The Project Management Agency (PT) of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) assists the BMBF in planning and implementing a wide range of national research programmes in various thematic areas. It provides direct services to the Ministry and administrates BMBF funding to German higher education and public research institutions as well as private companies. The International Bureau of the BMBF (IB) is part of the Project Management Agency. Having a strong background in R&D strategy and policy implementation with particular emphasis on international relations, the International Bureau is especially dedicated at international cooperation activities.
The IB supports the Ministry‟s bilateral cooperation in science, technology and education with about 50 countries around the world. Laying special emphasis on the development of the European Research Area and its international dimension, the IB provides strategic and operational assistance to the BMBF with respect to the international dimension of the ERA. In this context, the IB assists the Ministry especially in its participation in the Strategic Forum for International Cooperation (SFIC), a high-level political advisory body of Member States and the Commission. Moreover, the IB has a wide experience of coordinating and participating in EU funded projects, focussing on international ERANETs, INCONETs (a.o. MIRA), BILATs and ACCESS4EU-activities.
Within MIRA IB is responsible for a number of activities such as thematic workshops for the definition of joint research topics and the implementation ov innovation activities. The EU-Bureau (EU-PT-DLR) coordinates the network of German National Contact Points (NCPs) and renders assistance to the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in all matters regarding the 7th Research Framework Programme. Among other tasks, EU-PT-DLR provides information and advice on more general aspects of the Research Framework Programme as a whole as well as on international cooperation and on socio-economic aspects.
