Research policy

The European Science Foundation is to help the ten central and eastern European countries integrate their social sciences into the enlarged European Research Area.

Researchers can now get information about publishing via open access from a website funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

The Indian economy may be drawing nervous glances from Europe but its universities, famous for churning out 2.5 million graduates every year, are faltering.

The French presidential election is unlike any previous one: this time, both right and left are hoisting research policy to the top of their agendas.

The UK’s Technology Strategy Board is to become independent of government, taking over the programme currently run from within the Department of Trade and Industry.

European companies are set to increase their investment in R&D by 5 per cent per annum over the next three years, closing the gap with US counterparts.

The European Commission wants businesses to spend more on research and development - and to help encourage that, the agency is preparing a volley of government proposals for the Autumn.

The controversial proposal for a new European Institute of Technology hit more political turbulence, as the EU’s research commissioner questioned whether it should receive preferential funding.

With much of their work not qualifying for federal money, US states leading the charge in stem cell research are holding out the tin cup to get donations.

The first outline of how the proposed European Research Council will try to stem the brain drain of Europe’s best young researchers has been sketched in by its governing body.