Annual Report 2007
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SETTING SCIENCE AGENDAS FOR EUROPE Annual Report 2007 www.esf.org Contents Professor Ian Halliday: President’s Message ................................... 4-5 Dr. John Marks, 2007 Chief Executive: 2007 – Steps to position ESF in the European Research Area .......... 6 The 2007 Assembly ............................................................................... 8 2007 in Review ..................................................................................... 20 - European Science Foundation says farewell to its Chief Executive Bertil Andersson . 20 - ESF names Sir Roderick Floud as the Chair of the Social Sciences ......................... 21 - ESF names Professor Jean-Pierre Swings as New Chair of the Space Sciences Committee .............................................................................................................. 22 - International Review Panel commends ESF’s efforts in EUROCORES ...................... 23 - The ESF and the European Commission sign contract for COST in FP7 .................. 25 - ERA needs full involvement of non-governmental stakeholders, ESF & EUROHORCs comment to EC’s Green Paper ............................................... 27 - Poto nik, 52 countries’ representatives ponder research integrity in Lisbon ............. 29 - EURYI 2007: 20 researchers receive Nobel Prize-sized awards in Helsinki ............... 30 - ESF meeting sets cornerstone for science communication ...................................... 32 - IPCC’s Nobel Peace Prize win underlines International collaboration spirit, ESF involvement ...................................................................................................... 34 - UK House of Commons report lauds Marine Board’s works .................................... 36 - ESF awards European Latsis Prize to Willi Kalender on Medical Imaging achievement ............................................................................ 37 - ESF’s 1st Science Policy Conference ponders questions on ERA, Global Research Area .............................................................................................. 39 - Korea Research Foundation eyes entry into EUROCORES, RNPs ........................... 41 - EuroBioForum sows the seeds for future life sciences initiatives in Europe ............... 42 2 European Science Foundation Highlights from 2007 .......................................................................... 44 - European Launch of International Polar Year ............................................................ 44 - Systems Biology to boost the understanding of cell function and disease ...................................................................................... 45 - Watching what we eat: ESF - COST conference on Food Systems .......................... 46 - Space scientists, humanities scholars explore outer space from new perspective ... 48 - Astronomers get their hands dirty as they lift the veil on galactic dust ...................... 49 - Investigating Life in Extreme Environments report gives hints on life ......................... 51 ESF’s principal activities in 2007 ....................................................... 54 - Forward Looks ....................................................................................................... 54 - Science Policy Briefings .......................................................................................... 57 - Member Organisation Fora ..................................................................................... 59 - Research Infrastructures (RI) ..................................................................................... 61 - Exploratory Workshops ............................................................................................ 63 - Research Networking Programmes ......................................................................... 74 - Research Conferences ............................................................................................ 79 - World Conferences ................................................................................................. 85 - EUROCORES .......................................................................................................... 87 - EU Framework Programme Projects .................................................................... 115 ESF’s Science Structure and their highlighted activities in 2007 ... 123 - European Medical Research Councils (EMRC) ....................................................... 124 - Humanities (SCH) .................................................................................................. 128 - Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences (LESC) .................................................... 134 - Physical and Engineering Sciences (PESC) ............................................................ 138 - Social Sciences (SCSS) ......................................................................................... 144 - Marine Board– ESF ............................................................................................... 149 - European Polar Board (EPB) ................................................................................. 154 - European Space Sciences Committee (ESSC) ...................................................... 156 - Committee on Radio Astronomy Frequencies (CRAF) ............................................ 159 - Nuclear Physics European Collaboration Committee (NuPECC) ............................ 161 - Science Advisory Board ........................................................................................ 164 Finance & Administration ................................................................. 166 Human Resources ............................................................................ 179 Communications .............................................................................. 182 COST ................................................................................................. 184 ESF structure .................................................................................... 186 ESF Member Organisations in 2007 .......................................................... 187 Governing Council / Finance and Audit Committee ....................... 191 Publications in 2007 ......................................................................... 192 European Science Foundation 3 4 European Science Foundation President’s Message: Ian Halliday has seen a major change at the top of ESF. At the end of March Bertil Andersson left us for the lush tropical charms of 2007 Singapore. John Marks took over as Chief Executive. Finally the new Chief Executive Marja Makarow took the reign at the start of 2008. We owe Bertil many thanks for his many achievements with ESF. I pick three. The capabilities, management and environment within the ESF organisation improved markedly. Bertil was heavily involved in the restructuring of the COST domains and peer-review. This is seen as a real improvement and the ESF relationship with the COST Committee of Senior Officials also continued to grow. The ESF stewardship of the EURYI scheme was seen to be an outstanding success with peer-review of the highest standard. Imitation being the highest form of flattery, we were thrilled that the ERC took the style and methodology of EURYI to heart in its first round of funding. Indeed ESF should claim its share of the praise in making the case for the creation of the European Research Council (ERC) which I see as a beacon of hope on the European science landscape. John Marks, equally, has served ESF well during his tenure of the Chief Executive post. The most contentious area was the negotiations over the new COST contract (for effectively e210 millions). The satisfactory conclusion of these negotiations was a major coup. Our new Chief Executive Marja comes from a background in Finland that encompasses major University involvement in both research and research management as Vice-Rector in the University of Helsinki and in National Science Policy making as a member of the Finnish Government’s National Council for Science and Technology Policy. On the European scene she has been actively involved with EMBO. I welcome her here to ESF and wish her good luck in her new post. The year has also seen the implementation of the Governance changes agreed in 2006; back to back Governing Council meetings with EUROHORCs; the new Governing Council Steering Committee; the new Science Advisory Board. The year has seen delivery of interesting Forward Looks and policy advice from Systems Biology to Arctic environmental studies. I thank all the committees and panels that make this work both possible and influential. We continue to improve our relationships with our Member Organisations to increase the relevance of this work and to maximise the impact. In the wider context the series of meetings held under the Portuguese Presidency, allied to the dynamism of Minister José-Mariano Gago, has moved the European Agenda forwards. Given the success of the ERC the expectant gaze of European Science has turned to the EUROHORCs and national budgets. How can they contribute to the ERA in the style pioneered by EURYI? Whatever the answer I am sure ESF will contribute. European Science Foundation 5 2007 – Steps to position ESF in the European Research Area Bertil Andersson, who said farewell to led to the increasing number of requests ESF as Chief Executive in March 2007, from the MOs to assist their peer review of gave 2006 the motto “From