The Czech Science Foundation (GACR) signed an agreement on cooperation with the Luxembourg National Research Fund (NRF) this week. The cooperation is based on the Weave initiative whose goal is to connect twelve research-funding European organizations together by 2025. Researchers will be able to apply for mutual projects with colleagues from Luxembourg already this year.
“Just like in previous years GACR is concentrating on expanding the possibilities of international cooperation. At the moment we have agreements with organizations from all over the world – these include a number of European countries, but also Brazil or Taiwan, for example. The cooperation with Luxembourg is in a way an anniversary, as it has become the tenth country we have an agreement with. It is, however, definitely not the last one. Thanks to the Weave initiative we are going to establish cooperation with at least five other European organizations in the near future, while negotiations with other countries are ongoing beyond the initiative, as well,“ says Prof. RNDr. Jaroslav Koča, DrSc., the President of GACR.
Researchers will have an opportunity to submit projects together according to the agreement between GACR and NRF already this year. The cooperation is based on the Lead Agency principle, which means that the projects will be only evaluated and recommended for funding by one of the organizations, while the other one will adopt its conclusions. This year only GACR will be in the role of the evaluating Lead Agency in the case of the cooperation with Luxembourg. Starting next year, research projects will be evaluated by both sides.
Thanks to the Weave initiative researchers will not only be able to submit projects involving Czech and Luxembourgish cooperation, but they will also be able to join teams from Germany, Austria or Switzerland. An interactive tool has been developed in order to provide further information on funding opportunities for research projects.