The European Commission (EC) has set up a 9 million euro (US$7.8 million) fund for scientific research on severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and invited Chinese scientists to bid for projects, according to press release of the European Union Delegation to China reaching here Friday.
The research program open to scientists the world over covers disease monitoring and surveillance, disease control, clinical performance, disease prevention and vaccines, the release says.
"Asian partners from areas affected the most by SARS, including Chinese researchers, are actively encouraged to participate in the initiative," says the release.
The EC has decided to allocate 16 million euro (US$14 million) to fight SARS in East and Southeast Asia, the release says, and the 7.8 million euro fund is a part of that total.
(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2003)
