Technology Analysis, Published every two weeks with scales of independent behaviour soft- No deadline [71] Brussels, Belgium. To 28. breaks at Christmas, Easter and ware of the capability offered by the http://rsrch.co/1p5GVXB in summer. The next issue will be Michael J Fox Foundation research published on 4 December. system software database, along with grants for levodopa-induced dyskinesia the development of SSDB change report Web id: 1164723 December Letters to and the SSDB impact analysis report of No deadline [72] 3 European Academies' Science Research Europe the SIB database system. The contract is Unit 111, 134-146 Curtain Road, National Multiple Sclerosis Society out- Advisory Council Event on London EC2A 3AR, England worth up to €100,000. Ref: 14.132.09. [email protected] Deadline: 9 December 2014 side meeting support programme Antimicrobial Drug Discovery, Web id: 1169086 Brussels, Belgium. Enquiries to No deadline [75] http://rsrch.co/1w364rR [email protected] Telecommunications *ESA Tel +44 20 7216 6500 The European Space Agency invites Parkinson's Disease Foundation's con- 8 JRC Conference on Entrepre- Fax +44 20 7216 6501 tenders for a future cities feasibil- ference awards neurship, Innovation and ity study - advanced research in tel- Web id: 1164225 Enterprise Dynamics, Editor Colin Macilwain ecommunications systems integrated No deadline [76] Paris, France. To 9. Comment and Analysis Editor applications programme. The aim is to Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory http://rsrch.co/11e45FK John Whitfield validate the sustainability of the busi- predoctoral fellowships News Editors ness opportunity for the integrated Web id: 178711 9 Brokerage Day for Horizon 2020 Inga Vesper, Research Europe solution proposed. The contract is No deadline [77] ICT Call on Robotics, Miriam Frankel, Research Fortnight Brussels, Belgium. Rebecca Hill, Funding Insight worth up to €500,000. Ref: 14.1AA.01. Thanks to Scandinavia medical fellow- Deadline: 10 December 2014 http://rsrch.co/1u21Vo2 Senior Reporters ships in the US Laura Greenhalgh, Adam Smith Web id: 1172198 10 SET Plan conference 2014, Large antennas *ESA [79] Reporters No deadline Rome, Italy. To 11. James Field, Cristina Gallardo, The European Space Agency invites ten- Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropo- http://rsrch.co/1pBhroF Safya Khan-Ruf, Jenny Maukola, ders for radio frequency and deploy- logical Research historical archives pro- Craig Nicholson ment test methods for large antennas. 12 Horizon 2020 Infoday: Energy gramme grants Chief Sub Editor Kris Pedder The tenderer will test methods for key Efficiency, Brussels, Belgium. Web id: 202462 http://rsrch.co/1txsPPt Sub Editor Martyn Jones parameters such as deployment, surface No deadline [80] accuracy, thermo-elastic stability, radio 17 Horizon 2020 Infoday: ICT Calls, Funding Content Manager frequency and passive Intermodula- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Maya Berger International short-term fellowships for Brussels, Belgium. tion. This activity is restricted to non- http://rsrch.co/10Rc4It Deputy Funding Content Manager prime contractors, including small and discovery consortia Yael Moscou Web id: 1182742 medium enterprises. The contract is January Funding Editors worth at least €500,000. Ref: 14.1TT.41. Deadline: 12 December 2014 [81] Mikael Järvelin, Melinda Sulkama Deadline: 15 December 2014 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation new 9 Horizon 2020 Infoday: Fast Editorial Researchers interventions for global health Track to Innovation Pilot, Laura Barclay, Rebecca Blease, Fibre optics *ESA Web id: 1182649 Brussels, Belgium. Astrid Boehm, Sofia Capel, The European Space Agency invites ten- Deadline: 13 January 2015 [82] http://rsrch.co/1u2QpKy Demeter