This programme has a twofold aim:
- firstly, to integrate the National Scientific and Cultural Institutions more closely in the scientific research potential with a specific assignment which is primarily focused on providing scientific services which must be described with sufficient clarity, and giving them the additional manpower and equipment necessary for this;
- secondly, to promote cooperation along the more conventional lines of research at the universities, analogous to what is taking place on the instructional level. Each team will explore in depth its own speciality, complementary to the other teams.
The programme therefore strives for a concentration of manpower and equipment resources within a specific discipline, whereby each team retains its individuality, but only the whole has a sufficient scale to carry weight on the international (and more specifically on the European) level.
Service centres and research networks for fundamental research will be financed within the framework of the Scientific Policy budget.
A limited number of networks are currently being selected which will receive a subsidy for a period of 4 years.
Each of the service centres and research networks will include research laboratories from at least two different university institutions, as well as with at least one national scientific institution.
By "National Scientific Institutions" is understood :
- the General National Archive and the National Archive in the provinces
- the Royal Museums for Fine Arts of Belgium
- the Royal Observatory of Belgium
- the Royal Library Albert I
- the Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences
- the Royal Meteorological Institute
- the Royal Museums for Art and History
- the Royal Museum for Central Africa
- the Royal Institute for the Artistic Heritage
- the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy.
Each service centre and research network proposes a four-year research programme within a specific theme, and undertakes to carry out this programme in the group context. A specific task is attributed to each team while the scientific services are mainly provided by the scientific institution(s).
An overall budget of 50 MBF/year during 4 years is provided for implementation of this action.
A budget of around 10 to 12 MBF/year is provided per network. This corresponds to resources of around 5 MBF/year per National Scientific Institution, and around 2 MBF/year per university-associated research team.
R2/DD/A01: Descriptive catalogue of music manuscripts preserved in Belgium (1600-1850)
R2/DD/BO1: Technological, stylistic and iconographic analysis preparatory to compiling a scientific catalogue of 10th-century paintings preserved in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
R2/DD/C01: Prehistory and evolution of the environment over the past 100,000 years in the great European plain
