| CO - "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi | Romania | PPIMC | Mihaela Olaru |
| P1- Ministry of Education, Research and Youth - National Authority for Scientific Research, Bucharest | Romania | NASR | Alexandra Vancea |
| P2 - Technical University, Sofia | Bulgaria | TUS | Lidia Galabova |
| P3 - Cité internationale universitaire de Paris (Bureau d'Accueil des Chercheurs Etrangers), Paris | France | CIUP | Veronique Gillet-Didier |
| P4 - Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Warszawa | Poland | IPPT | Anna Wisniewska |
CO. Coordinator - "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi, Romania (PPIMC)
PPIMC is an Institute of Excellence of the Romanian Academy, founded in 1949, ranked, last ten years, in the first/second position among the 64 institutes/centres of the Academy. The Institute holds the first position in Romania in the ISI classification as a research institute.
PPIMC develops two important innovation competences: (a) a scientific competence, reflected in publications in macromolecular and organic chemistry, biochemistry, physical chemistry, biology, physics and materials science, and (b) a technological competence dedicated to technology transfer and industrial implementation of the original research.
Traditionally, PPIMC is involved in scientific cooperation with research/high education centres all over the world and during its 55 years of existence acted on different occasions as a "meeting point" for researchers coming from countries separated by regional conflicts or the iron curtain".
Nowadays, the Institute maintains strong scientific connections/cooperation with more than 50 research/high education centres in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Hungary, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Russia, Finland, Great Britain, Portugal, Ukraine, Greece, Turkey), Japan, China, USA and Canada. Visitors from abroad are frequent guests of the Institute - around 40 visitors from different centres are received every year. As normal consequences of these tight scientific links, 20 - 30 PhD students and young researchers from the Institute are hosted yearly for 3 months - one year stays in foreign laboratories and senior researchers are invited speakers in international symposia and conferences. Senior researchers are members of Editorial or Advisory Boards of national/international journals. Last but not least, 30% of the publications issued by the Institute over the last five years are co-authored by foreign researchers.
The cooperation network created by PPIMC has resulted in the Institute being recognized as a reliable partner within the EURAXESS network.
P.1. Ministry of Education, Research, Youth and Sports - National Authority for Scientific Research, Romania - (NASR); www.ancs.gov.ro
National Authority for Scientific Research (NASR) is the Government’s specialized body with the mission to formulate, apply, coordinate, monitor and evaluate R&D and innovation policies, in accordance with the Government Strategy and Programmes. The organization functions within, fulfills the responsibilities and undertakes the attributes of the Ministry of Education, Research, Youth and Sports (MECTS) in the field of research, technological development and innovation.
NASR has the mission to elaborate the concept of a national strategy for R&D, to apply, monitor and evaluate the national policies for R&D, having as strategic objectives:
1. Promoting the creation and development of S&T knowledge, with view on obtaining high level, internationally competitive, S&T results;
2. Increasing the competitiveness of the Romanian economy, by promoting the diffusion and transfer of S&T knowledge and the innovation processes with strong economic impact;
3. Increasing the quality of life, through the development of S&T solutions with high benefits for society.
The national strategy for R&D is being implemented through a specific multi-annual programme, and the current running programme is called “National Plan for Research, Development and Innovation 2007-2013” developed and financed under the direct monitoring of NASR, as Programme Owner, with the help of several implementation and financing agencies under NASR coordination:
(European Integration and International Cooperation Department)
The bilateral cooperation is the quickest and the most efficient “way of access” to regional, European and international cooperation. NASR has a history over 40 years in bilateral cooperation, with more than 40 countries, nowadays having 19 active/in negotiations such agreements: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, England (British Council), France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Japan, Korea, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey and Ukraine.
