November (2009)

Contents

27 November 2009 - EC President Announces New European Commissioners' Portfolios

The president of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso has revealed the portfolios of the next line of European Commisioners, according to an online posting in the South-Eastern European weekly, The Sofia Echo.

The new commissioner for research and innovation will be Ireland's Maire Geoghegan-Quinn. Geoghegan-Quinn replaces Janez Potočnik, who will now take the reigns in the EC's environment portfolio.

To read the full story, click here. To read the official EC press release click here.

27 November 2009 - Latest FP7 ICT Call Now Open for Applications: Closing Date 13 April, 2010

The next Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) ICT call for proposals (FP7-ICT-2009-6) is now open. The call fiche (description), the associated work programme, guides for applicants relevant to the funding schemes used in this call, an overview of the basic features of this programme, and other key documents required for the preparation of project proposals are available via the following link: FP7-ICT-2009-6.

11 November 2009 - CAAST-Net Stakeholders' Conference to Move Bi-regional S&T Cooperation Forward*

National governments, research and policy think tanks in Africa and Europe must develop and coordinate national S&T policies, programmes and priorities in order to provide a strong basis for improved cooperation in science and technology between the two continents.

This was one of three key tentative recommendations reached after two days of intensive deliberation at the CAAST-Net Stakeholders' Conference on Africa-Europe Cooperation in Science and Technology.

The need for greater coherence between the range of cooperation policies and funding instruments currently shaping bi-regional S&T cooperation-the Joint Africa-EU Strategy, the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology, the Regional Economic Communities, the European Development Fund, the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7), the decisions of the African Union Commission, and Africa's Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action-with a strong emphasis on joint ownership was the second recommendation.

The third recommendation recognises the critical need for more effective communication in Europe and Africa of information about collaborative research funding instruments and opportunities.

The event was held at the Whitesands Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, on 10 and 11 November, and was convened by the Kenyan Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Sally Kosgei.

Attended by a range of high-level stakeholders from both regions, the conference was aimed at both developing understanding of, and debating recommendations for, improving bi-regional science and technology cooperation between Africa and Europe.

Presentations on the existing landscape, as well as case studies of successful cooperation examples, set the scene for specific workshops focused on three key aspects of bi-regional cooperation: the role of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7), the role of bi-lateral cooperation and in particular the value of bi-lateral S&T agreements, as well as the question of how to achieve closer synergy between S&T and development agendas.

It is envisaged that the finalised recommendations of the conference will be disseminated within policy fora at the highest level-in particular, policy dialogues taking place around the implementation of the 8th Partnership for Science, Information Society and Space of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy, as well as in the fora of the African Union and European Union commissions.

View the finalised conference recommedations!

9 November 2009 - CAAST-Net Hosts FP7 Information Day in Mombasa*

The Network for the Coordination and Advancement of Sub-Saharan Africa-EU Science and Technology Cooperation (CAAST-Net) hosted its third FP7 information day of 2009 in Mombasa, Kenya, on 9 November. FP7 is the European Union's funding instrument for research and technological development.

CAAST-Net information days are aimed at raising awareness about FP7 within the Sub-Saharan African research communities.

The event drew a strong participation of researchers from East African universities and science ministries, as well as representatives from the African Union Commission, the European Commission and the African regional economic communities.

Welcoming delegates, CAAST-Net co-ordinator Dr. Andy Cherry emphasised that FP7 presents a diversity of opportunities for collaboration between Africa and Europe. This includes current opportunities under the recently published FP7 Africa call, he said.

Worth €63 million, and directed specifically for research cooperation with Africa, the call targets health, water and food security topics and is to be implemented through bi-regional collaborative projects. These are conceived to address priorities of the 8th Partnership on Science, Information Society and Space of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy, which was adopted in December 2007.

Fadila Boughanemi, a senior EC representative from the Directorate General for Research, encouraged participants to inform themselves about FP7 in order to respond effectively to both present and future calls.

Boughanemi also drew attention to a "new alliance" being forged between European R&D and development cooperation instruments. This new alliance should result in greater funding for African science and technology, she hinted, including a large sum for science capacity building under the tenth European Development Fund.

FP7 is distinguished from previous framework programmes by a stronger international emphasis. "The big novelty of FP7 is that it is completely open to international cooperation," said Boughanemi.

*The CAAST-Net Stakeholders' Conference on Africa-Europe Coooperation in Science and Technology: Status and Way Forward kicks-off in Mombasa on 10 November. Check back to this page for further reporting.