Chanter, Charlotte van Hek, Hanna Krantz, Sascha ders for space validation of rad-hard co- Smithsonian Institution Baird Society 27 High-level Conference on Euro- Bjarnø Olinsson, Everarda doped optical fibre amplifier. The tenderer resident scholars pean Space Policy, Slabbekoorn, Tine Stausholm will perform a space validation of rad-hard Web id: 197046 Brussels, Belgium. To 28. Christiansen, Sanja Vlaisavljevic rare earth doped fibres in an optical Deadline: 15 January 2015 [83] http://rsrch.co/1s9jn7r Production Manager amplifier at 1.55µm addressing different Smithsonian Institution Dibner Library Katherine Lester types of space applications. The contract resident scholars Deputy Production Manager is worth up to €500,000. Ref: 14.1QM.15. February Web id: 197052 Laura Kipp Deadline: 18 December 2014 2 Horizon 2020 Infoday: Societal Deadline: 15 January 2015 [84] Steve Potter Challenge 4, Transport. Technical Director Electric propulsions *ESA International Society for Antiviral Brussels, Belgium. Editor, Research Fortnight Research Gertrude Elion memorial lec- Ehsan Masood The European Space Agency invites ten- http://rsrch.co/1mhlno9 ture award ders for assesment of auxiliary propulsion Chairman and Founder Web id: 198328 26 JRC Workshop on New Narra- William Cullerne Bown arcjets. The tenderer will assess arcjet Deadline: 30 January 2015 [85] tives for Innovation, Publisher Thérèse Claffey applications for auxiliary and complemen- Brussels, Belgium. To 27. tary propulsion applications for electric International Society for Antiviral Sales Director Nicky Cooper http://rsrch.co/1s9p8Ce propulsion platforms. The contract is Research William Prusoff young investi- Sales Managers Alexander Nehm, worth at least €500,000. Ref: 14.1TT.11. gator lecture award Jon Thornton, Alison Warder March Deadline: 21 January 2015 Web id: 198364 Subscriptions Deadline: 30 January 2015 [86] 2 EU Science: Global Challenges, [email protected] X-ray optics *ESA Boston College African dissertation fel- Global Collaboration, Advertising London The European Space Agency invites ten- lowship Brussels, Belgium. To 6. [email protected] ders for L2 x-ray mirror module assembly, Web id: 260993 http://rsrch.co/VNAkYF Deadline: 31 January 2015 [87] Published by Research. Copyright integration and testing. The tender- 10 2015 ITEA-ARTEMIS Co-summit, er will develop a process and related © Research Research Ltd, 2014. Progressive MS Alliance Collaborative Berlin, Germany. To 11. ground support equipment for integrat- network awards http://rsrch.co/1ytA2ry All rights reserved ing silicon pore optics mirror modules Web id: 1182591 Reproducing Research Europe into a mirror support structure with the Deadline: 31 January 2015 [88] 25 Net Futures 2015, Brussels, by photocopying, electronic or required co-alignment accuracy and its other means in any language Children's Literature Association diver- Belgium. To 26. without the permission of the verification by suitable metrology. The sity research grant http://rsrch.co/1ElrIIX publisher is illegal. activity shall include the design trade- off for the support structure including Web id: 1176598 [89] April Please recycle after use material selection. The contract is worth Deadline: 1 February 2015 at least €500,000. Ref: 14.164.15. Children's Literature Association faculty 16 European University Associa- NOT TO BE PHOTOCOPIED Deadline: 5 February 2015 research grants tion Annual Conference 2015, ------Web id: 1170192 Antwerp, Belgium. To 17. *ESA is at: http://emits.esa.intw Deadline: 1 February 2015 [90] http://rsrch.co/10f5s5e Research Europe, 20 November 2014 analysis 13 insider The legacy of MGQ As Máire Geoghegan-Quinn finishes her term as EU research commissioner, Laura Greenhalgh asks how she’ll be remembered for her 5 years in the Berlaymont.

