Belgian Research 2017_Mise en page 1 06/02/2017 09:34 Page88
In Favor of Fundamental Research of Excellence Motivated by the Researchers’ Curiosity An interview with Dr Marc VANHOLSBEECK, Head of the Direction of Scientific Research at DGENORS (General Directorate for non-compulsory education and scientific research) at the Ministry of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (French Community of Belgium) and competitive project selection which is based, at F.R.S-FNRS, on a peer review mode inspired by the European Research Council (ERC). Fundamental research therefore remains a primary focus, depending on the curiosity of researchers or research teams, which enjoy a large degree of independence regarding funds.
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ow would you rank DGENORS’ principal tasks? First, we should remember that scientific research presents a shared jurisdiction involving all Belgian federal and federated entities. In this case, the Ministry of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FW-B) has the authority to administer and finance fundamental research in the Frenchspeaking parts of Belgium, which have the responsibility of the General Directorate for non-compulsory education and scientific research (DGENORS).
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On the one hand, the FW-B granted €142 million directly to scientific research for the year 2016. On the other hand, we estimate about a quarter of the current allocation to universities to be dedicated by them for scientific research (around €165 million per year). Although a large part of direct funding for research is allocated to the F.RS.-FNRS and their associated funds – since the F.R.S-FNRS receives a contribution of 64% by the FW-B -, two other devices complement their action and directly benefit the universities. Additionally, Concerted Research Actions (ARC) exist as collective, basic research projects which usually spread over 5 years (and may be renewed), acting in favor of inter-university collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and internationality. Furthermore, the special research fund (FSR) may be used by universities as they see fit, provided it serves scientific research (engaging staff, operating costs, purchase of equipment, project funding, support for mobility, and so forth).
Within DGENORS, the Directorate for scientific research (DRS) bears specific responsibility for representing FW-B or Belgium in the committees and working groups of the European Research Area (ERA) and Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, and vice-chairs two ERA related entities: the “Helsinki Group for Gender in Research and Innovation,” and the “Standing Working Group on Open Science and Open Innovation.” Likewise, the DRS provides support to the development in FW-B of research politics implied in ERA’s drive. Could you briefly outline the academic institutions of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation? Along with the 6 universities in FW-B (UCL, ULB, ULg, UMONS, UNamur, USL-B), the decree “Paysage” of 7 November 2013 created a new body: the ARES (Academy of Research and Higher Education), to coordinate the activities of the francophone tertiary education establishments and generate among them the development of cooperation.
I also wish to mention the Interuniversity Attraction Poles (IAP): in accordance with the 6 th reform of the State, these fundamental research projects, which require the collaboration of teams belonging to universities of both Communities, will in 2018 be taken over by the Communities and will be managed, in FW-B, by the F.R.S.-FNRS. We should not neglect either the European research infrastructures: the FWB funds the participation of scientists from our universities in projects like SHARE (longitudinal surveys on aging in Europe underway in 30 counties); LifeWatch (“big data” collection and analysis related to biodiversity); or ESSurvey (surveys on social attitudes and behavior in Europe) via the FNRS. Likewise, in accordance with the Charter for Researchers (EURAXESS), we have the FW-B funds “gender contact people” in universities (in charge of issues relevant to gender equity in research and research careers). We thus behold, collectively, the continuity between “policy making” at European level and concrete actions taken at regional level!
The decree organizes the universities and the other 3 types of higher education institutions – university colleges arts colleges and social advancement higher education– into “academic areas” based on the geographical position of their establishments. These poles intend to contribute to the promotion of higher education of FW-B overseas, to the development of interdisciplinary research, and to increase the consistency of educational programs. How is funding for scientific research in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation organized? Generally speaking, the research-funding policy relies upon 3 main principles: scientific excellence, bottom-up approach
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