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***Apologies for Cross Posting*** DigitalPreservationEurope (DPE) announces its Research and Industrial Exchange Programme (DPEX) http://www.digitalpreservationeurope.eu/exchange Research and practice in digital preservation is patchy, fragmented, and disconnected. Communication between research groups is limited and does not always engage with the needs of practitioners. Exchange of professional practitioners and researchers provides a valuable way to understand and overcome these barriers. They can facilitate knowledge exchange, capacity building, and innovation. DigitalPreservationEurope, building on the earlier successful work of ERPANET, works to improve coordination, cooperation and consistency in current digital preservation and curation activities to secure the longevity of digital assets and heritage. DPE, supported by the European Union with funding under the Sixth Framework Programme, recognises the value of exchange programmes as a mechanism to establish cross-institutional synergies. It is our hope that the planned twenty-five DPE Exchanges will propagate knowledge, capacity and innovation as well as foster better cooperation among research institutions and industrial partners working on meeting pressing challenges in digital preservation. DPEX aims to encourage innovative practice through research collaboration and to build bridges between practitioners and researchers. Participants in the DPEX programme benefit from contact with the experienced preservation professionals, engagement in environments where preservation challenges are encountered on a daily basis, and/or contact with renowned research labs and industrial partners in the area of digital preservation in Europe. DPEX will allow participants to look beyond their specific professional environment. Exchanges should typically last for four weeks and the DPEX support of up to 3500 euros per exchange can be used to meet partially the costs of accommodation, subsistence, and travel. Unfortunately, DPEX support cannot be used to meet salary costs and currently exchanges must involve participants from and institutions located in EU Member States. The first application deadline is June 1st 2007 with selected exchanges being announced on the 1st of July 2007. There will be three further deadlines for applications under what we hope will be the first phase of the DPEX Programme: October 2007, January 2008, June 2008. The application process can be completed online. Full programme details (including terms and conditions) are available at www.digitalpreservationeurope.eu/exchange <http://www.digitalpreservationeurope.eu/exchange>. Completed applications will be reviewed by an independent review committee of six researchers and practitioners is chaired by Birte Christensen-Dalsgaard, Statsbiblioteket (Denmark) and Andreas Rauber, Vienna University of Technology (Austria). Their decision as to whether or not to make an exchange award will be final. Further information can be found on the DPE webpage www.digitalpreservationeurope.eu/exchange <http://www.digitalpreservationeurope.eu/exchange>. Professor Seamus Ross Principal Director DigitalPreservationEurope (DPE) HATII at the University of Glasgow & Professor Andreas Rauber Director of DigitialPreservationEurope's Exchange Programme Vienna University of Technology (Austria)