Many of you have been involved in transnational projects, particularly those promoted by EU programmes. Project activities have also been extended to include partners from countries outside Europe. Experience shows that transnational projects are a powerful stimulus both for exploring joint research issues and for developing networks of partners.

However, coherent information about current research projects in the field of human resource development (HRD) and/or vocational education and training (VET) is rather difficult to find. Resources are scattered across websites of various EU programmes, institutions and networks, often relating to completed rather than newly started projects. Little is known about projects in operation, such as could provide a stimulus for researchers to establish links in areas of joint interest.

In order to gather information about current transnational research projects across Europe and beyond, an enquiry will be carried out by the Research Forum WIFO in collaboration with the European research network in vocational education and training (VETNET Board) and the University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD).

For this purpose, we would like to ask you to provide information on individual projects in which you are involved. Should you know about other projects presently carried out at your institution or elsewhere, please feel free to forward this request to the colleagues concerned.

Projects (including project-related networks) to be selected for this enquiry need to meet the following criteria:

(1) currently in operation (ending 2010 or later);
(2) related to research (totally or as a significant component);
(3) related to HRD and/or VET (totally or significantly);
(4) transnational: within Europe or between European and non-European countries.

The following data will be required on each selected project:

(A) Exact title and acronym (short name) of project;
(B) Name and email address of the coordinator or main contact;
(C) Address of the website (or info page/ flyer) of the project.

You can most easily supply your information by filling in the details under each criterion in your reply message.

Please also check whether the website (or info page/ flyer) you provide under (C) includes further details on the project, in particular

(c1) the duration/ final year of the project;
(c2) the name of the EU programme or organisation promoting the project;
(c3) the names of the institutes or laboratories directly involved in the project;
(c4) the names and email addresses of the experts carrying out the project.

Should any of the above details be missing, please add these in your reply.

The outcome of this enquiry will, first of all, be included in the online overview of current projects on the WIFO site:
http://www.projects.wifo-gate.org/
Furthermore it will be analysed and evaluated with the following objectives:

    * to establish thematic clusters of projects;
    * to explore patterns of institutional collaboration and, in particular, to identify 'nodes' of collaborative networks;
    * to trace the collaboration of researchers involved in projects.

These follow-up investigations will serve to enhance the resources on European research provided by the WIFO Gateway and the various means  of communication (directories, platforms, mailing lists) available for the HRD and VET communities.

Your help in providing project data for these objectives will be very much appreciated!

Looking forward to your feedback
with kind regards
Sabine Manning
Editor of the L&W Newsletter