Work Package 1

This Work Package aims, to systematically map and characterize the most significant basic chemical science funding bodies across the EU, starting the analysis with the nine countries represented in the first consortium agreement (Austria, Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland) according to the original WP1.The study reflects the need for an improved understanding of the relationship between chemical science, science funding and funding policy in the Member states, within the context of the European Research Area (ERA). It provides an analysis of the information contained in the completed questionnaires supplied by consortium members, along with other background issues, sought to draw out any discernable trends in the structure and operation of those basic science funding bodies covered by the questionnaires, while also highlighting and attempting to explain the differences between countries and between types of funding bodies. Accompanying this, a set of supplied country overviews provides the national context for science funding within each country covered by the Work Package. This includes knowledge of programmes, administrative responsibilities and general procedures in science funding (counselling, proposals, peer review, grant decision, financing, contracts, follow up).This study helps to notify similarities and differences between councils, regarding the general funding philosophy: Which programmes exist? Who can be funded? Individual researchers or laboratories and organisations? Which persons or labs? Which disciplines? What are the funding conditions and prerequisites? Are there any other organisations in the partners country funding the same clientele? As a result, 15 different country profiles have been compiled.
As of January 2006, WP 1, which originally covered 5 tasks, will consist of 3 tasks. The three operational tasks, 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3, will be continued within this work package, but in a largely extended form. Tasks 1.1 (status quo in basic chemistry), 1.2 (status quo in applied chemistry) and 1.3 (benchmarking of the results) will consist of updating all information, including documents and surveys, published to date. Moreover, the WP activities will be extended to:
Neighbouring research fields (basic and applied physics, basic biology and applied biomedical research, basic and applied (engineering) materials research), but only in relation to chemistry.
-Definition of conflicts of interest between applicants and reviewers
-Survey on intellectual property rights (IPR)
-New ERA-Chemistry research councils/funding agencies/ministries
-National European research councils/funding agencies/ ministries in charge of curiosity-driven research not included in the current surveys
Key actors in applied chemical research (see also Task 2.4)
Supranational funding bodies in Europe
Data exchange and division of labour with neighbouring ERA-

Summaries of the country profiles are available from Publications>WP1.