Title: Funds for EU Museum Visits
I'd like to call the paleontological and morphometrics
communities' attention to the SYNTHESYS Project, whose purpose is
to create an integrated European infrastructure for
researchers in the natural sciences by providing EU scientists
and students with funds to support visits to systematics institutions
and the analytic facilities they host. A brief summary of the program
is provided below and more information (including application forms)
can be accessed from the SYNTHESYS home page:
http://www.synthesys.info/
This program will run for the next five years with proposal
deadlines spaced at approximately six-month intervals. Everyone in the
EU Member States and Associated States is covered by the program.
Unfortunately, no other groups (e.g., US, AU) are included, unless
they are employees/students of EU institutions. Regardless, it's
'free' money for undertaking research visits to European museums for a
large group of paleontologists. That can't be a bad thing.
To make a shameless plug for my own group, the staff of the NHM
Palaeo. Dept. are ready, willing, and able to help you develop
successful SYNTHESYS proposals. Details regarding Dept. staff,
collections, facilities, and areas of personal research expertise can
be found on the NHM Palaeontology Dept. web page, at:
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/palaeontology/
We look forward to hearing from you, developing proposal ideas
with you, and hosting you on your SYNTHESYS visits.
Norm MacLeod
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Dear Scientist,
The SYNTHESYS Office is pleased to announce the first call for
proposals under the European Commission's FPVI European-funded
Integrated Infrastructure Initiative.
SYNTHESYS Project funding is available to provide scientists
(Users) based in European Member and Associated States to
undertake short visits to utilize the infrastructure (namely the
collections, staff expertise and analytical facilities) at one of the
20 partner institutions (see full list below) for the purposes of
their research. The 20 partner institutions are organised into
11 national TAxonomic Facilities (TAFs). TAF Users will be hosted by a
TAF staff member.
The 11 TAF institutions represent an unparalleled resource for
taxonomic research offering:
- Collections amounting to over 337 million natural history
specimens, including 3.3 million type specimens
- Internationally renowned taxonomic and systematic skill base
- Chemical analysis, molecular and imaging facilities
Proposals will be welcomed from high calibre researchers seeking
access for short-term visits.
SYNTHESYS is able to meet the Users’ costs for:
- Research costs*
- International travel
- Local accommodation whilst based at the TAF
- A per diem to contribute towards living costs
* Research related costs including: bench fees and consumables
(including molecular biology at some TAFs).
The application form will be available online from Monday 2nd
August with a first deadline of Friday 17th September 2004.
Deadlines will be arranged at approximately 6-month interval
thereafter until 2009.
See www.synthesys.info for more information or contact
synthesys@nhm.ac.uk
TAF visits will be scheduled from December 2004 until January
2009. SYNTHESYS is a five-year project comprising two parts which
together aim to create an integrated European infrastructure for
researchers in the natural sciences.
SYNTHESYS Partners:
- GB-TAF Natural History Museum, London; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew;
Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.
- ES-TAF Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Real Jardín
Botánico Naturales.
- DK-TAF The Natural History Museum of Denmark.
- FR-TAF Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle.
- SE-TAF Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet.
- NL-TAF University van Amsterdam, Nationaal Herbarium Nederland,
Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, National Natural History Museum
Naturalis.
- DE-TAF Museum fur Naturkunde, Botanischer Garten und Botanisches
Museum.
- AT-TAF Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien.
- HU-TAF Hungarian Natural History Museum.
- PL-TAF Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of
Sciences.
- BE-TAF Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Koninklijik
Museum voor
- Midden-Afrika, National Botanic Garden of Belgium.
The SYNTHESYS Partners are inviting applications from researchers
based in the Member States of the EU: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
plus the Associated Countries of the EU: Switzerland, Iceland, Israel,
Liechtenstein, Norway and Candidate Countries of the EU Bulgaria,
Romania and Turkey.
--
___________________________________________________________________
Dr. Norman MacLeod
Keeper of Palaeontology
The Natural History Museum,
Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD
(0)20-7942-5204 (Office)
(0)20-7942-5546 (Fax)
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/palaeontology/a&ss/nm/nm.html (Web Page)
___________________________________________________________________