First periodic report submitted by Link2US

Jun 7, 2011

Link2US activities aim to enhance the awareness and participation of European researchers and research organisations in national research programmes of the United States.

"Mapping and Monitoring Access Opportunities in the United States” shall identify the opportunities and barriers to cooperation between European researchers and organisations with those of the United States by collecting data about U.S. federal funding programmes, surveying the S&T cooperation agreements with the United States, and monitoring European participation in U.S. funding programmes. The initial inventory of U.S. federal civilian funding programmes identified 14 programmes open to EU-based institutions.
http://www.euussciencetechnology.eu/link2us/funding-opportunities.html

The survey of all S&T agreements between the United States and EU as well as the agreements between the United States and individual EU Member States and Associated Countries identified 17 S&T agreements.
http://www.euussciencetechnology.eu/link2us/st-agreements.html

To analyse the issues faced by researchers at European institutions participating in U.S. programmes, a survey was conducted of those researchers and grant administrators in Europe who participated in the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant programmes.
http://www.euussciencetechnology.eu/document/show/id/296

Participation statistics of EU-based researchers during U.S. fiscal year 2009 were analysed for three U.S. federal entities, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and NIH, which are able to directly fund EU-based institutions.
http://www.euussciencetechnology.eu/document/show/id/241

“Dissemination and Communication” develops and implements the most effective methodologies in increasing awareness of access opportunities in the United States to the European research community at large. The Link2US dissemination strategy was finalized during this period, taking into account the ACCESS4EU Common Dissemination Strategy elaborated with other ACCESS4EU projects and the EC. In coordination with the BILAT-USA project, the official portal and project website was launch.
http://www.euussciencetechnology.eu/link2us

A catalogue was published based on those funding programmes identified in WP1.
http://www.euussciencetechnology.eu/uploads/docs/Link2US-digital_FinalCatalogue.pdf

Two versions of the project logo, a general logo including a unique key common to all ACCESS4EU projects, and a banner for use within reports, the website, etc. were finalized during this period. Five issues of the E-newsletter, along with 18 E-alerts, have been delivered so far in coordination with the BILAT-USA project.
http://www.euussciencetechnology.eu/home/newsletter.html

“Coordination and Awareness Raising Activities” focus on connecting the stakeholders in the EU-U.S. S&T agreement and raising the awareness about the U.S. scientific research funding structure. To cooperate and coordinate with national authorities in the United States and the EC, 14 meetings have taken place. A contact list of relevant initiatives to EU-U.S. cooperation has been compiled, including ERA-Nets, EURAXESS LINKS, and BILAT-USA. The first awareness raising activity was held during ICT2010. An Advisory Group consisting of two U.S. and four European leaders in S&T, in cooperation with the BILAT-USA project, was established during this first period. Advisory Group terms of reference were finalized and two meetings of the advisory group have been completed.