Joint research center
| Joint Research Center | |
|---|---|
|
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| founding | 1958/59 |
| Sponsorship | European Union |
| place | Brussels , Belgium |
| management |
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| Employee | around 2,800 (December 31, 2006) |
| Annual budget | by EUR 350 million (2007) |
| Website | www.jrc.ec.europa.eu |
The Joint Research Center ( JRC ) / Joint Research Center ( JRC ) is one of the Directorates-General (Directorate General) of the European Commission . She has been assigned to the Commissioner for Education and Culture since the Juncker Commission began working .
Area of responsibility and agendas
The JRC / JRC is a large research facility whose origins were nuclear research. It is now mainly active in non-nuclear areas and in this respect is similar to the research centers in Jülich and Karlsruhe . It supports European politics through technical and scientific services. This assignment and its integration into the public service make it more like a German federal research institute . Its facilities are spread across locations in several member countries, similar to the various institutes of the Fraunhofer Society in the German federal states. Its seat is at the seat of the European Commission in Brussels (Belgium). It distinguishes itself from more or less comparable institutions in the member states of the Union in that it offers scientific advice and technical services that are not identified with a member state. Wherever it is a question of finding a common solution, this perceived neutrality proves to be important.
The main focus of the JRC's activities is on environmental and health protection. Political support through scientific services is expressed, for example, in the fact that, on the basis of its research work in the definition of quality characteristics and control methods for food, for example wine, it can work out a variety of options that are accepted by all member states (policy formulation). Technical services support policy implementation, for example, by providing a service in which, in the event of a nuclear accident, such as in Chernobyl , the various environmental data from the member states are merged, transferred into a representation that is comparable for all and then made available to the member states as a decision-making aid . There are many examples of similar activities that can only be hinted at by the following description of the structure of the JRC. The annual reports of the JRC reflect the various topics in detail.
The work of the JRC thus mainly benefits the policy of the European Union. The policy areas and subject areas in which this is to be done will be determined in the Union's research programs. The tasks and research areas of the JRC thus change in line with changes in the political priority issues at Union level. Basically, their work serves to enrich the general, worldwide state of knowledge in their research areas. This is done by disseminating your research results in the scientific community, as in any civil research institution. The cooperation in research projects with universities, research centers and companies contributes to both aspects.
Structure and locations
Researchers and technicians from a wide range of scientific disciplines come together in the GFS / JRC: chemists, computer scientists, engineers, geographers, economists and many more. In order to complete political tasks, i.e. to conduct problem-oriented research, researchers from a wide variety of disciplines must be able to make their own specific contribution. The organization of the JRC must therefore also make it possible for them to combine their technical competence as well as possible on the respective topics and thereby adapt to the changing, politically prescribed areas of responsibility.
The JRC's areas of activity can be broken down into broad subject areas, which are reflected in the institutes. The abbreviations listed correspond to the English name variants. The institutes are spread over several research institutes, which are indicated after the institute name.
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Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen near Karlsruhe (Germany)
In reactor safety as well as the medical application of radioactive substances, the properties of radioactive elements that are heavier than uranium ( transuranium elements or actinides ) and their effect on the materials surrounding them are important what the ITU deals with. -
Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), Geel (Belgium)
The determination of radioactive substances, which is the same throughout Europe, requires a common measuring system, the various elements of which are (further) developed by the IRMM. -
Institute for Energy (IE), Petten (Netherlands)
Certain aspects of the safety of new types of nuclear reactors and test procedures for fuel cells are contributions of the IE to the energy supply of the Union. -
Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Ispra (Italy)
The institute deals with methods of recording environmental pollution and its effects on humans and nature, such as on water or the climate. Among other things, chemical processes and satellite-based remote sensing are used here. -
Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (IHCP), Ispra (Italy)
The study of the impact of industrial substances on health and methods for ensuring food quality are at the heart of its activities. -
Institute for the Protection and Security of Citizens (IPSC), Ispra (Italy)
Nuclear safety and abuse prevention methods used worldwide are the traditional specialty of the institute.
Various information technology applications to monitor compliance with laws such as fishing quotas or plant cultivation. -
Institute for Technological Future Research (IPTS), Seville (Spain)
In order to be able to design technology-related policy measures in a more forward-looking manner, studies of the conditions under which technologies can develop positively are helpful.
In addition to the scientific institutions, there is also the central administration at its headquarters in Brussels (Belgium).
Relationships with companies, educational institutions and the public
As with all research centers, for some time now the JRC has had different expectations than doing research and making its results known.
The main requirement of the JRC in this context relates to the exploitation of its knowledge in business. In addition to participating in research projects with industrial participation and accepting industrial guest scientists, this traditionally includes the licensing of patents. Contract research for companies in the JRC's areas of activity is made possible as well as some support for start-ups.
Linking research and teaching at universities has a long tradition in many countries. An increased involvement of research institutions outside the universities is a recent development. Personal relationships between scientists and universities or other colleges form the basis here. In addition to stays by students as part of their project work or by doctoral students (see below), guest lectures are occasionally held.
In addition to the public relations work that is common today for research centers via the usual media, the research institutes also organize open days. Depending on the activity at the individual institutions, groups of visitors can also find access outside of these days, especially specialist groups and school groups, as part of the popularization of science among schoolchildren.
financing
The JRC receives its funds mainly in the form of the so-called direct actions of the framework programs for research and technological development of the European Union. These finance the basic research in the politically priority topics. In addition, there are “third-party funds” that must be acquired. In recent years it has been shown that the majority of these funds consist of participation as a partner in projects of the so-called indirect actions of the framework program as well as negotiated services for other parts of the European Commission. Contract research for industrial and public clients from the member countries make up another part.
