Health Directorate, Directorate General for Research and Innovation, European Commission, Rue du Champ de Mars 21, Brussels, Belgium.
Malar J. 2011 Jan 14;10:11. doi: 10.1186/1475-2875-10-11.
While malaria research has traditionally been strong in Europe, targeted and sustained support for cooperative malaria research at EU level, namely through the EU's 6th and 7th Framework Programmes for research and technological development, FP6 (2002-2006) and FP7 (2007-2013), has boosted both impact and visibility of European malaria research. Most of the European malaria research community is now organized under a number of comprehensive and complementary research networks and projects, assembled around four key areas: (1) fundamental research on the malaria parasite and the disease, (2) development of new malaria drugs, (3) research and development of a malaria vaccine, and (4) research to control the malaria-transmitting mosquito vector. Considerable efforts were undertaken to ensure adequate participation of research groups from disease-endemic countries, in particular from Africa, with the long-term aim to strengthen cooperative links and research capacities in these countries. The concept of organizing European research through major strategic projects to form a "European Research Area" (ERA) was originally developed in the preparation of FP6, and ERA formation has now turned into a major EU policy objective explicitly inscribed into the Lisbon Treaty. EU-funded malaria research may serve as a showcase to demonstrate how ERA formation can successfully be implemented in a given area of science when several surrounding parameters converge to support implementation of this strategic concept: timely coincidence of political stimuli, responsive programming, a clearly defined--and well confined--area of research, and the readiness of the targeted research community who is well familiar with transnational cooperation at EU level. Major EU-funded malaria projects have evolved into thematic and organizational platforms that can collaborate with other global players. Europe may thus contribute more, and better, to addressing the global research agenda for malaria.
虽然疟疾研究在欧洲一直很强大，但通过欧盟第 6 个和第 7 个研究和技术发展框架计划（即 FP6[2002-2006]和 FP7[2007-2013]）有针对性和持续地支持欧盟层面的合作性疟疾研究，极大地提高了欧洲疟疾研究的影响力和知名度。现在，大多数欧洲疟疾研究界都组织在几个全面和互补的研究网络和项目下，围绕四个关键领域进行研究：（1）疟疾寄生虫和疾病的基础研究，（2）新疟疾药物的开发，（3）疟疾疫苗的研究和开发，以及（4）控制疟疾传播媒介蚊子的研究。为确保疾病流行国家（特别是非洲国家）的研究小组充分参与，开展了大量工作，其长期目标是加强这些国家的合作联系和研究能力。通过重大战略项目组织欧洲研究以形成“欧洲研究区”（ERA）的概念最初是在 FP6 的筹备过程中提出的，现在 ERA 的形成已成为欧盟的一项主要政策目标，明确写入了《里斯本条约》。欧盟资助的疟疾研究可以作为一个范例，展示在几个周边参数汇聚以支持实施这一战略概念的情况下，如何在特定的科学领域成功实施 ERA 的形成：政治刺激的适时巧合、响应式规划、明确界定的——且范围有限的——研究领域，以及目标研究界的准备就绪，他们非常熟悉欧盟层面的跨国合作。欧盟资助的主要疟疾项目已经发展成为可以与其他全球参与者合作的专题和组织平台。因此，欧洲可以为解决全球疟疾研究议程做出更多更好的贡献。
