Marie Curie Fellows Association
The Marie Curie Fellows Association (MCFA) is the association of scientists who have been awarded a Marie Curie fellowship or other research training grants from the European Commission within the Marie Curie Actions programme (FP6) or the People programme (FP7). A Marie Curie Fellowship is a grant under one of the European RTD framework programmes to stimulate the training and mobility of researchers within the European Union.
History
The MCFA was launched at an inaugural seminar in Brussels in October 1996. This seminar was organized under the auspices of the European Commission. During its first three years the Association received a generous support from the European Commission. At the same time the Marie Curie Fellowships Unit at the Directorate-General for Research of the European Commission supported the Association with advice and logistical help. In 1999, the MCFA was awarded UNESCO's Niels Bohr Medal at the occasion of the World Conference on Science (Budapest 26 June - 1 July 1999).
Structure
All activities of the MCFA are co-ordinated on the international level. The running of the Association lies in the hands of the Administrative Board that is elected by the members of the Association at the Annual General Meeting. National Groups are one of the pillars of the MCFA. All national groups have their own co-ordinators for the various national activities. These activities include meetings, advice on contract problems, meetings with national government officials, marketing articles and the like. The national co-ordinators form the local groups committee. Regional group meetings are usually informal gatherings of fellows working in large institutions, or living in large cities or within one region. They are useful as social get-togethers, and for help with individual contract problems.