| European
Tropical Forest Research Network |
by Jane Thornback
Electronic methods of communication increasingly enable ETFRN to fulfil its goal of linking together tropical forest researchers within Europe, and European researchers with their colleagues in tropical countries. The ETFRN Newsletter is already widely distributed, but e-mail communication and development of the ETFRN website are opening up opportunities for a better and faster service to researchers within the Network and to those wishing to access the European research capability.
The ETFRN main website will continue to evolve in the coming
months to create a seamless web linking national focal point sites. The result
will be easy access to European tropical forest research capability, providing
information on research organisations, researchers, research collaboration needs,
training courses, funding sources, job opportunities and much more.
A new edition of the ETFRN Directory of European organisations
involved in research in tropical and subtropical forest research will be published
later in the year. This information is already available as an on-line searchable
database on the ETFRN website. The next stage is to expand this database to
include not only organisations but also individual researchers, with information
on their interests and contact details. An online template will allow for faster
input of new and updated information. Individual researchers linked by e-mail
will enable research collaboration requests and the ETFRN Question and Answer
service to be better targeted and to be sent around the Network more speedily.
ETFRN will work towards providing a gateway for researchers
to feed into EU policy issues, and to be more aware of research opportunities,
and links to development and conservation projects. Of relevance at present,
is the new Fifth Framework Research Programme of the European Union which was
launched in late February. The call for proposals for research projects in the
international cooperation subprogramme (INCO Programme) is due any time now.
The ETFRN CU will place relevant information on the ETFRN website as soon as
it is available, and will e-mail the information to those organisations listed
in the ETFRN directory.
European activities impact tremendously on the tropical forest
resource, both positively and negatively. As a Network, ETFRN will seek to help
researchers better understand the leverage they can apply to ensure the forests'
future. top of page
DGXII: Fifth Framework Programme for Research, Technological
Development and Demonstration Activities
The first calls for proposals under the fifth framework programme have now been published. Full details of the calls and supporting documents, including evaluation information are available for downloading from the CORDIS server at:
http://www.cordis.lu/fp5/src/calls.htm.
Further material will be provided at the same site as it becomes
available. Any information of particular relevance will be posted on the ETFRN
website
The Fifth Framework Programme provides opportunities for two
forms of international cooperation in Research and Technological Development:
* through specific programmes (e.g. quality of life and management of living resources; energy, environment and sustainable development)
* through the INCO programme; this includes the INCO-DEV programme,
which is specifically focussed on research cooperation with institutions in
developing countries.
Institutions from so-called 'third countries', i.e. countries which are not a member of the European Union, may participate in project proposals submitted under specific programmes under the following conditions:
* their participation is in European Community interest and adds value;
* in principle the 'third country' participants use own funds,
but EC funding is possible if their participation is essential for achieving
the objectives of the action.
For tropical and subtropical forest research, opportunities
in the first call for proposals under the INCO-DEV programme will be rather
limited. However, it is expected that future calls under INCO-DEV will focus
more on tropical forest- related issues.
top of page
The INCO-DEV programme
Publication of the first call for proposals under the INCO-DEV
programme is planned for 27 March 1999. The deadline for submission of proposals
is 16 June 1999 and 15 September 1999 depending on subject As the call is not
yet published, no details can be given on the content. General information on
the INCO-DEV programme follows below:
The main objectives of the programme are:
* to address challenges faced by developing countries;
* to mobilize EU teams jointly with Developing Country teams; and
* to support EU development policy.
Its main features are:
* a science funding approach, i.e. competitive, peer review, shared costs;
* cooperative research with an emphasis on region to region cooperation
* bottom up, i.e. scientists formulate proposals; the Commission does not request for specific research to be done, but it does provide a framework;
* cross-sectoral
The programme will be implemented through:
* joint research projects, with a minimum of two European partners from two different European countries, and two partners from different developing countries
* concerted actions / thematic networks, with a minimum of three participants from three different European countries and three participants from three different developing countries
* bursaries, i.e. funding for students from developing countries, to spend a maximum of six months with a European research institution in the framework of a research project accepted under the any of the fifth framework programmes.
* accompanying measures.
Thematic content of the programme will focus on three levels
(please note that not all points below will be reflected equally in the forthcoming
call for proposals):
1) Policy research on the conditions for sustainable development
i) making the most of research; research and technological development in the global information society
ii) meeting basic needs: food, water, sanitation and health care
iii) Natural resource use and economic production: adapting to globalisation and ensuring harmony with the environment
iv) promotion of sustainable settlement patterns through favourable rural-urban interactions
2) Systems research on natural capital, the human environment and health
i) Strategies for rural productivity: ecosystem management for sustainability
ii) Managing the rural-urban interface: health systems, water management and land use
3) Tools for sustainable development
i) Tools for health improvement: attacking major health problems
ii) technologies for sustainable plant and animal production: building blocks for improvement
iii) Market-oriented products and services in agro-food: adding value and meeting consumer demand
iv) Safe and efficient water management: environmental technologies
for use, decontamination and recycling.
The JRC TREES programme has published a 1:5.000.000
vegetation map of tropical South America. Further details on p. 23.
top of page
The ETFRN Steering Committee met in Helsinki, Finland, last February 5 - 6. Items discussed included the future of ETFRN after the present funding phase ends on 31 December 1999, and the ETFRN evaluation, which is planned for April - May 1999. The Tropenbos Foundation was invited by the Steering Committee to submit a proposal to the European Commission's DGXII for a new phase of ETFRN and to continue hosting the Coordination Unit at the Tropenbos offices in Wageningen.
Raul d'Albuquerque Sardinha of Portugal handed over the Chair to Jane Thornback (United Kingdom). Prof. Sardinha has agreed to remain a member of the Executive Committee for this year. Olavi Luukkanen (Finland) was unanimously elected as the new Vice-Chairman. Jochen Heuveldop, national focal point for Germany, was nominated as fourth member of the Executive Committee. Support for his nomination was unanimous.
The next Steering Committee meeting will be held in Hamburg,
1-2 October 1999.
The ETFRN focal point for France has moved to ECOFOR.
After an interim situation of one year, during which Annie Mauchamp of CIRAD-Forêt
did an excellent job in keeping ETFRN running in France, we are now happy to
welcome Dr Bernard Riera and Mme Marguerite Reder, both based at Silvolab in
French Guiana.
The ETFRN website has been restyled. It
was launched during the Steering Committee meeting in Helsinki. Further improvements
and updates are ongoing. Presently, the 'Forestry Links' section is undergoing
a very thorough revision. As always, your comments, additions and suggestions
for improvement are very welcome!
Please note that the URLs of several pages on the website have changed. The main address is http://www.etfrn.org/etfrn/.