America joins hands with Europe
On October 19th, Ambassador Anthony Gardner announced the creation of a new joint initiative by the United States and the European Commission, the Fulbright-Schuman Innovation Grants. Gardner noted that the Innovation Grants will “take the Fulbright-Schuman program to the next level” in providing support for researchers and mid-career professionals from the United States and the EU.
It takes people-to-people exchanges to keep the transatlantic relationship strong. “We need the best young minds of Europe and the United States focused on these issues. You are the ones who can build those bridges, now and throughout your careers.”
Data Privacy as focus
As global leaders in technology and education, the United States and the European Union strive to foster new generations of American and European researchers and policymakers. The Innovation Grants will support one to two Europeans and Americans per year to spend six to nine months on the other side of the Atlantic, working with colleagues to harness the promise of new technologies while addressing the policy challenges they pose.
The grants will reflect the evolving priorities of U.S.-EU relations, with Academic Year 2016-2017 focusing on Data Privacy and Protection, while future years may address other emerging areas of interest, from cyber security to health care.Gardner called on American businesses in Europe to play a role in launching the American component of this exciting initiative, asking them to make “an investment in the future of transatlantic cooperation.”
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education and Culture will fund the exchange of EU citizens through existing funding mechanisms. American citizens will be supported by the private contributions raised by the U.S. Mission to the European Union for the Innovation Grants, adding to the U.S. government’s financial support for Fulbright-Schuman.
More information on the Fulbright-Schuman program can be found at http://www.fulbrightschuman.eu