On 13 January 2010, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn gave her eral and appointed the diplomatic Dutchman Robert-Jan first performance for EU research at her confirmation hear- Smits in his place. “Without Smits, nothing would have ing at the European Parliament. Wearing a purple suit, she happened. It was the team that counted,” says Langer. portrayed herself as a forceful and confident woman and Geoghegan-Quinn didn’t get everything right: and was warmly received by MEPs as she promised to bring the work considered to be her least successful has been research and innovation “to the heart of European policy”. on the ERA. Despite grand plans to “complete” the ERA Five years later, opinions on her success are mixed. by the end of her term, it remains as incoherent and A retired Irish politician, Geoghegan-Quinn entered amorphous a concept in 2014 as it did in 2009. “The the European Commission after a decade with the Commission is still stuck on how to make member states European Court of Auditors—and some say this lack of coordinate national spending,” says Hull. scientific experience showed. “As a trained teacher and Allowing lobby groups to have a bigger influence on a politician, she had no real confidence when it came policies by creating the ERA Stakeholder Platform was a to understanding the heartbeat of the globe,” says one good move, some observers say, and Geoghegan-Quinn Brussels lobbyist. “Nobody in science knows who she is.” also succeeded in getting ERA topics on to the agenda Others are more positive. “Obviously she came from a of the European Semester, the EU’s annual cycle of eco- completely different world, but she picked up very quickly nomic policy guidance and surveillance. But according on a number of issues,” says Kurt Deketelaere, secretary- to Deketelaere, her mistake was failing to pressure mem- general of the League of European Research Universities. ber states with legislation on ERA topics earlier in her “She had a broad set of pet topics, including gender, the term. By the time she did, in mid-2012, it was just an blue economy, and reducing red tape—of which she had empty threat. significant experience from the court of auditors.” This, coupled with an onset of political lethargy, might In her 5 years in office, Geoghegan-Quinn failed to con- explain an apparent loss of momentum later in her term. vince many of her inspirational leadership—but this may “She ticked a few boxes and that was it,” says a Brussels be due to the limits of a post constrained by the decisions lobbyist. “She had a golden opportunity to move science of previous commissioners and the rules of the institu- up through the portfolios, but it remains a lowly priority at tion, as well as a research world resistant to change. “The the Commission. She hasn’t really inspired.” research commissioner doesn’t start with a clean slate,” But she gained respect for being hard-nosed on issues says Chris Hull, a former secretary-general of the European such as financial simplification and the use of full costing Association of Research and Technology Organisations. in Horizon 2020. Having decided that the Framework pro- “And there’s a whole clientele that doesn’t want the apple gramme would only include a flat funding rate for research, cart upset: if she came in and changed everything, it Geoghegan-Quinn refused to cave in to pressure from uni- would cause a huge stink.” versities, research organisations and the Parliament. “We Instead, Geoghegan-Quinn stuck to the instructions hung on for an option on real costs until the end,” says from Commission president José Manuel Barroso at the Hull. “But she stuck to her guns, and it worked.” start of her term: to prepare Horizon 2020, simplify EU So, how will the commissioner be research and make progress on the European Research remembered? For some, she was defined Area. “I think she’s done a pretty good job,” says Hull. by her Irish sense of humour, charm and ‘Horizon Jerzy Langer of the Polish Academy of Sciences says the interesting private conversation. For “main accomplishment of her term is Horizon 2020, for others: “Like a Sunday afternoon foot- 2020 would sure”. Geoghegan-Quinn helped to push through an agree- ball game that finished 0-0. She didn’t be nothing ment with provisions for small businesses, gender equality cause any trouble, but she didn’t really and a fast-track innovation instrument—and also intro- engage.” But, above all, she will be if not for her duced simpler rules for applicants. “Horizon 2020 would be remembered as tough in negotiations. nothing if not for her tremendous work for simplification.” “She took a line and she stuck to it, and tremendous But she didn’t do this alone—and many people you had to respect that,” says Hull. work for acknowledge that her most successful decision was made Something to add? Email comment@ early in her term, when she booted out the director-gen- ResearchResearch.com simplification.’ 14 news Research Europe, 20 November 2014 uk & ireland

Adviser’s power grows as officials depart

The UK government’s chief scientific adviser has been by Adam Smith [email protected] taking on a more influential role in government ahead of the departure of the most senior civil servant for science, innovation, had “decided to leave” his post in January. Whitehall insiders have said. His departure will follow other staff changes at BIS. Reports have emerged that Mark Walport is becoming Jeremy Clayton’s job as director of the research base has more politically powerful than his predecessors—such been split between two other officials as he has taken on as John Beddington and David King—by increasing his the role of director of knowledge and innovation strat- involvement in tasks that are usually overseen by offi- egy and international. And Maddalaine Ansell, deputy cials in BIS, the Department for Business, Innovation director for international knowledge and innovation, and Skills, including science funding. This is despite and Matthew Hilton, director of higher education, are Walport having previously said that it was not his job to both leaving soon. Whitehall sources are concerned “lobby the government” on science funding. The shift about a lack of continuity in science policy—Walport’s has come at the same time as a number of officials have position notwithstanding—in the run-up to the general been leaving BIS. election and the spending review in 2015. “I imagine it reflects the wishes of the minister to James Wilsdon, a researcher at the Science Policy seek input from beyond the department, as much as the Research Unit at the University of Sussex, says it is [desire of the] government CSA to offer support,” says understandable and inevitable that the government CSA Sarah Main, the director of the Campaign for Science and will always be pressured by scientists to be an internal Engineering. Asked about Walport’s role, business sec- voice on science funding. But Wilsdon says it is impor- retary Vince Cable said he was a “very influential voice”. tant for a government CSA to distinguish between his Greg Clark, minister for science, universities and cities, or her work on funding and advice on the use of science said that Walport had played a “very important role” in policy-making. “If you slide between the two, there’s in the development of the government’s forthcoming a risk to the integrity of the role. I don’t object to the Science and Innovation Strategy. government CSA playing that role, but they need to be On 3 November, an internal BIS email revealed that clear and transparent about whether they’re operating John O’Reilly, BIS’s director-general for knowledge and in favour of science funding or giving scientific advice.”

