With nearly €80 billion in funding allocated for over seven years, Horizon 2020 is the E.U.’s largest research and innovation initiative. By taking great ideas from the lab to the market, this program promises many breakthroughs, which are intended to enhance Europe’s global competitiveness. Established as a means of driving economic growth and creating jobs, Horizon 2020 will make it easier for public and private sectors to work together to push the frontiers of innovation. The program focuses on three overarching priorities: excellent science, industrial leadership, and solutions to global challenges. Horizon 2020 is open to participants from anywhere in the world as the program recognizes the growing importance of internationalizing how knowledge is produced and used.
On Thursday, March 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., join panelists from both sides of the Atlantic at the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) in New York to hear their testimonials and to learn about the different types of international cooperation that Horizon 2020 supports. The presentations will address in detail the main elements of Horizon 2020 with regards to content, types of activities funded, forms of participation, and application procedures.
Dr. Joann Halpern, Director of the German Center for Research and Innovation in New York, will introduce the work of the GCRI and present various funding opportunities in Germany. Dr. Halpern is also an Adjunct Professor of International Education at New York University. Before she joined GCRI, Dr. Halpern was Director of Academic Affairs and Senior Studies and Assistant Professor of International Education at Global College of Long Island University. She currently serves on the advisory boards of the Technical University of Dortmund, University Alliance Ruhr, German Accelerator, and LIU Global.
Dr. Halpern will be joined by Dr. James P. Gavigan, Minister Counselor and Head of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Section of the Delegation of the European Union to the U.S.A., who will provide an overview of the Horizon 2020 program. In particular, he will explain the cases where U.S.-based participants can or might qualify to receive E.U. funding to cover the cost of their participation in selected Horizon 2020 projects. He will also describe how Horizon 2020 accomodates international cooperation at the individual researcher, collaborative project, or program/agency level. Dr. Gavigan’s main role at the Delegation of the E.U. to the U.S. is to facilitate scientific cooperation at both government agency and stakeholder levels. Current priorities include marine/Arctic sciences, materials, health, and transportation research as well as innovation-related aspects of other E.U.-U.S. areas of policy dialogue.
Dr. Peter Muennig, Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University, will provide a testimonial on how E.U. funding supported his collaborative research project LIFEPATH: Lifecourse biological pathways underlying social differences in healthy aging. His research focuses on eliminating the preventable burden of disease through the optimal mix of actionable medical and non-medical social policies. He is currently directing a center at Columbia University, GRAPH, which seeks to provide local policymakers worldwide with information on how to reduce disease at the lowest cost. He has advised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Canada, the Chilean government, and the Chinese government regarding which policies might be needed to optimize population health. His work has appeared on NPR, CNN, MSNBC, and multiple times in major print media sources, such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and a three-part series in Slate.
Dr. Kristina Richardson, Assistant Profesor of History at Queens College at The City University of New York, will share her experience with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions – Research Fellowship Programme. The program supports researchers at all stages of their careers, irrespective of nationality. Researchers working across all disciplines are eligible for funding. The MSCA also supports industrial doctorates, combining academic research study with work in companies, and other innovative training that enhances employability and career development. Dr. Richardson held a Marie Curie Fellowship at Universität Münster from 2012 to 2014, and was a research fellow at the Annemarie Schimmel Kolleg at the Universität Bonn during the 2014-2015 academic year. Dr. Richardson received her A.B. from Princeton University and M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
This informational evening will take place on Thursday, March 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the German Center for Research and Innovation (871 United Nations Plaza, First Avenue, btwn. 48th & 49th Streets).
