The “Herman Potočnik-Noordung Award for donations within the framework of RTD collaboration with Western Balkan Countries“ is entering its second phase of implementation as the Western Balkan countries have submitted lists with most urgent research infrastructure needs in their countries. These lists are available online at http://see-science.eu/goto/2506.html.
The award is an initiative of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia (in the context of the forthcoming Slovenian EU-presidency) and the project SEE-ERA.NET. With this initiative SEE-ERA.NET partners want to raise awareness of the problem of the huge needs and insufficient funding for research infrastructure in WBCs, and to mobilise resources from several European stakeholders (RTOs, universities, philanthropic organisations, official development agencies etc.) to tackle this issue.
The next step of the project will be a letter from the Slovenian Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Mojca Kucler-Dolinar to potential donors such as research and technology organisations, universities, philanthropic organisations, development assistance organisations etc. from the EU and other developed European countries. It will invite them to take action in this important field, to partner institutions that have expressed their research infrastructure needs and subsequently to apply for the “Herman Potočnik-Noordung Award for donations within the framework of RTD collaboration with Western Balkan Countries“, which shall be presented to the awardees during a special EU presidency event on June 13, 2008 in Ljubljana.

Contact:
Slavi Krusič /users/155.html
Miroslav Polzer /users/285.html

Article published in see-science.eu eJournal fall/winter 2007.