More support for plan to globalize EU funds

The chief executive of Britain's Medical Research Council has lent his support to a proposal to allow some researchers from the US and elsewhere to apply for funding from European Union coffers, arguing Europe could benefit from the establishment of reciprocal funding arrangements. Colin Blakemore, whose term at the helm of the UK agency ends in September, told The Scientist he welcomed recent debate on the issue, which was sparked in late April at a meeting of the standing committee of the European Medical Research Councils (EMRC) in Stockholm.The driving force behind the debate was Liselotte Højgaard, the Danish chair of the standing committee. She told The Scientist that the meeting had been positive. "There was a big interest in talking about it for the sake of fair play, and because science is global," she said. At the end of the meeting, members agreed to raise the...