A little over half of the academic and support staff are permanent. Temporary contracts of various types and lengths allow a certain degree of flexibility with a third. In addition, there are employees seconded from the Member States, as well as contributions from visiting researchers, doctoral candidates and students (scholarship holders) in the context of study projects or internships. Female employees make up just over a third of the total workforce.
Social aspects
People from different member states of the European Union work at each location, especially among the scientists. A high weight of the members of the host country can be seen everywhere, especially in the technical and administrative support functions. There are also visiting scholars from other European and non-European countries, such as the USA and India . The working environment is therefore international.
English as the language of science is the predominant working language. However, depending on the composition of the work group and your own language skills, another language may result. The geographically local language of the institutions also has a strong position.
The social environment is similar to that of other international institutions, for example NATO or the UN . As with all immigrants, integration into the host society depends very much on the people themselves. The general tendency to remain among nationals of one country can be observed at the large locations, while at the smaller locations, increased non-professional activities are sometimes asserted.
With the exception of Seville and Karlsruhe , the research institutes are more likely to be located in rural areas, as is typical for nuclear research centers. This is also seen differently: Families generally enjoy it, while single people often have to rely on one-hour trips to the next big city in order to be able to continue their usual leisure life.
Especially at the larger locations there are cultural and sporting associations or organized excursions. In Ispra, for example, the VDI Friends of Italy are active.
When you retire, another hike takes place: back to the country of origin or south. At least at the Ispra site, there seems to be a notable colony of retired alumni.
Personalities and alumni
An alumni association was set up and its existence has been confirmed for the first years of the 21st century.
history
The JRC / JRC was founded on the basis of the treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) as a Joint Nuclear Research Center (JRC) at the end of the 1950s. The research institutes were established in the early 1960s. In Karlsruhe it was rebuilt to complement the Karlsruhe nuclear research center. The basis for the other institutions, however, was laid by transferring national nuclear research institutions to EURATOM.
Nowadays, with his travels to all countries, which are taken for granted, well-developed, including social infrastructures, the extensive knowledge of other countries and languages and the great distance to the Second World War, it is naturally difficult to put yourself into the circumstances of that time. So it took strong incentives to get the desired top researchers from other member countries to move, and a good deal of adventure on their side.
The research activities of the GKFS were already enshrined in the EURATOM contract. The activities of the four research institutes were all geared towards one goal: to develop better reactor types. EURATOM funds were also available to support nuclear research in member states, including industrial cooperation. This gave the GKFS a wide range of opportunities to collaborate with industry, as well as a lively exchange with research centers around the world. The GKFS played a reference role.
However, this time ended in the late 1960s. Industrial and global cooperation no longer met with approval from all member countries. The crisis became apparent when the Council of Ministers was unable to agree on a new work program after 1967.
The discussions resulted in diversification into non-nuclear areas. This also found its expression in the fact that in 1971 the reference to nuclear research in the name of the GKFS was deleted, which was henceforth called the Joint Research Center (JRC). The research policy of the European Communities as a whole was broadened in 1974. Ultimately, a new multiannual program came into effect for the JRC from 1974.
Building on the existing scientific skills, the work related to the actual reactor development was given up in favor of activities in areas such as environmental protection, especially the effects of chemical substances and nuclear safety, the development of satellite-based remote sensing, solar energy or new materials. Here, too, it was predominantly areas that were new to the member states, such as recently nuclear technology.
The various activities of the JRC no longer had a specific common goal, but rather many of them, even if they served an overarching, abstract goal. The funding structure also became more complex as several programs were now available. In some cases, the activities of a department were covered by several programs. At the same time, the influence of the member countries increased through the introduction of the representation of national ministries.
The cornerstones of today's organization of the JRC were therefore set 30 years ago. The role of the JRC in providing political support was already evident at that time: Among other things, solar energy research led to the largest test facility in Europe around 1981, which was essential in the development of standards; Environmental research proved instrumental in introducing European environmental policy in the early 1980s.
The JRC once again called into question the increased support of industry through public research funding, which shaped the discussion of research policy, including in the communities, in the early 1980s. The consequence was a further diversification in z. In part, a large number of smaller activities with regard to industrial fields of application such as robotics. Remote sensing and new materials became successes in the new fields in which the member countries also became strong. The computer tradition was continued in the early introduction of the Internet protocol for the internal network of the research institutes, which is now known as the intranet.
The strong fragmentation, the expansion of the staff's originally nuclear-oriented knowledge to other areas with simultaneous integration into an administrative framework that was more suitable for ministries than for research institutions, however, has also resulted in less promising tendencies since the 1970s. Since the end of the 80s, among other things, emphasis has been placed on integrating activities again, which also led to the introduction of the institute-based organization. In addition, there was an increasingly visible focus on practical political support.
The involvement of teaching in the research of the G (K) FS also has a certain history. The EURATOM contract provided for the establishment of a university-level institution, but this was never carried out. On the other hand, training for skilled workers was set up at least at the Ispra research institute in order to be able to meet the needs for the construction and operation of the reactor facilities, from which, however, the companies in the surrounding region also benefited. The training was discontinued at the beginning of the 1990s. In the area of environmental management, institutionalized cooperation in the second half of the 1990s led to a master’s course in which the University of Trier and the University of Kaiserslautern , among others, took part.
The work of the JRC is regularly reviewed. Particularly noteworthy are the scientific appraisal from 1999 as well as the appraisal from 2003 on the research of the previous five years.
See also
- Cooperation within the framework of the water information system for Europe
Web links
- Official home page of the JRC / JRC (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Information on the Joint Research Center website , accessed on December 29, 2014
- ↑ Peter Prantner: "CSI Food". About forensics and its limits. In: orf.at. May 7, 2018, accessed August 15, 2018 .
