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AUSTRALIAN PARTICIPATION IN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH STAFF EXCHANGE SCHEME (IRSES)

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The Australian Academy of Science receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) to deliver the project Support for researcher mobility through contribution to Australian research organisations participating in the International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES).

The project is supported by the International Science Linkages (ISL) program. The ISL program supports professional Australian researchers, from both the public and private sectors, to collaborate with international partners on leading edge science and technology in order to contribute to Australia's economic, social and environmental wellbeing.

The objectives of the ISL program are to:

• Increase the uptake of leading edge science and technology (S&T) through:
  
  
  • promoting access to and participation by Australian researchers in strategically focussed, leading edge, international scientific research and technology; and
  • increased strategic alliances between Australian and overseas researchers.
    
    
• Facilitate Australia's access to the global S&T system by supporting bilateral and multilateral relations with other countries.

IRSES

In 2008 the European Commission, under the Seventh Framework Programme, released a Marie Curie scheme called the Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES). IRSES aims to strengthen research partnerships through short period staff exchanges and networking activities between European research organisations and organisations from countries with which the Community has an S&T agreement, including Australia.

Under this scheme the Academy will provide, on a competitive basis, a contribution towards travel and subsistence costs for Australian research organisations to establish or reinforce long-term research co-operation through a joint program of short-term institutional staff exchanges of up to 12 months. The European Commission will support the travel and living costs of European staff travelling to Australia.

The competitive selection process through which funds are allocated will:

• prioritise support for research excellence;
• preferentially support projects from the priority research areas (see Priority areas below);
• preferentially support projects from organisations that are willing to contribute at least as much to the travel and subsistence costs of their researchers as they are seeking from the Academy.

Eligibility
Only Australian organisations that are partners of a European-led consortium that has already been selected in 2009 to receive funding from the European Commission’s IRSES program are eligible to apply.

Funding
DIISR has provided funding totalling $200,000 towards Australian participation in IRSES. Australian organisations may receive a grant-in-aid of a maximum of $50,000 as a contribution towards travel and subsistence costs.

Funding is based on travel support of up to $2,500 for a return airfare and daily living allowances covering accommodation and meals at the rate of $200 per day or a maximum of $2,500 per month, whichever is the smaller amount.

As the International Science Linkages (ISL) program ends in 2011 all travel to Europe under this program will need to be undertaken by 30 June 2011.

Priority areas
Research areas identified by DIISR for collaboration with Europe are:

• Health
• Food, Agriculture & Biotechnology
• Information & Communication Technologies (ICT)
• Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies
• Energy and Environment (including climate change)
• Socio-economic sciences and Humanities.

Outcomes

• Enhanced collaborations between Australian and European research organisations
• Enhanced engagement by Australian research organisations with European research projects funded through FP7
• Enhanced Australian researcher mobility with the European Union.

For further information contact:

Nancy Pritchard
Manager – International Programs
Australian Academy of Science
GPO Box 783
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Email: nancy.pritchard@science.org.au

This project is supported by the Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research's International Science Linkages.