Letter from the editor

Members Area

This issue of The Euroscientist spans a broad range of topics.

We continue with two of our major themes. Under the Scholarly Communication banner, Daniel Mietchen follows up part I of his account of what science will look like in the future (Euroscientist Issue 7) with a second part that builds on the vision described in Part I and talks, amongst other things, of how cross-fertilisation of ideas can be optimised by using the Web more effectively as a communication medium for science, something critically important as interdisciplinary approaches become the norm.

Under the Young Scientists heading Martin Andler reports on this year’s EUCYS competition. He attended the final event where projects were displayed and explained, winners were announced and prizes awarded: Martin says that the sense of excitement in the hall was difficult to describe. This sense of enthusiasm and commitment to science by young people is exactly what Euroscience wants to see fostered in Europe. It represents the future for us all.

The European Commission works for science through its framework funding programmes and by establishing targets and objectives for Member States to aim for. João Caraça discusses the ambitious target of 3% spending on R&D across Europe by 2010. What has happened in the years since this target was set and, since we are nearing 2010, are we anywhere near the target?

Nelly Didenko takes another perspective on European science based on the Commission-hosted conference in April on the role of basic science in the ERA. Several major themes underpinned the conference and they are explained and developed by Nelly in her article.

An example of a European Commission Directive that has been implemented is described by Maca Kastartovic. The Clinical Trials Directive (CT Directive) 2001/2 aimed to achieve an internal market for medicines in Europe and Maca explains what has happened in Serbia, celebrated at an International Clinical Trials Day.

And, once again, Enrico Predazzi gives us an update on developments for ESOF2010 in Torino as the event gets ever nearer. Put the date in your diary – July 2-7, 2010. This promises to be an exciting and inspiring event.

Thanks, as ever, to Janna for her valiant work behind the scenes on the website to publish this issue.

Alma Swan

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