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The heads of research bodies from 10 European countries have signed a joint agreement promising to allow scientists moving between their nations to take grant money with them.
The letter of intent was announced Monday (November 8) by the German Research Foundation (DFG). It had been signed at a meeting of European Heads of Research Councils (EUROHORCs) on October 22 in Lisbon. DFG President Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker currently holds the rotating presidency of EUROHORCs.
Signers included the heads of two research organizations each from the United Kingdom and Belgium, and one each from Spain, Denmark, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, and Portugal.
Christoph Mühlberg, head of the DFG's section for International Cooperation—Western Europe, told The Scientist that another six to eight organization heads are expected to sign the letter by the end of the year.
Mühlberg said 21 European nations are represented in EUROHORCs by 42 organizations. Not all member organizations are grant givers, so do not need to sign the letter, he said.
Some of those chiefs expected to sign the letter were not present at the Lisbon meeting, while others will have to consult further within their organizations. "Some organizations, especially from smaller countries, may think the agreement is not yet suitable for them and prefer to wait," Mühlberg said. But he added: "In the longer run, a vast majority of European countries will be represented."
The letter, titled Transfer of Grants ("Money follows researcher"), aims "to improve the starting conditions of researchers who accept a position at a research institution in a different country and to safeguard and validate investments that participant funding organizations have made into the work of these researchers."
National research organizations that sign the letter of intent would allow "researchers moving to the country of another organization participating in this scheme to use the remainder of a current research grant for the continuation of their research abroad." The authorization for a transfer must be requested by the researcher, with the remaining period of the grant "normally" not less than 6 months.
Mühlberg said the letter will not be published online until January, when EUROHORCs' new Web site will go live.
A clause in the letter does leave the door open for a granting organization to deny transferal of grants, stating: "In each individual case, the decision on whether, when, to what extent, and how a grant is transferred is entirely with the granting organization." But Mühlberg said he is confident participating organizations will abide by the letter's goals.
One area of potential contention would be transfer of equipment purchased with grant money, Mühlberg conceded. The letter states: "The possibility of a transfer of major investment has to be considered case by case."
EUROHORCs' initiative comes on top of a number of others in the European Union aimed at increasing mobility of scientists, which include the European Network of Mobility Centres, which was launched last summer.
Cornelis Vis, a policy officer at the European Union's Research Directorate-General involved in the Marie Curie Actions, told The Scientist that Brussels was supportive of EUROHORCs' letter of intent.
"What we find particularly interesting is that the concept of 'money follows researcher' would introduce new dynamics into national research funding structures, aimed at transnational mobility," Vis said. "As we see it, this is beneficial for the career development of European researchers and would contribute to the emergence of a genuine European labor market for researchers."
Carol Featherstone, a spokeswoman for European Life Scientist Organization (ELSO), told The Scientist that ELSO was highly supportive of EUROHORCs' initiative. "Mobility of researchers between countries is vital for the mixing of talents, learning new approaches, techniques, working practices, and for communication," she said.
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