The sessions, organized jointly with the Universidad de Magallanes, included workshops on proposals preparation.
Two information sessions on cooperation opportunities for researchers from the Magallanes Region offered by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) were held in the Terra Australis Room, at the Universidad de Magallanes. They were organized the European Union Programme - Liaison Office of CONICYT.
The event was held on 2 and 3 December and sponsored by the Office of Research and Postgraduate Studies at the Universidad de Magallanes.
The European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP7) is the main funding instrument for research in Europe. It defines the EU research policies for the period between 2007 and 2013 and aims to strengthen scientific collaboration between Europe and third countries by constituting research consortia and providing support to scientific mobility.
Attendants were very enthusiastic about the activity.
Dr. Andres Mansilla, Director of Research and Postgraduate Studies at the Universidad de Magallanes, welcomed the attendants to the event. During the information session, Gonzalo Ruiz, National Contact Point in Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology (FAFB), presented the calls currently open in this area. Maria Mesonero, Project Coordinator in CONICYT’s Liaison Office, introduced open calls in other thematic areas and gave examples on how to prepare proposals for FP7. Maria Eugenia Jimenez, Assistant at CONICYT’s Liaison Office, in turn, talked about the role of FP7 and the work conducted by the European Union’s Liaison Office in Chile.
In the workshop on preparation of proposals for FP7, participants had the opportunity to check a real proposal and discuss its strong and weak points, measuring its objectives, implementation and impact. A second workshop was conducted in relation to project evaluation: participants had to compare two proposals and discover what made one better than the other.
The second day of the workshop was devoted to the FP7 Marie Curie Programme for researcher's mobility. Actions under the Marie Curie Programme in which Chilean researchers can participate were presented: initial training (ITN), industrial dimension (IAPP) and international dimension (IRSES, IIF, IOF).
The attendants were very enthusiastic about the activity, commented Andres Mansilla, from the Universidad de Magallanes. “There is a lot of enthusiasm for concreting projects as well as international stays."
This is confirmed by Gonzalo Ruiz, National Contact Point in FAFB: “We had a wonderful reception; people were grateful for CONICYT going all the way to Punta Arenas. The attention was focused on calls from the Marie Curie Programme, some of which will be closed in March, providing opportunities to create or reactivate collaboration networks that enable submitting projects."
Maria Mesonero, Project Coordinator at CONICYT's Liaison Office; Juan Oyarzo Perez, Academic Vice-rector at the Universidad de Magallanes; Maria Eugenia Jimenez, Assistant at CONICYT’s Liaison Office; Andres Mansilla, Director of Research and Postgraduate Studies at the Universidad de Magallanes; and Gonzalo Ruiz, National Contact Point in FAFB.
Maria Mesonero, Project Coordinator at CONICYT's Liaison Office; Juan Oyarzo Perez, Academic Vice-rector at the Universidad de Magallanes; Maria Eugenia Jimenez, Assistant at CONICYT’s Liaison Office; Andres Mansilla, Director of Research and Postgraduate Studies at the Universidad de Magallanes; and Gonzalo Ruiz, National Contact Point in FAFB.
The visit to Punta Arenas by the European Union Programme presented a great amount of opportunities and "the possibility of positioning the Universidad de Magallanes as an important partner in the global scenario, as it is a unique institution at world level in the study of matters of global importance, such as global changes, weakening of the ozone layer and Antarctic ecosystems", stated Mansilla.
And he also added that “a way of promoting the development of the country is strengthening national and international alliances. CONICYT plays a vital role in promoting connection with regional institutions, where research of world significance can be conducted.”