FEAST email news - August 2010

FP7 calls for 2011

The European Commission has published a series of calls for proposals for 2011 under the ‘Cooperation’, ‘Capacities’, ‘People’ and ‘Ideas’ Programmes of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The calls come under a wide variety of themes and topics, and budgets vary from call to call as do conditions for eligibility and deadlines. Details for all of the calls can be found at cordis.europa.eu/fp7/calls, and is it important that you examine the Work Programmes to determine if your area of research is being targeted in 2011. We encourage all Australians interested in participating in any of these calls firstly to contact their colleagues in Europe to explore possibilities for being included in a consortium, and secondly to speak with FEAST about the reality of becoming involved and some of the do's and don'ts. You will also find our most recent Discussion Paper (see below) a valuable resource.

Aus-Access4EU

FEAST is currently participating in a FP7 project called "Supporting EU Access to Australian Research Programmes", or Aus-Access4EU, together with partners from the International Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research at the German Aerospace Centre, CSIRO, and The British Council. Aus-Access4EU aims to enhance EU and Australian cooperation in science and innovation by investigating and reflecting upon the current state of European researchers' access to Australian funded research, technological development, and innovation programs and facilities. Full details about the project can be found at www.aus-access4.eu.

ARMS workshops

During 2010 FEAST has been running joint workshops with the Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS) aimed at disseminating FEAST knowledge and experiences to research management staff across Australia. These have been well received by all. Information about past and upcoming workshops can be found at www.feast.org/seminars/2010. The next workshop will be held on Tuesday 21^st September, prior to the annual ARMS conference (22-24 September) in Fremantle and hosted by the WA chapter. Details of this workshop will be available at researchmanagement.org.au/wa-events.html shortly.

"FEAST" magazine

Roxby Media Australia Pty Ltd has just released a 150+ page glossy magazine, titled FEAST, which was prepared in collaboration with FEAST and many other contributors. Your institution should be receiving a hardcopy shortly, or you may download it from www.feast.org/publications/FEAST_Roxby_2010.pdf. This publication will be widely circulated in both Australia and Europe, and has feature pieces by some of Australia's most senior research figures, and a substantial range of articles from Australia's major research institutions.

FEAST Symposium 2011

In partnership with the University of Queensland we are currently preparing for our next big event, the FEAST Symposium 2011: Enhancing interoperability in the emerging global research order. Unlike many events of this type this will not be a forum for researchers per se, but a forum at which those people who must decide on the architectures of funding programs and international agreements can get together to share experiences and new ideas for mutual benefit. As such, this will be an invitation only event spanning two days.

Call for identification of German professors and lecturers in Australia

In order to install a mentoring scheme for Australian graduates, PhD students and young researchers who would like to study and research in Germany, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is calling German professors, lecturers and researchers at Australian universities and research institutions - long term or short term - to identify themselves to the DAAD representative, Andreas Jaeger at the Information Centre Sydney, daad.australia@gmail.com. The DAAD would like to establish a network of German academics, senior Australian DAAD alumni and Humboldt fellows volunteering to give young people valuable advice and incentive beyond the usual range of the actual supervisor. DAAD in return offers information meetings and mentoring instructions, the opportunity to link with colleagues all over the world and much more. Please have a look at www.daad.de/ausland/lehren-im-ausland/deutsche_lehrkraefte/10436.de.html. A first information weekend for interested participants is scheduled for April 2011 in Sydney.

Distributed NCP network

National Contact Points, or NCPs, are individuals who have elected to becoming local contacts for FP7 issues. Currently, all NCP roles for Australia are being conducted by FEAST staff. Over the coming months we hope to identify and recommend other individuals around Australia to be NCPs for specific thematic areas. Further information about National Contact Points can be found at cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ncp_en.html. If you wish to be considered for one of Australia's NCPs, please contact us on info@feast.org.

FEAST staff changes

FEAST's former Executive Director, Dr Mark Matthews, has recently been appointed Executive Director for the HC Coombs Policy Forum at ANU, a new strategic collaboration with the Australian Government that focuses on translating a wide range of research pertinent to the practice of public policy into practical evidence-based dialogue and outputs. He maintains strong ties with FEAST. Dr Rado Faletic has been appointed Acting Executive Director for FEAST, and will likely remain in that role until the end of the current contract. The former Deputy Director, Mr Jean-Francois Desvignes-Hicks, is now based in Brisbane as Principal Project Manager for International Collaborations in the Queensland Government Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, though he remains on the FEAST staff for part of each week. Meanwhile, our former Project Officer, Mrs Olivia Wenholz, has been on maternity leave and FEAST has taken on two additional part-time staff, Dr Merrilyn Fitzpatrick and Ms Kerrie Glennie. Anybody interested in working for FEAST on a casual/part-time basis should contact Rado on 02 6125 7885 - would suit a Canberra-based PhD student.

This project is supported by International Science Linkages established under the Australian Government's innovation statement, Backing Australia's Ability, and has received funding from the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme, Capacities: International Cooperation.

FEAST is hosted by The Australian National University on behalf of Australia's research community.