European co-funding for mobility of 130 researchers

01 March 2009

The network of Madrid Institutes for Advanced Studies (IMDEA) has obtained, in the latest Marie-Curie Actions call for proposals within the Seventh Framework Programme, approval for a co-funding programme for researcher mobility. The scheme, called AMAROUT, will fund the incorporation into the network of IMDEA institutes of over 130 top researchers for a year (extendible to three).

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AMAROUT Europe is a mobility programme for top researchers presented by the network of Madrid Institutes for Advanced Studies (IMDEA) to the Marie Curie Actions call for proposals (PEOPLE-COFUND) within the Seventh Framework Programme.
The proposal was compiled by the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Software Development Technologies (IMDEA Software) and recently received the approval of the European Commission.The AMAROUT programme has a duration of four years and a total budget of ten million euros, with European Commission co-funding of 40 %.

The Marie Curie Actions are aimed at developing the training and mobility of researchers throughout their professional career, as one of the most important and visible components of the development of the European Research Area (ERA). In the Seventh Framework Programme, the Marie Curie Actions have regrouped and become stronger in the PEOPLE Specific Programme.Devoted entirely to human resources in the field of research, this Specific Programme has a budget allocation of over 4.7 billion euros during a period of seven years, until 2013.This figure represents a 50 % increase compared to the Sixth Framework Programme. The PEOPLE Specific Programme acknowledges that one of the key aspects of competitiveness in science and technology is the quantity and quality of its human resources. To achieve the additional development and consolidation of ERA, the general strategic objective of the Specific Programme consists of making Europe more attractive to the best researchers.

The AMAROUT programme, in line with the general objectives of the Marie Curie Actions, aims to contribute decisively to the development of research capabilities, the consolidation and expansion of professional prospects for researchers, and the promotion of research excellence in Europe, while contributing in an equally decisive manner to the development and consolidation of the Region of Madrid as one of the main knowledge-generating regions of the European Research Area (ERA). With this in mind, the AMAROUT programme will finance the incorporation of over 130 researchers per year.

The duration of the appointments will initially be one year, which may be extended to a maximum of three.The candidates can apply to any of the network’s institutes: IMDEA Software, IMDEA Energy, IMDEA Water, IMDEA Social Sciences, IMDEA Networks, IMDEA Materials, IMDEA Food and IMDEA Nanoscience. The key factors that will determine who will be eligible to take part in the AMAROUT programme are experience and excellence in research.In this regard, the programme envisages two categories of researchers:experienced researchers, for researchers with at least four years research experience, and very experienced researchers, for world-class researchers with at least ten years experience and renowned expertise.From a mobility point of view, the AMAROUT programme will finance two of the three types of mobility envisaged in the PEOPLE-COFUND scheme. Incoming for non-Spanish researchers not resident in Spain from other members states of the European Union, the associated states or third countries; and reintegration, for researchers from European Community member states or associated states who have carried out their research outside of Europe for at least three years.

The duration of the AMAROUT programme is four years and it is expected to begin on March 2, 2009.

The IMDEA Software Institute has been given the task of coordinating the development of the programme for the entire network of IMDEA Institutes.

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• Link to article at: Madri+d