The secret to Germany’s FP6 success

The secret to Germany’s FP6 success

Germany is ranked first among all participating countries for FP6. The latest available statistics from the European Commission show 7,449 German participations in 3,027 FP6 contracts, with a total EU contribution to German participants of around €2.3 billion. Overall, German researchers participated in 82% of FP6 projects in the thematic priorities and received nearly 19% of the overall FP6 budget. Proposals involving Germany also had a 24% success rate – significantly higher than the EU average of 18%.

The secret of Germany’s success in FP6 does not lie in investment alone, but in the nature of the national research base, according to Klaus Uckel of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF). ‘For us the focus has been on creating excellence,’ he told CORDIS News, and by providing researchers with access to continued institutional and project support, whether it be at Länder (regional), federal or EU level.

Full article:http://cordis.europa.eu/search/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.simpledocument&N_RCN=26962