Representatives of the German Research Foundation (DFG) met today at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences with Vice-President Prof. Emmanuel Moutafov and Scientific Secretary-General, Prof. Neli Koseva. The DFG is Germany’s largest organization providing funding for the natural sciences and the humanities. During the meeting, Dr. Jörn Achterberg, Director of “International Affairs,” presented opportunities for joint projects involving scientists from both countries. He reported that about one-third of the applications submitted by researchers from Bulgaria received funding.
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences prioritizes cooperation with European scientists and researchers from NATO member countries, said Vice-President Prof. Moutafov, who proposed that a joint scientific conference between the Academy and DFG be organized in Sofia the following year. He also recommended that DFG and the Bulgarian National Science Fund established a special Bulgarian-German scientific program in which BAS would participate. He added that information days organized by the Fund could be held as part of the event to familiarize Bulgarian scientists with funding opportunities. Representatives from the international cooperation departments of BAS and DFG will finalize the format of the conference and the information days in the coming weeks. Discussions also focused on cooperation between the Academy and the “Alexander von Humboldt” Foundation as well as the Leopoldina Academy.
Prof. Neli Koseva presented the Academy’s activities and structure. Special attention was given during the meeting to the achievements of BAS in the fields of chemistry and physics. The director of the Bulgarian National Science Fund, Prof. Yuri Kalvachev, also participated in the discussions. As part of their visit to Sofia, the DFG representatives will tour the laboratory complex at Scientific Complex 1 of BAS where 12 research laboratories were renovated with European funding.
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