Operating since January 2006, ROST became part of the IGLO (Informal Group of RTD Liaison Offices in Brussels for EU R&D), as the Romanian liaison office for R&D having the mission to promote the efficient participation of the Romanian research community to the EU R&D programmes. ROST is functioning as a special department of NASR. http://www.rosteu.net
P.2. Technical University, Sofia, Bulgaria (TUS)
Technical University of Sofia is the largest Higher Institute of Technology in Bulgaria with a 60-year-long tradition in the training of engineers. TUS currently trains 18 000 students, of which 800 are international students. 90 000 are the engineers who have graduated from the Technical University and have contributed to the development of the Bulgarian industry with the knowledge and skills obtained in the course of their university education. There is hardly any enterprise, company or industrial plant in the country, which has not employed graduates of the TUS.
TUS offers its students the opportunity to take Engineering degree courses in a foreign language (German, English and French), as well as pursue a second degree course at the respective faculty, along with additional options for further qualifications at the Centres for Lifelong Learning.
In the conditions of market economy R&DS, Small Batch Production Units (SBPU) and Training and Experimental Pilot Plants(TEPP) have enormous impact on the development of science and applied research of the lecturers, engineering and technical staff with the TUS.
As per the internal regulation norms, the R&DS is an autonomous unit through which all contracted research and its complementary activities are implemented. They are carried out by the scholars and lecturers, aided by the technical personnel of the TUS as well as external scientific consultants and free-lance collaborators. In 2004 the staff of R&DS consists of more than 150 employees of which 36 were researchers - 10 of them having senior degrees. A considerable number of them participate in the education and training process and experimental research of students as part-time lecturers in various subjects.
In 2004, trough the intermediation of R&DS more than 450 contracts. Beside the R&DS staff, more than 600 members of the teaching staff have taken part in contract implementation as principal executives or leaders. R&DS also realized a significant amount of international research activities, primarily under the auspices of the EU Programs: COPERNICUS, Fifth and Six Framework Programs etc.
TUS has created structures and favourable conditions for the development of scientific research, production and applied research implementation activities on contract basis with industry.
TUS maintains intensive international relations with many renowned universities worldwide (France , Czech Republic , Germany, Greece , Hungary , Romania, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Poland, Russia, Turkey , United Kingdom, USA, etc.)
P.3. Cité internationale universitaire de Paris, Bureau d'Accueil des Chercheurs Etrangers, France (BACE)
For eighty years the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris, a recognised private foundation of public utility, has been one of the rare institution around the world entirely dedicated to the welcome and reception of high level students and researchers, at the service of cultural exchange and dialogue. These last three years, the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris, in partnership with universities and research centres of the Parisian area, has launched an important program to welcome researchers from all over the world and better accompany them in their mobility with the creation of the Guest Researchers Office (also called BACE - Bureau d'Accueil des Chercheurs Etrangers)
The Guest Researchers Office is part of the European Network EURAXESS, launched by the European Commission in 2004, and one of the most active Mobility Centre in Europe. In 2006, 1500 researchers have benefited from the welcoming of the BACE and 875 researchers have been accommodated thanks to the BACE.
P.4. Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Poland (IPPT)
Instytut Podstawowych Problemów Techniki (Institute of Fundamental Technological Research) is one of the biggest scientific establishments of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) - it disposes of 162 highly qualified scientists. Its main task is to conduct high quality research in the areas which are the focus of world science. Over years, the Institute has become the leading research establishment making a considerable contribution to numerous areas of science and technology, successfully promoting new trends of development and having a very good reputation in Poland and abroad. In order to concentrate the Institute's potential, in the most promising and innovative areas the Institute created 4 highly specialised research groups known as Excellence Centres. The Institute also coordinates 2 international Networks of Excellence.
The National Contact Point for Research Programmes of the EU operates by the Institute since 1999. Its activities of concentrate around the main goal, which is support to the participation of Polish research community in the Framework Programmes. Staff of the Mobility Unit has considerable experience in management and administration of EU projects, gained both through personal involvement and through advising on EU funding opportunities. The Unit acts also as an EURAXESS Mobility Information Centre for Poland.
The National Contact Point closely collaborates with the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the European Commission, the European Parliament and key Polish and foreign R+D stakeholders, such as NCPs in other countries. It has also extensive experience in promotion and publication activities, including preparation of thematic guidelines addressed to Polish participants to Framework Programmes.