Welcome to the ZA EUROLAB

Next call to apply for research visits closes August 15 2008.

Since the beginning of the contract April 1st 2006, 35 researchers from 16 European countries have worked at the ZA-EUROLAB for more than 500 access days. For an overview of all these projects and the related literature published so far, please follow this link.

Here you find further information on application procedures and an application form. Please read the information carefully.

The ZA EUROLAB at the GESIS-ZA (formerly Central Archive for Empirical Social Research at the University of cologne (ZA)) in Cologne is a European Data Laboratory for Comparative Social Research created in 1996 as access facility to the data in the ZA holding from all fields of empirical social research.Since its establishment more than 200 researchers from over thirty countries all over the world have worked at the ZA EUROLAB for more than 2000 days altogether. ZA EUROLAB closely cooperates with IRISS C/I in Luxembourg and ECASS at the University of Essex, United Kingdom.

Within the 6th Framework Programme "Structuring the European Research Area - Research Infrastructures Action" support can be provided to individual researchers and research groups who want to access the facilities provided by the ZA.  According to the EC the objective of this scheme is to sponsor new opportunities for research teams (including individual researchers) to obtain access to individual major research infrastructures they require for their work. Such infrastructures must be rare in Europe, must provide a world-class service essential for the conduct of top quality research, and must typically have investment or operating costs that are relatively high in relation to those costs in their particular field. The infrastructures must also be able to provide adequate scientific, technical and logistic support to external, particularly first-time, users. Access may be made available to external users, either in person ("hands-on") or by suitable electronic communications. It may also take the form of provision of remote scientific services, such as the provision of reference materials or samples, the performance of sample analysis, of specific measurements or of experiment-based consultancies. Access to a given infrastructure will be granted following a selection of potential users by "peer review" (http://www.cordis.lu/infrastructures/ta.htm)

Within this programme the GESIS-ZA will be able to offer 1500 access days between 2006-2010. Successful candidates will receive

      -         access to the more than 5000 data sets and data collections at the GESIS-ZA

-         access to training courses in advanced techniques of data analysis

-         access to training in data management and archiving

-         personal working place with PC including a comprehensive program library for statistical analyses with most recent software releases.

-         access to related publications based on these data bases via information systems in the GESIS-ZA Library with about 20.000 volumes and more than 140 continuously held national and international social science journals.

-         financial support to cover travel costs, accommodation and a per diem.

While GESIS-ZA has highly experienced researchers on its staff, it also operates in a very active environment of social, economic and political research institutes and seminars at the University of Cologne. Visiting scholars can profit from this intellectually stimulating environment and will have ample chances to participate in symposia and other scientific meetings.

Furthermore, visitors can access facilities at the University of Cologne such as libraries, the university restaurant (Mensa) and shopping facilities.

For further information regarding application procedure see Access & application.

The service guide leads you through the Internet pages of ZA EUROLAB.

© GESIS Ingvill C. Mochmann 07.01.2008