Shale gas network planned the governance of Scottish universities, ensuring that uk&i The UK government is to set up governing bodies are representative, making the selec- in brief a network of colleges and cen- tion of university court leaders more transparent, and tres to carry out R&D and train producing a wider definition of academic freedom. specialists in shale gas. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has pledged £750,000 in funding, Metrics-based REF could lead to dirty tricks which it says will be matched by industry bodies and Using metrics as the base for research assessment could education providers. lead to game playing by academics to increase their citation counts, researchers have warned. Academics Hauser calls on Catapults to pull in more academics expressed their concerns about the formation of ‘cita- The UK should increase the number of Catapult centres tion rings’—in which groups of researchers agree over the next 15 years and ensure that they improve their to cite each other in order to increase their citation links with universities, according to technology entre- counts—in their responses to a review of research met- preneur Hermann Hauser. In a review of the innovation rics commissioned by the Higher Education Funding networks, written 4 years after their launch, Hauser Council for England. suggests that about 30 centres should be operational by 2030—up from the seven in place today. He says the Ireland confirms ambitious Horizon 2020 target centres, which are modelled on Germany’s Fraunhofer The Irish government has launched an initiative to institutes, should work more closely with universities identify large-scale projects suitable for Horizon 2020 through the secondment of researchers. funding. Research minister Damien English announced the formation of a Horizon 2020 Strategic Research Scotland consults on university governance Proposals Group to help Irish-based researchers achieve The Scottish government has launched a consultation their target of €1.25 billion over the programme’s on proposed statutory changes to make the governance 7 years. This is more than double the €600-million tar- of Scottish universities more accountable. The proposed get that Ireland set for Framework 7 funding, which has changes include ending the role of the Privy Council in now been achieved. Research Europe, 20 November 2014 news 15 nations

Spanish research council targets young stars The Spanish government is to pilot tenure-track recruit- by Cristina Gallardo [email protected] ment at the national research council, the CSIC, in an effort to attract successful young researchers. the planned number of tenure-track positions is not The move, announced by CSIC president Emilio Lora- sufficient to prevent further ageing of the workforce or Tamayo, will involve the council hiring 25 researchers counteract the loss of employees. “This is a ridiculous in 2015 and a further 25 the following year. These number,” says Andradas. “At this pace, we would need employees will be subject to evaluation to determine 100 years to recover the levels of research personnel that whether their contracts are renewed and what their we had before the crisis.” salaries should be, according to a spokesman for the The government says that existing employees will ministry of economy and competitiveness. also be offered the opportunity to move on to the tenure The council will select the recruits from the winners track, as long as they are willing to abandon their civil of the Ramón y Cajal fellowship, which is awarded to the service status. It is hoped that the offer of tenure track brightest national researchers on the basis of scientific will appeal to leading young researchers, who may be excellence. Previously, council employees were recruit- willing to sacrifice a secure contract in favour of greater ed as civil servants with positions secured for life—but recognition of their success. researchers have said that this has led to an ageing But Andradas says that for the reforms to be effective, workforce and a lack of productivity. the government will have to guarantee certain condi- The shake-up in recruitment practices comes as the tions for the tenure track, which should include an council emerges from a period of serious budgetary con- initial contract of at least 5 years and an independent straint, having suffered a cut of 32 per cent in its budget evaluation carried out by international review panels. since 2009. During this time, the council has been una- This will be important to guarantee fair recruitment ble to hire staff or replace all the employees who have decisions and prevent favouritism from becoming a retired. A labour union estimated that the CSIC lost 810 problem, he says. researchers last year. The government is expected to provide clarification However, Carlos Andradas, the president of the of the rules for the CSIC’s tenure track under a specific Confederation of Spanish Scientific Societies, says that bylaw in the coming weeks.

