What a busy autumn.....

Dear Colleagues,

Thanks to all of you who participated in the EARMA event 29 in Brussels. More than 30 participants had the opportunity to meet our colleague Dr.Thomas Brunotti, from the Volkswagen Stiftung and hear his excellent presentation on working with private foundations. Our Board member Dr. John Donovan lead the following discussion on funding and strategy. Our collaboration partners from EUA, Dr, Thomas Estermann joined the afternoon session on Horizon 2020, thanks to him for taking the time to be with us. As you all know the Horizon 2020 is now entering into its next phase, and we can all add http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020/index_en.cfm?pg=home to our favourites. 

As you know 29 November was also the Extraordinary General Assembly, but as there was not quorum (half of the members was not present) a new EGA is going to be called before Christmas and the date for the EGA will be 29 February 2012 and the meeting is planned to be held in Paris. Be aware that this EGA will be able to conduct business with the members present.

Furthermore I have the pleasure to inform you, that the EARMA - NCURA program for 2011 has been a big success, with 7 US colleagues coming to EARMA host institutions, and 4 EARMA colleagues are going to the US. A call for new hosts will be launched very soon, with a deadline in the beginning of January! And a new call for Fellows will be launched immediately after New Year with a deadline 1 March 2012. The EARMA-NCURA fellowship program will be part of a new global and inter-European fellowship program named EARMA International Fellows. Further information will follow in the newsletter.

EARMA did participate in the SRA-International Annual Meeting in Montreal in Canada, and it was decided to further develop the relations with SRA-International in a number of fields for the benefit of EARMA members and for SRA.

EARMA was also represented at the NCURA Annual Meeting in Washington DC, and the warm relationship with NCURA was reinforced and further elaborated. Especially the close collaboration on the fellowship program is seen as one of the strongest assets of the collaboration.

I know it is too early for Christmas, but we soon deserve a little holiday with our families - to get ready for 2012 - a year  where Horizon2020 will be on top of the Agenda. 

Use the last days before the holiday to give your input for the Annual Conference in Dublin 8-11 July 2012 - follow the link on this webpage.

Jan Andersen, EARMA Chair