Developing Collaborative Opportunities and Graduate Student Cross-Training - A Summary of Workshop Discussions

These workshops were funded in part to generate discussion on the problem of funding collaborative research across international boundaries, and the need to train the next generation of scientists.  What follows here are recommendations on ways for funding "bridges" across international boundaries and ways to fund graduate student cross- training.  Graduate student cross-training refers to the concept of moving students from one lab to another for some period during their training, across international boundaries if possible.  Ideally, the graduate students will gain a wider view of the field, learn different techniques and approaches, and build a network of colleagues that extends beyond the student's own country.  Collaboration and graduate student cross-training are assumed here to operate in tandem.

A.  Recommendations for International collaboration and student training

Funding sources tend to operate within a scientist's home country, and typically the funding is restricted regarding travel.  In the U.S., for example, federal funds tend to limit the travel to U.S. citizens traveling to an international meeting or workshop, and do not cover travel for international scientists coming to the U.S. to work with a funded U.S. scientist. Exceptions to this are in the area of training workshops, which can be held outside the U.S., or short visits to a lab/institution outside the U.S.   EU scientists have more travel funding to allow travel to research labs within the EU, but again, restrictions prevent non-EU scientists from being included on EU funded grants, in most cases.  Therefore, in order to develop international collaborative projects:

1.  Parallel research funding initiatives should be sought.  For example, an RFP (request for proposals) in the U.S. may have a similar counterpart internationally, say, in an RFP within the EU.  Collaborating scientists could submit independent proposals that each cover the portion necessary to carry out the work in the scientist's home country.  Funding can be requested for the home scientist to travel for a brief visit, workshop, or meeting to the international research partner's country.  Such research proposals should be strategically developed to carry out independent as well as collaborative work.

2.  Workshop proposals allow for international travel, and these could provide training opportunities and site visits.

3.  Students can be funded to spend time in training outside of their home country, and these opportunities should be sought out with the idea of developing student "exchanges".  Meetings and workshops should be timed to occur during these "exchanges". 

4.  Web services now provide new ways to collaborate, such as those discussed on the Taxonomic Harmonization webpage.  These communication methods should be used extensively.

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