States fail to reinvest extra ing of the ocean and Arctic climate, healthcare R&D, and nations funds in universities space-based search and rescue systems. in brief Germany’s association of rec- tors, the HRK, has warned that Council calls for more support for medical institutes extra funding at state level, derived from changes to the Germany should increase the budgets of the BfS institute national student support system, is not being fed back for radiation protection and the BfArM institute for drugs into higher education. Earlier this year, the federal gov- and medical devices, according to the Wissenschaftsrat, ernment took on full responsibility for paying student a science advisory council. The institutes’ excellence is support, in order to provide relief to the cash-strapped internationally recognised and their outputs yield impor- state governments. But according to the HRK, states are tant information for policymakers, the council said. spending the funds on areas other than higher education. EU funds Spain’s small businesses French researchers make little headway The European Investment Fund is to finance loans worth Laboratory directors have come away disappointed after €200 million to small and medium-sized companies in meeting government adviser Vincent Berger to ask for Spain. The deal, signed with the Spanish bank Bankinter, better conditions for researchers in France. Among the was made through the InnovFin SME Guarantee Facility, requests made at the meeting on 4 November were a which is funded by Horizon 2020. review of laboratory funding and a restructuring of R&D tax credits, as well as an increase in the number of jobs. Germany begins national health study But Berger indicated that the government would be The German government has launched the largest long- unlikely to change its policies in response to the demands. term health project in the country’s history, involving 200,000 people and 18 research centres. The study will Canada and France increase space cooperation track participants for 20 years to find out more about France’s space agency, the CNES, has signed a coopera- genetic, environmental and social influences on health. tive agreement with the Canadian Space Agency. The The aim is to gain a better understanding of common partners will increase their joint work on remote sens- diseases such as diabetes, dementia and cancer. 16 news Research Europe, 20 November 2014 nordic

Sweden must improve links between research policy and evidence, says academy report

Sweden’s politicians should commission a higher num- by Jenny Maukola [email protected] ber of relevant scientific studies and incorporate more evidence into research policy, a study has concluded. the people who perform it, the study found. The ques- There is no reliable structure in place in Sweden to tionnaire revealed that many organisations did both, ensure that evidence is used consistently in policy-mak- and that the difference between the two was less clear ing, the study found. And the answers to a questionnaire in Sweden than in Denmark or Norway. Introducing a sent out to a variety of people in academia and politics clearer distinction could improve independent analysis showed that they considered their peers’ understand- and evidence for politicans, the final report said. ing of the aims of research policy to be “nonexistent”, Sweden spends 3.6 per cent of GDP on research: much according to the findings. more than the EU average of 2 per cent. However, the The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences report criticised the fact that a lot of this money was commissioned the study, which was carried out by the being distributed without any impact analysis. Nordic research consultancy Damvad. “They spend a lot of money on recruiting leading “If you look at the number of central decisions taken scholars from abroad, but the research base for this is in Swedish research policy, there is almost a blindness to zero,” says Rothstein. “Honestly, if you’re a leading using research,” says Bo Rothstein, a political scientist scholar, why would you go to Sweden and not Paris or at the University of Gothenburg and a former research London? There’s a risk that you’ll recruit falling stars.” adviser for the Swedish government. “It’s difficult when The report recommended that the government take a we argue to the rest of the world that they should base greater interest in research-based evidence. Rothstein decisions on research in environmental policy or social suggests that it could establish an expert council for policy, when we don’t do that.” research, as councils for international aid and econom- A large part of the problem stems from an unclear ics are already in place. “It works in other areas so it relationship between commissioners of research and could also work in this field,” he says.

