ERA-AGE takes new tack on ageing research
5.5.2008
The ERA-NET project ERA-AGE (European Research Area in Ageing Research) is drawing together the scattered field of ageing research, for example by means of the FLARE research programme (Future Leaders of Ageing Research in Europe) that started from the beginning of 2008.
“The European ERA-AGE project has brought together researchers on ageing from various basic research fields and also got funding agencies to sit down at the same table,” says Professor of Gerontology Marja Jylhä from the University of Tampere, listing some of the achievements of the project. She represents Finland on the ERA-AGE Steering Committee together with Senior Science Adviser Anna-Liisa Kauppila from the Academy of Finland. ERA-AGE is coordinated by the University of Sheffield in the UK.
“ERA-AGE has during its four years of activity achieved many things that can’t be seen as concrete research results. For instance, it’s brought funding agencies from twelve different countries together to discuss in which direction European ageing research should proceed. Organisations representing the elderly have also participated in this discussion,” Jylhä continues.
FLARE funds and forms networks
ERA-AGE also includes the three-year FLARE research programme, which was initiated at the beginning of 2008. FLARE also involves two Finnish researchers: Kristiina Tiainen from the University of Jyväskylä and Marko Kervinen from the University of Oulu.
The FLARE programme received a total of 49 applications from nine European countries. Sixteen of these were selected to the programme. “FLARE includes young doctoral degree holders who’ve recently earned their doctorate. It’s hoped that they’ll be the future leaders of European research on ageing, hence the title. The programme offers an opportunity to establish networks with other European scientists from a wide array of disciplines in the early stages of the research career,” states Kauppila from the Academy.
The next time the promotion of networks will be on the agenda is in Sweden in June 2008, when FLARE researchers will convene for a week-long seminar. The funding agencies will have their own meeting later in the autumn.
“What’s been missing in ERA-AGE is a few major funding agencies. The objective is that we in Europe could provide funding to extensive, multidisciplinary research programmes, in which many different kinds of funders, in many different combinations, could participate,” says Kauppila.
Two themes above all others
“Most of the centres and research teams in Europe are too small-scale. Unless they’re able to create working networks of collaboration, they won’t get the critical capital needed,” says Jylhä.
According to Jylhä, ageing research still faces the challenge of crossing the most difficult boundary, for Europe to get the kind of ageing research that is truly applicable and reasonable. This boundary is located between the social and natural sciences.
“This doesn’t mean that all ageing research should be multidisciplinary by nature. It’s a question of cross-boundary cooperation and understanding.”
Chair of the Academy of Finland’s Research Council for Health, Professor of Cell Biology Kalervo Väänänen from the University of Turku says there are two themes that rise above all others in ageing research.
“The first is our old acquaintance the biology of ageing, which helps us better understand which ageing-related diseases could be prevented. I also feel that it would be important to study the societal changes linked to ageing. The foresighting of these changes urgently needs new research knowledge.”
Text: Tiina Ruulio
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