Brussels, 13 March 2006
RTD-C.1/GV D(2006) 503272

Dear Sir/Madam,

Since 2000, the Descartes Research Prize has been awarded to trans-national research teams in recognition of scientific excellence in any field of sciences including socio-economic sciences and humanities.

The appreciation of the prize is growing from year to year. In 2005, hundreds of articles were published worldwide following the prize ceremony in London. Until today, 16 projects involving 105 teams from 24 European and non-European countries have been awarded this prestigious prize.

Research teams may submit their work themselves, but please note that appropriate public or private organisations such as research centres, foundations or universities may also nominate candidates for the prize. I would like to encourage your institution to participate in this year’s prize, for which a total budget of € 1,15 million has been allocated: up to five laureate teams will share € 1 million, and five finalist teams will receive € 30 000 each.

In 2004, a second Descartes Prize was introduced, rewarding excellent science communication actions towards the general public. This prize amounts to € 275 000: up to five laureates will share € 250 000, and five finalists will receive € 5 000 each. Until today, ten science communicators have been awarded this prestigious prize.

The new call for proposals for the 2006 Descartes Research Prize was published on 17 December 2005 and the closing date is 4 May 2006.

All relevant information to submit a proposal, such as the standard forms to complete in the guide for proposers, can be found on the following website:
http://fp6.cordis.europa.eu.int/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.FP6DetailsCallPage&call_id=266

General information on the Descartes Prizes can be found at the following website:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/descartes/index_en.htm

Please also find herewith the descriptive fact sheet for the Descartes Prizes 2006 and the official press announcement.

Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail at rtd-descartes@cec.eu.int

Yours faithfully,

Georges Vlandas

The 2006 Descartes prizes - €1.425 million for leading researchers and science communicators

• Rewarding the best in European Research and Science Communication
  
• The Descartes Prizes 2006 European awards for excellence in scientific research and science communication (PDF 21 KB)

Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik presented the Descartes prizes for 2005 on December 2 at a prestigious event hosted by the Royal Society in London.
Five pan-European teams shared the 1 million euro Descartes Prize for Collaborative Research, amongst which figured, for the first time, a social science project. Five other teams shared an additional 30,000-euro runner-up prize, which was introduced for the first time since the launch of the Descartes Prize by the European Commission in 2000.

Our members will be delighted to learn that Carl Johan Sundberg, former Vice-President of EUROSCIENCE, was amongst the five outstanding science communicators who shared the 250,000-euro Descartes Prize for Science Communication. Congratulations, Carl! The other winner in the category of ‘professional scientists engaged in science communication to the public’ was the lively young Danish astrophysicist, Anja C. Anderson. Five runner-ups each received a 5,000-euro Science Communication prize.

In a short interview, the chair of the Grand Jury, Professor Ene Ergma (who is also vice-president of the Academy of Sciences of Estonia and president of the Estonian Parliament) told me she intended to press for increasing the scope of the Descartes Prize through additional funding, noting how difficult it had been to select winners amongst the large number of excellent submissions.

All in all, this was an exciting and glittering event, with a kind of ‘European Nobel’ flavour, both in terms of the quality of the presentations and the generosity of the prizes. No doubt Descartes would have rejoiced at this demonstration of European excellence in the sciences!

John Lagnado, Editor Euroscience News

As funding, objectives and competitiveness of French and European Research are in the spotlights, Euroscience opens the floor to scientists and politicians over the impact of the future treaty for a European constitution in a public debate:

Research and the European construction: what perspectives with the constitutional treaty

Tuesday, May 17, 6.00 to 8.00 pm
Room Jules Ferry, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 29 rue d'Ulm, Paris 75005

Speakers:

• Philippe Busquin, MEP, former Commissioner for research at the European Commission
• George Debrégeas, Physicist, member of the board of "Sauvons la Recherche"
• Bernard Kouchner, former ministre for health
• Frédéric Sgard, Vice-Président of Euroscience

The debate will be chaired by Georges Waysand, Physicist, member of the board of Euroscience

German scientists over 35 risk ending up as unemployed knocking on closed doors where the academic appointment plans set up by state officials make no provision to employ them after twelve years of temporary work in public research institutions [1]. This is the reason for the mass migration across the ocean of Germany’s brightest minds. How to stop the brain drain? Recently German scientists put forward an initiative (http://www.maintainbrains.de) to remove the legal obstacles associated with the time limitation to work on a temporary basis. The principal goal of the initiative is to stop the brain drain of young German researchers by abolishing any time limits to work and to provide research perspectives at German public research institutions.

