Organisation
The ERA-Chemistry partners include fourteen national research councils and funding agencies from eight EU member states and
Coordinator of the network is dr. M. Behnke, he replaces dr. Karlheinz Schmidt, former head of the Chemistry and Process Engineering Department of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG,
The Networking Steering Committee (NSC) comprises high level representatives from all ERA-Chemistry partner councils and is responsible for monitoring the work performed, reviewing the progress achieved towards sustainable cooperation and discussing corrective actions where necessary. The NSC will be supported by the ERA-Chemistry Executive Board consisting of the network coordinator, the work package leaders and the joint secretariat. The Executive Board meets several times per year and avoids to consult all project partners for each minor decision taken within the ERA-NET.
During the first two years of ERA-Chemistry an External Advisory Board was consulted to evaluate the network's activities and for strategic advice. It also played a major role in selecting appropriate topics for workshops. With this in mind, and also to give a clear signal to the scientific community, the External Advisory Board was replaced by a Scientific Advisory Board in 2006, composed of active top-level European researchers. The board members will play a key role in the discussion on appropriate scientific subjects for all ERA-Chemistry workshops and research conferences.
Eventually, ERA-Chemistry hopes to involve all EU member states, as well as European countries with a good chemical research infrastructure, including acceding and candidate countries. Research councils of third countries, such as the US National Science Foundation, will be invited to become associates. Links will also be made with European bodies like the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), and other relevant ERA-NETs.
