Australian Research Funding Initiatives - new opportunities for collaboration

Opening up of Australian research funding initiatives gives EU researchers new opportunities for collaboration

Researchers in the EU now have increased opportunities to participate in Australian research programmes thanks to the recent opening up of major Australian-funded research funding initiatives.

Schemes include the Australian Research Council's Competitive Grants Programme and The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's Flagship Fund.

A new project funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) is being launched in November to raise awareness of opportunities for European-Australian research collaboration throughout the European research community.

AUS-ACCESS4EU is one of a number of ACCESS4EU projects which aim to increase the European research community's awareness of opportunities to participate in research, technological development and innovation (RTDI) programmes in industrialised countries outside Europe.

The project will be launched at an Information Day in London on 8 November and a further seven events are planned in cities throughout Europe. Speakers from the project's partner organisations will be joined by leading members of the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). In addition European researchers who have participated in research programmes in Australia will give a personal perspective on their experience.

The Information Day will be of particular interest to research managers and administrators in universities and other institutions.

For further information about AUS-ACCESS4EU and the Information Day please go to http://www.access4.eu/australia/618.php

To reserve a place at the Information Day please email us at aus-access4.eu@britishcouncil.org mailto:aus-access4.eu@britishcouncil.org to request a registration form.

The organisations involved in the Information Days are:

Australian National University, ANU www.anu.edu.au http://www.anu.edu.au/ ANU was established by the Chifley government in 1946 to build Australia's intellectual infrastructure. It is driven by its founding mission to advance the cause of learning and research in Australia and take its place amongst the great universities of the world.

Australian Research Council, ARC www.arc.gov.au http://www.arc.gov.au/ The ARC is a statutory authority within the Australian Government's Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (IISR) portfolio. Its mission is to deliver policy and programmes that advance Australian research and innovation globally and benefit the community.

British Council www.britishcouncil.org http://www.britishcouncil.org/ The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Its purpose is to build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people worldwide. It seeks to achieve its aims by working in education, science, governance, English and the arts. In 2008/09, its programmes reached a total audience of 221 million people worldwide

Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation, CSIRO www.csiro.au http://www.csiro.au/ The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world.

Forum for European-Australian Science & Technology cooperation, FEAST www.feast.org http://www.feast.org/ The Forum for European-Australian Science and Technology Cooperation (commonly known as "FEAST") is an organisation established by the Australian Government and the European Union to highlight, promote, and facilitate research collaboration between their respective communities.

International Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research at the German Aerospace Centre, DLR www.dlr.de/en http://www.dlr.de/en The International Bureau has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to strengthen the international ties of German universities, research institutes and enterprises with the ultimate goal of building competencies and fostering competitive advantages for industry and the research community in Germany in the areas of research and innovation. In doing so, the International Bureau is making an important contribution to cultivating an international dimension within the research programmes of the BMBF.

National Health & Medical Research Council, NHMRC www.nhmrc.gov.au http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/ The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is Australia's peak body for supporting health and medical research; for developing health advice for the Australian community, health professionals and governments; and for providing advice on ethical behaviour in health care and in the conduct of health and medical research.