According to the federal university education law (Hochschulrahmengesetz HRG) scientists who decided for a career in publicly sponsored research institutions (such as universities, Max-Planck-, Leibniz- and Fraunhofer- institutes or Helmholtz-research centres) are restricted to a maximum of 5 years of employment on fixed-term contracts at one academic institution [2] independent of the scientific outcome of their research. This time limitation affects about 100 000 scientists [3] and pushes them to move from one institution to another to continue their research. This aspect of HRG is not considered in the recent discussions about careers of Germany´s scientists, which mostly concentrated on the junior professorships [4, 5].

In 2002 the HRG was modified introducing not only the junior professorship but also a 12 years limit for temporary work in the academic institutions [6]. The new time limit was considered to promote an activity of young scientists, however, the major drawback of this modification is that this time limit may not be exceeded even if researchers change their working place within the public institutions. In general, the twelve years limit for temporary work bans scientists to work in Germany, because research in the country is concentrated mostly in the public institutions. Fortunately, most recently the German Federal Constitutional Board [7] declared this modification of the HRG to be unconstitutional.

Meanwhile the German Ministry for Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung) plans to re-introduce this time limit into the HRG again by the end of this year [3, 8]. That is the reason why German researchers (more than 10,000) join their efforts to protest against the severe drawbacks in German science policy and to mobilise decision-makers in order to obtain an essential improvement of the work conditions in Germany.

Some German policy decision-makers claim proudly that researchers can obtain an extension of their temporary contracts after the time limits according to a law called Teilzeit und Befristungsgesetz (TzBfG) [6]. But such an extension of the contracts has to be prepared in a way that the researchers cannot demand a permanent position after the contracts were extended. As a consequence, the public research institutions decline precautionary any working contracts after the time limit.

We think that the primary criterion for obtaining a temporary (as well as a permanent) job in the research institutions (in Germany and elsewhere) should be scientific excellence of researchers, and hiring the personnel has to be independent from the duration of previous contracts of the employees at any public research institution.

References
[1] Towards a German elite. Nature, 2004. Vol. 427, p.271.
[2] Hochschulrahmengesetz in der Fassung der Bekannmachung vom 19. Januar.
http://www.bmbf.de/pub/HRG_20041001.pdf
[3] Jungen Wissenschaftlern Ungewissheit nehmen,
http://www.bawue.gruene-fraktion.de/cms/default/rubrik/0/14.htm
[4] Abbott, A. Court ruling upsets hopes for career reforms. Nature, 2004. Vol. 430, p.599.
[5] Schiermeier, Q. Germany’s junior professors fight for their rights. Nature, 2004. Vol. 431, p.889.
[6] Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung: Broschüre zum Hochschulrahmengesetz
[7] Urteil des Bundesverfassungsgerichts
http://wwww.bverfg.de/entscheidungen/fs20040727_2bvf000202.html
[8] Eckpunkte für Juniorprofessur und Zeitvertragsrecht vorgelegt, Pressemitteilung 207/2004 von Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung.
http://www.bmbf.de/press/1261.php

In May 1862, 15 years after the foundation of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in Vienna, the president of the Academy was informed that the family of Ignaz L. Lieben had decided to establish a foundation for the promotion of scientific research. This foundation enabled the Austrian Academy of Sciences to honour Austrian scientists for outstanding work in chemistry, physics and physiology. At the time, when the Lieben foundation was established, the Austro-Hungarian Empire included several countries that later became independent. The Lieben family supported the foundation until 1938 when all members of the family were forced to emigrate by the Nazi regime.

