The ERA-NET scheme was developed under the European Commission's 6th and 7th Framework Programmes in order to improve cooperation and coordination in research activities at the national and regional level. In order to achieve this objective, the scheme promotes networking among national funding agencies in order to enable them to learn from each other and ultimately to develop and manage joint programmes. The FWF regards its participation in this programme as an opportunity to contribute to the development of transnational funding programmes together with other European partner agencies. In this way, the FWF enables Austrian scientists to participate in international research programmes.