14. 06.10:
Waterford secures funding to develop 'European City of Scientific Culture' appraoch
Waterford has secured EU funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) under the 'Science in Society' strand to develop as a 'European City of Scientific Culture' over the next four years.
The PLACES (Platform for Local Authorities and Communicators Engaged in Science) venture led by ECSITE, the European Network of Science Museums, and also involving the European Science Events Association (EUSCEA) and the European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN) aims to build community platforms of local practitioners engaged in science in society issues. It will stimulate the sharing of good practice, knowledge and tools and promote cooperation between platform members, experiment with new activities, raise awareness on scientific culture with local/regional politicians, define a model of European city of science, and deliver policy recommendations to EU actors.
The Irish element will see the Waterford Institute of Technology outreach Centre for the Advancement of Learning of Maths, Science and Technology (CALMAST) partnering with the local authorities in Waterford City and County to promote the area's existing scientific research and communications activity and to strengthen the appeal of the wider South-East region to attract competitive research funding and inward investors.
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