Brussels, 30/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 30 January, the European Union presented new grants which will help to reduce the existing gap between member states in research excellence.
The new instrument for the formation of teams (“teaming”), under which grants are awarded, will help to improve research performances and increase investments in countries with lower research excellence rankings. 31 projects from these countries have been selected. The first teaming projects selected for funding will be carried out by research bodies or agencies and national or regional authorities. In the first phase of the initiative, projects will receive up to 500,000 euros in funding each (total of €14.5 million) to develop operational plans for new centres of excellence or to improve existing centres. €87 million have been earmarked for phase 2. The projects financed include: - a Slovenian Institute which is teaming up with the Karolinska Institute in Sweden in an effort to create a centre of excellence in the area of medical innovation; - a Bulgarian Institute which hopes to establish a centre of excellence in sustainable bio-based technologies, in partnership with the Max Planck Society in Germany. (LC)