Among the 55 prize-winners in the years 1863 to 1937, four were later awarded the Nobel prize: the chemist Fritz Pregl, the physicist Victor Hess, the physiologist Otto Loewi and the zoologist Karl von Frisch. Several scientists who later became famous, like Josef Stefan, Lise Meitner, Fritz Paneth, Zdenko Skraup and others received the Lieben prize in the early years of their careers. The last time a Lieben Prize was awarded by the Academy of Sciences was 1937. It was given to Marietta Blau and her student and co-worker Hertha Wambacher. Heinrich Lieben, who donated the prize money, was murdered in Auschwitz in 1944. From 1938 until 2003 no Lieben-prize could be awarded.

In 1996, Robert Rosner re-discovered the Lieben Foundation during his research on the history of chemistry in Austria and later, with the help of Christian Noe, dean of the University of Vienna science faculty, he succeeded in re-establishing the Lieben Foundation. In 2003, Rosner´s friend Alfred Bader, an American chemist, together with his wife Isabel, provided funds that enabled the Austrian Academy of Sciences to reinstate the Lieben Prize.

In 2004, young scientists (under 36 years of age) from seven countries formerly belonging to the Austrian Monarchy were invited to apply for the Lieben prize 2004. The award of the prize to the winner, selected from amongst 57 applicants by an international jury, will take place on November 9th 2004 at the Austrian Academy of Sciences during the Lieben Symposium 2004 that will be held on November 9-10 at the University of Vienna, when an exhibition about the Lieben family and their time will also be opened at the Vienna Jewish Museum.

It is hoped that the new Lieben prize for young scientists from Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia will contribute to further scientific networks being created amongst new members of the European Union and Austria in the years to come.

For further information, please contact g.pohl@aon.at

W. Gerhard Pohl
Working Group on the History of Science, Austrian Chemical Society

In accordance with the statutes, the Board of Euroscience is renewed at each General

Assembly. The next EUROSCIENCE General Assembly will take place during ESOF2004 in Stockholm (Friday August 27 from 10.00 to 12.30 am, in the building « Apotekarsocieteten », Walligatan).

The French movement "Sauvons la Recherche" is now trying to associate scientists from all Europe to its struggle for research on the European scene. Euroscience has supported French colleagues (read Euroscience position [PDF, in French]), and invites you to sign the European-wide petition proposed by SLR on http://fer.apinc.org.

Letter by the coalition "Sauvons la Recherche" in view of europeanising the successful French movement (7 June 2004):

Dear Colleagues,

In connection with the successful struggle of the 300 000 French scientists' and citizens' coalition "Sauvons la recherche" (SLR), set up to defend basic research in France, we believe that the difficulties highlighted in France reflect a general European crisis of scientific research.

Basic research in Europe badly suffers from

• a low level of funding in almost every country in Europe,
• the lack of a real European scientific policy due to a misconception of the importance of basic research and excessive bureaucratic procedures in the management of European programs
• poor consideration of the scientific community in decision-making procedures.

The paradox of the present situation is further underlined by the Lisbon and Barcelona official declarations setting an ambitious goal of 3% of the GDP for European research in 2010 to build a knowledge-based European economy. We are marching towards this goal backwards, lagging more and more behind the USA and Japan.

Given the present weakness of European research, we strongly support the foundations of a European research area and, in particular, a European Research Council (ERC) entirely devoted to basic research as proposed by the Council of the European Ministers. However, we believe that the European scientific community must be better informed of this important evolution and consulted on the organisation and missions of the ERC.

We need to put our agenda for basic research (ERC, funding...) at the forefront, and we must rely on our own strength -- scientists and academics in our labs and universities. This has to be now, not later, as the European parliamentary elections are in ten days, and some major decisions concerning research are under way.

If you are convinced by the necessity of a European research initiative, please visit our web site. You will find more information , be able to sign up a manifesto elaborating on this message and participate to a related forum on the ERC (http://fer.apinc.org)

The coalition Sauvons la Recherche

Further reading:

• "Euroscience and the Initiative of French Scientists" by Honorary President of Euroscience, Claude Kordon.
• Letter (pdf - 88.0 Kb) sent by the President of Euroscience to all the signatories of the Lisbon and Barcelona Declarations.
• International testimonies of solidarity with the French initiative.

