European Science Foundation

The European Science Foundation (ESF) is an association of 77 member organisations devoted to scientific research in 30 European countries. Since its inception in 1974, it has coordinated a wide range of pan-European scientific initiatives. ESF's core purpose is to promote high quality science at a European level.

The ESF is committed to facilitating cooperation and collaboration in European science on behalf of its principal stakeholders (Member Organisations and Europe's scientific community). This cross-border activity combines both 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' approaches in the long-term development of science.

The Foundation is committed to providing scientific leadership through its networking expertise and by ensuring that there is a European added value to all of its initiatives and projects. The ESF holds offices in Strasbourg, France, (headquarters) and Brussels and Ostend in Belgium.

The ESF provides a platform for foresighting and research networking on a European and global scale to the ESF member organisations. According to its mission and strategic plan the European Science Foundation runs foresighting programmes in science, programmes to enhance science synergy (i.e.: research networking programmes and collaoborative research projects for European scientists) and activities dedicated to science management (such as providing administrative services to independent scientific committee and other organisations). ESF provides the management structure and administration for the European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technological Research COST. The ESF networking and foresighting activities are carried through 5 Science Units:
* Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences(LESC)
* Humanities (SCH)
* Medical research (European Medical Research Council, EMRC)
* Physical and Engineering Sciences (PESC)
* Social Sciences (SCSS)

The ESF conferences unit runs conference series on selected topics together with a European partner as co-funder.Regular ESF instruments are:
* Forward Looks (Foresight studies)
* Exploratory Workshops (Scientific Workshops on emerging sience fields and new topics)
* Research Network Programmes (RNPs, 4-5 year network projects containing a series of schools, conferences and workshops, accompanied by exchange grants and short term visits for scientists)
* European Collaborative Research Projects, (EUROCORES)
* ESF Research Conferences The European Science Foundation awards the annual European Latsis Prize.

ESF Presidents
* 1974-1979 Lord Flowers
* 1980-1984 Hubert Curien
* 1985-1990 Eugen Seibold
* 1991-1993 Umberto Colombo
* 1994-1999 Sir Dai Rees
* 2000-2005 Reinders van Duinen
* 2006-2007 Ian Halliday
* 2007 John Marks
* 2008- present Marja Makarow [cite web |url= http://www.esf.org/ext-ceo-news-singleview/article/european-science-foundation-kicks-off-new-year-with-professor-marja-makarow-as-new-ceo-389.html |title= Professor Marja Makarow becomes new CEO for the European Science Foundation |accessdate=2008-04-29 |author= |date= 2008-01-03 | publisher= ESF ]

ee also

* European Institutions in Strasbourg
* Euroscience

References

External links

* [http://www.esf.org/ The European Science Foundation]