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The Millennium Technology Prize, a €1-million award It is involved with several projects aimed at capturing given out by the foundation Technology Academy the imaginations of schoolchildren, including an annual Finland, is a source of pride for Finns. It recognises competition in which primary school students have to international researchers who have contributed signifi- design a moving toy. “We teach them the innovation cantly to technological advances worldwide. process and give them a lot of freedom,” says Ylä-Jääski. Juha Ylä-Jääski, the foundation’s president, is keen to “You should introduce youngsters to a creative and inno- highlight the prize’s track record. Winners have included vative way of working very early.” Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, and Ylä-Jääski speaks frankly when explaining what he two Nobel laureates: Shuji Nakamura, the inventor of the thinks is wrong with the political approach to innovation blue LED, and Shinya Yamanaka, a stem cell researcher. in Europe. “Finland and other European countries tend However, the foundation is now turning its attention to speak about research and innovation as if they are to problems at home: Finland’s innovation competency more or less the same. In many respects they are similar, withered along with the telecommunications company but in one respect they are totally different,” he says. Nokia. “We are not happy about the innovation capabili- He explains that research involves putting money ties of Finland,” says Ylä-Jääski. in and getting knowledge out, whereas innovation is Ylä-Jääski was once head of strategy planning at the about putting knowledge in and getting money out. Nokia Research Center. He says that, contrary to popular “Innovation must lead to money, and often this is not belief, few Finnish companies have excelled in consumer understood [by politicians],” he says. “If you try to cope market innovation. “Maybe the only big exception is with the two processes through the same instruments Nokia, and now that story is partly already over,” he says. and also with the same people, it often doesn’t work.” Nokia grew from a toilet paper manufacturer to a glob- Since the economic recession began in 2008, the al leader in mobile phones, and remained a top innovator foundation has been trying to persuade the government in communication technologies for a decade. However, to increase its research spending rather than make cuts. it fell away after missing out on some important develop- “This is maybe our main agenda: to convince the deci- ments—including touch screens—and was partly bought sion-makers that this is not where we should reduce it,” up by Microsoft in 2013. Ylä-Jääski says. Ylä-Jääski is optimistic that Nokia will see better days He explains that during the early 1990s, when Finland again: “There is already a new Nokia,” he says. “The was in the middle of its previous economic recession, the mobile network business is still with Nokia, and the com- government increased funding for research and innova- pany is actually doing well.” He adds that it also makes tion. “This and Nokia’s success were the two things that maps for satellite navigators for cars, an income stream pulled Finland out of its problems,” he says. that is “healthy and doing quite well”. Lobbying the government is easier in Finland than As Finland’s foremost technology and innovation in some other countries, because of the accessibility promoter, Technology Academy Finland aims to turn of local policymakers, Ylä-Jääski adds. “Finland is not Finland’s innovation performance around. When the a country; it’s a club,” he says, foundation was established in 2002, its only job was to explaining that “people know Juha Ylä-Jääski manage the Millennium Technology Prize. However, its everybody so it’s not complicated activities quickly grew to include lobbying the govern- to talk to a cabinet member or a 2013-present President and * chief executive, Technology ment on research and innovation policy, encouraging member of parliament. I can eas- Academy Finland young people to take up maths, science and technology ily organise a meeting even with 2004-2013 Director, Federation subjects at school, and promoting the image of Finnish the highest decision-makers.” * of Finnish Technology Industries companies abroad. But finding ways to make them 1999-2004 Head of strategy It is funded partly by the Finnish government, which listen to the foundation’s recom- * planning, Nokia Research Center donates money for the technology prize every other year. mendations, he admits, is a more 1984-1999 Research professor, The rest of the money comes from industry. difficult proposition. * VTT technical research centre One approach the foundation takes is to get people Something to add? Email com- * 1979-1983 Phd in solid-state interested in research and innovation at an early age. [email protected] physics, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 18 news Research Europe, 20 November 2014 usa

Biology and physics findings win millions Six biologists and 54 physicists have been award- by Sam Lemonick [email protected] ed Breakthrough prizes worth a total of $27 million (€21.5m) for work on topics ranging from the expansion Actors including Cameron Diaz and Benedict of the universe to Parkinson’s disease. Cumberbatch presented the 2015 Breakthrough prizes in Leading the physics awards were Saul Perlmutter of life sciences and physics at a ceremony hosted by come- the University of California, Berkeley, Brian Schmidt of dian Seth MacFarlane in Silicon Valley on 9 November. the Australian National University and Adam Riess of The inaugural mathematics awards were announced ear- Johns Hopkins University for their discovery that the lier, in June. acceleration of the universe was increasing. They won The 3-year-old prizes are funded by technology stars $3m each and shared the prizes with 51 collaborators. such as Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Alibaba’s Jack Ma The three earlier won the 2011 Nobel prize for the same and Google’s Sergey Brin. Zuckerberg told Bloomberg research, and split the $1.1m award. Businessweek: “I feel like the thing we can do is In the life sciences, six researchers each won $3m for celebrate people doing great work and create more cul- work on four different projects. Alim-Louis Benabid of tural momentum and awareness that this is an important the Joseph Fourier University in France developed brain thing in the world. So when the next economic crisis implants to treat Parkinson’s disease. Charles David hits and people are talking about where to cut from the Allis of the Rockefeller University in New York identi- budget, science isn’t the thing.” fied how modifications to proteins activate genes. After the inaugural Breakthrough prizes in 2013, Victor Ambros, of the University of Massachusetts, and many scientists—including Breakthrough recipients— Gary Ruvkun, of Massachusetts General Hospital and questioned the value of such large prizes. One common Harvard University, each received a prize for their dis- refrain is that winners are already likely to be well known covery of microRNAs­. Jennifer Doudna of the University and well funded. Others pointed out that many recipi- of California, Berkeley, and Emmanuelle Charpentier of ents have already or will soon receive a Nobel prize. In the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Germany short, they wondered whether tens of millions couldn’t copied a method used by bacteria to edit the genome. be better spent on funding research. usa Energy department funds wildlife conservation. Coburn accused Terrie Williams, research into coal gasification a biologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in brief The Department of Energy has of wasting her $850,000 (€681,000) National Science awarded $16 million (€13m) to Foundation grant. But Williams says the treadmill four companies studying ways to make gas, for fuel testing was a necessary step in calibrating wildlife moni- or chemical manufacturing, from coal and other fossil toring collars. fuels. The funding, which comes from the DoE Office of Fossil Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, Darpa streamlines biotech funding is aimed at reducing the costs of gasification technolo- Biotech researchers can apply for as much as $700,000 gies. Two of the projects focus on turning coal into (€561,000) in seed funding with just a two-page propos- synthesis gas, a mixture that can be used to generate al under a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency electricity or to power vehicles. programme designed to bring in new blood. Rather than having to submit 40 to 60 pages focused on a specific First winner of award for women in biotech named problem, Darpa says, applicants can now seek funding The Biotechnology Industry Organization is to give its on any biotechnology problem with a brief description of inaugural Rosalind Franklin award to Debbie Yaver, a the project, plan, goals and expected costs. microbiologist at one of the world’s largest industrial- enzymes companies. Yaver is the director of expression NIH lab director punished for falsifying data technology, genomics and bioinformatics at Novozymes, The National Institutes of Health is to put Bijan Ahvazi a Californian biotechnology company. In its announce- under close supervision for 2 years for manipulating ment, the BIO cited Yaver’s work on genetic engineering and misrepresenting data in three papers in 2004 and of fungus to produce biofuels. 2006. The former director of the X-ray crystallography laboratory at the National Institute of Arthritis and Biologist defends work with lions Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases will need to prove A researcher lampooned by Republican Senator Tom that his work is being overseen to receive any public Coburn for putting mountain lions on treadmills has funding. He will also not be allowed to sit on NIH peer- said that Coburn’s “misinformed” critique will damage review boards during the 2 years. Research Europe, 20 November 2014 news 19 world

African partners propose SKA research fund Nine African countries who are partners in the Square by Maina Waruru [email protected] Kilometre Array project have proposed the creation of a fund to support research into radio astronomy and the and Technology. “Once radio equipment is in place, training of scientists in Africa. there will be a lot of data to be interpreted and we will Senior officials from science ministries in Botswana, need a pool of young people capable of performing this Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, task,” he says. Namibia, South Africa and Zambia proposed the fund at Botswana’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and a steering committee meeting in Kenya this month. Technology plan to draft a proposal to detail how the The countries will contribute a joint total of $6 million fund would operate. The document will be discussed by (€4.8m) to the fund every year if it is approved at the SKA senior officials before being submitted to the SKA minis- ministerial meeting in March 2015, says Moses Rugutt, terial meeting for approval, says Val Munsami, the chief the director of Kenya’s National Commission for Science, director of astronomy and African space science at South Technology and Innovation. The ministerial meeting is a Africa’s Department of Science and Technology. forum of African science ministers involved in the project. “We hope that donors, development partners and “Astronomy is a relatively new field for many coun- African institutions such as the African Development tries in this project. A lot of money will be needed to Bank will donate money to this fund,” says Munsami. convert existing telecommunications infrastructure to The SKA is under construction in South Africa and be able to operate and gather data for radio astronomy Australia. The costs of the project’s first phase are esti- and later build capacity,” Rugutt says. mated at €650 million, provided by the two host nations The money would also be used to help scientists gath- and the SKA’s international partners and funders. er data and conduct experiments, says Phil Mjwara, the The project’s headquarters are at the Jodrell Bank director-general of South Africa’s Department of Science Observatory in the UK.