Press Statement (pdf - 104.6 Kb) on the occasion of the completion of the present stage of the EU enlargement
The European Federation of National Academies of Sciences and Humanities, the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Academia Europaea, and Euroscience acknowledge the historic significance of the accession of ten new member states to the European Union.

Claude Kordon, Honorary President of Euroscience
Times are difficult for European science. With the possible exception of Nordic countries, public support to research is weakening in most countries of the EC – not to speak about the terrible deterioration of Central and Eastern European research. As a result, European science is loosing ground in several disciplines, in contrast to major efforts by North America, Japan, China and India to develop new areas of research. In the long range, decreasing political interest could prove very damaging for education in Europe, and become a threat to its technological autonomy.

Euroscience is thus exploring ways to restore public confidence and interest for science. Looking at the surprising success of the movement of French researchers «Sauvons la recherche» - which has so far gathered support of 318000 people, among which over 74500 investigators -, we are planning to launch an Internet-based consultation of European researchers. The European relevancy and the timeliness of the movement have been acknowledged by the European Commissionner Philippe Busquin.

In the meantime, members of Euroscience can express their solidarity on the international website of « Sauvons la Recherche ».

Read the letter [ PDF ] sent by the President of Euroscience to all the signatories of the Lisbon and Barcelona Declarations.

Read the international testimonies of solidarity with the French initiative.

Report on the Dublin Conference (pdf - 125.7 Kb): A European Research Council for all the Sciences,
jointly organised by Euroscience and the European Life Sciences Forum

Since the original proposal for an ERC was advanced, as a natural consequence of the European Research Area, a lot of enthusiasm for the idea has developed amongst researchers. The concept of a European agency, whose sole mission would be to fund basic or fundamental research, and whose activities would be complementary to the EC programme of targetted scientific research, has proved very appealing. So far, there exists no European granting agency for fundamental research able to operate in a purely responsive mode. This creates a strangely European paradox. Whereas targetted research is by its very nature more specific and local, and basic research is essentially universal and international, we do it the other way round. In Europe, the funding mechanisms support basic science at the local, or national level, and targetted research at the European, or international level. Small wonder, then, that our scientists are frustrated by this unique balkanisation of basic science, which is a most discouraging features for aspiring young researchers. Europe, to catch up with the rest of the world, needs an agency capable of operating on the same scale as agencies in North America or in the large markets of Asia. Otherwise, the aims enshrined in the Lisbon declarations will remain pious and rather unrealistic hopes. Thus far, there is wide agreement.

Matters become more complex when the mode of delivery is discussed. As usual, the devil is in the detail. To this, one can add the usual European habit of having too many cooks and an infinite number of excellent dishes to choose from. Thus far, there have been not less than four international meetings since the Copenhagen Conference (held under the Danish Presidency of the EU) It was followed by a meeting in UNESCO (Paris) and another at UNESCO (Venice), culminating this October in the international gathering at the Irish Academy of Sciences (Dublin) organised jointly by the ELSF and Euroscience.

What is the view of the rank and file ? The eyes of all researchers, and especially of all young scientists, are upon this process. What is to be the outcome ? How significant will the decisions be ? The budget of the ERC should be at least 5% of the total European expenditure on science, to match what the EC is already spending on targetted research.. Otherwise, all this flurry of excitement will be taken as another example of European sound and fury, followed by no effective action.

The ERC should also come soon. How long will the talking last ? The Commission comes to the end of its mandate in 2004. This, of course, also happens to be the year of ESOF2004. It would be a great shame to miss this opportunity to announce significant progress at the very first pan-European forum on all the sciences. That is the challenge, but can our leaders deliver in time ?

Jean-Patrick Connerade

For more information see the Science Policy Workgroup

Book: Quel avenir pour la recherche ?
V. Duclert & A. Chatriot, eds