Integrating new countries into the European Research Area

Integrating new countries into the European Research Area. Croatian reflections on joining the European Union.

The post-Cold War era is witnessing more European nations joining the European Union (EU). This influx of new members necessitates, inter alia, a re-examination of the policies that guide their integration into the common European Research Area (ERA). The basic premise of these policies is—or should be—axiomatic for Europe’s further development: the continent cannot afford scientific illiteracy...

Integrating research into practice.

For more than twenty years, the leaders of our profession, with the support of the Medical Library Association (MLA), have urged us to integrate research evidence into our practices. The title of the first MLA research policy, Using Scientific Evidence to Inform Information Practice, from 1995 conveys the idea that health sciences librarians should apply research results when making decisions [...

Towards a European Research Area

The European research area network – E-Rare

Rare diseases represent an important public-health issue, affecting 26-30 million persons across Europe, and a major challenge for research. The fragmentation of resources and knowledge for the 6000-8000 rare diseases and the lack of efficient treatments for many of them necessitate a coordinated European approach to unravel the underlying molecular defects and pathophysiological mechanisms. Th...

Integrating research into operational practice.

Research and development can be classified into three categories: technology adoption, technology extension, and knowledge and technology creation. In general, technology adoption is embedded in operational forensic science laboratory practice but the latter two categories require partnerships with industry and/or academia both to conduct the research and implement the outcomes. In a 2012 surve...