Science portfolio split in Asia’s rise continues as OECD influence declines world early Modi reshuffle China is poised to become the world’s biggest R&D in brief India’s science minister Jitendra spender by 2020, according to the latest figures from Singh has been moved on to the OECD. The OECD predicts that China will overtake the a role developing the country’s north-eastern region United States in 2019 in terms of absolute spending on in a reshuffle just 6 months after the election of the R&D. The Asian nation is already on a par with the EU’s Bharatiya Janata party government. On 9 November, 28 member states combined, with its gross domestic prime minister Narendra Modi changed several minis- expenditure on R&D reaching $397 billion in 2012, the ters and expanded his cabinet by 21 posts. Singh was OECD says. The rapid rise in China’s spending has con- replaced on the science and technology brief by Harsh tributed to a decline in OECD countries’ proportion of Vardhan, a former health minister under Modi and a global R&D spending, as China is not a member country. member of the reigning BJP. UN agency launches online archive Iran’s parliament still to approve science minister Unesco, the UN’s education branch, has created a President Hassan Rouhani of Iran has proposed World Library of Science to share scientific papers with Fakhroddin Ahmadi Danesh-Ashtiani as the country’s researchers and students globally. The library, launched next science minister, following the Iranian parliament’s in conjunction with the publisher Nature Education decision to refuse his previous choice in August. Danesh- and the diagnostics company Roche, will contain arti- Ashtiani, a civil engineer specialising in seismology, has cles, books and videos. As well as making scientific previously held the position of education minister. information freely available, it will provide educational resources for students and teachers. Government sets goals for science minister New Zealand’s science minister has been told to focus South Korea shows nuclear ambitions in Europe on encouraging more R&D investment by industry and An atomic consortium from South Korea is to upgrade a furthering plans for regional science institutions. A gov- nuclear reactor and build a cold-neutron research facil- ernment briefing, published on 12 November, said that ity at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, Steven Joyce should lead efforts to raise R&D invest- in a deal worth $23.6 million (€19m). The two countries ment by industry to 1 per cent of GDP by 2018. He was signed an agreement to update the capacity of the nucle- also advised to help establish four further Centres of ar reactor from 2 megawatts to 3 megawatts. The Korea Research Excellence to be funded from 2016 to 2020. Atomic Energy Research Institute will lead the work. 20 inside out Research Europe, 20 November 2014

Working through the ranks University rankings are early. Others gave him a magician’s persona: The Great often criticised as a gross simplification of university Osbornio. However, as one contributor pointed out, performance, and this might exemplify why. One univer- Osborne did at least achieve something remarkable: he sity, we are reliably informed, told the HRK, Germany’s put Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence rectors’ association, that it improved its position by party, in the right. 20 places in one well-known league table just by report- ing the value of its buildings based on their true market Napping on a comet The Philae lander, part of the value instead of what was written on its balance sheet. European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission, has become the first spacecraft to go to sleep on a comet, after land- Parting shot The webpage of the chief scientific adviser ing in the shadows and running out of battery sooner at the European Commission was immediately branded than expected. Scientists have tried to fix the problem, with a large ‘archive’ stamp on 1 November, the day after caused by an unfortunate landing position that prevents Anne Glover’s role officially ended, despite other depart- the lander’s solar panels from receiving enough light, by ing officials’ pages remaining active. Glover’s contract rotating it. After a 10-year journey to catch the comet, doesn’t end until February so, if she’s so inclined, she Philae only saw 57 hours of action. Rosetta will continue might be twiddling her thumbs in Brussels for a while. to track the comet’s progress, however. Perhaps she could spend her time making an education- al video along the lines of the Commission’s infamous Better off in As the prospect of an EU in-out referendum “Science: It’s a girl thing” campaign. Our suggested title looms in the UK, it’s a good time to revisit the benefits of is “Science Advice: It’s a vital thing”. EU membership—and this month the Daily Mirror newspa- per did just that. As well as conferring the right to work Abracadabra After meeting foreign affairs ministers on and live in other member states, the paper points out, 7 November, the UK chancellor George Osborne rashly membership prevents citizens having to pay for costly claimed he had halved the country’s €2.1-billion extra- visas, such as £125 to visit Russia. It also gives access to costs bill from the EU. Luckily the Twittersphere wasn’t state healthcare and cheaper roaming phone charges— fooled by this assessment. Some likened Osborne’s and, of course, those EU-only queues at passport control. trick to that of a child opening their Christmas presents Not too bad for only £34 each a year, the paper says. Subscribe now Research Europe is the leading independent source of news, analysis and funding opportunities for researchers and policymakers in Europe. We offer a range of subscription options in print and online. Multi-user subscriptions Universities, Research Institutes, Learned Societies and other Membership Organisations, Government Departments and Funders can subscribe to Research Europe via our online platform *Research Professional. See page 16 for details

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