Overview of the Framework
Overview
The Framework Programme (FP7) is the main research funding stream in the
European Union. FP7 will last seven years, from 2007 until 2013, and has been
allocated €54 billion, a 60% increase over FP6.
The new Framework has four main component parts or programmes:
- Cooperation: supports international
collaborative research in 10 thematic priority areas.
- Ideas: funds fundamental frontier
research through the European
Research Council
- People: supports human potential and
research mobility (Marie Curie schemes).
- Capacities: funds Research and
Development (R&D) efforts with the regional focus, Small and Medium size
Enterprises (SME) collaborative research, access to research infrastructures,
science in society, and specific international research collaborations.
There is also a Euratom programme, which
addresses the major issues and challenges in nuclear research; and the
Joint Research Centre initiative, which, as a
research arm of the European Commission, provides customer-driven scientific and
technical support to the conception, development, implementation and monitoring
of EU policies.
FP7 operates through several funding mechanisms, which are
listed and explained here.
Cooperation
The Cooperation specific programme is designed to gain leadership in key
scientific and technological areas by supporting cooperation between
universities, industry, research centres and public authorities across the
European Union as well as the rest of the world. Previous framework programmes
demonstrate the impact of such actions in restructuring research in Europe and
pooling and leveraging resources. The programme on cooperation is organised
into sub-programmes, each of which is operationally autonomous as far as
possible while at the same time demonstrating coherence and consistency and
allowing for joint, cross-thematic approaches to research subjects of common
interest.
The links to open calls for proposals for each theme are
listed below
Thematic Areas:
Theme 1: Health -
Calls
Theme 2: Food, agriculture and biotechnology -
Calls
Theme 3: Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT) -
Calls
Theme 4: Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production
technologies -
Calls
Theme 5: Energy -
Calls
Theme 6: Environment (including climate change) -
Calls
Theme 7: Transport (including aeronautics) -
Calls
Please note this cycle still follows the 2008 programme.
Theme 8: Socio-economic sciences and the humanities -
Calls
Theme 9: Security -
Calls
Theme 10: Space research -
Calls
Across all these themes, support to trans-national cooperation will be
implemented through several funding schemes:
- Collaborative research - the main type of funding in FP7, with the objective of
establishing excellent research projects and networks able to attract
researchers and investments from Europe and globally. This is to be achieved
through a range of funding schemes: Collaborative projects, Networks of
Excellence, Co-ordination/support actions, actions to promote and develop human
resources and mobility .
- Joint Technology Initiatives — mostly related to and created on the basis of the
European Technology Platforms
- Coordination of national research programmes - will use the
ERA-NET scheme
and the participation of the Community in jointly implemented national research
programmes.
Ideas — European Research Council
The European Research Council (ERC) has a unique position as a pan-European
funding organisation designed to support the best science and scholarship. It
will operate at the highest level of ambition to generate the maximum benefit to
European research from the activities it pursues.
The fundamental principle for all ERC activities is that of stimulating
investigator-initiated frontier research across all fields of research, on the
basis of excellence. Awards will be made and grants operated according to simple
procedures that maintain the focus on excellence, encourage initiative and
combine flexibility with accountability.
Three funding streams will be available in FP7: the Starting Investigator
Researcher Grant, the Advanced Investigator Grant and Proof of Concept (PoC). These schemes, operating
on a "bottom-up" basis, across all research fields, without predetermined
priorities, are expected to be the core of the ERC's operations for the duration
of the 7th Framework Programme.
Further information
is available here
People — Human Potential and Science Careers
The Marie Curie Actions are funded under FP7 Specific Programme 'People '. Its
main objective is to strengthen the human potential in research and technology
in Europe and to make Europe a more attractive place for researchers to work. A
key focus of the 'People' programme is to have a structuring effect throughout
Europe on the organisation, performance and quality of research training, on the
active career development of researchers, on knowledge-sharing through
researchers between sectors and research organisations, and on strong
participation by women in research and development.
There are five Marie Curie actions mapped for FP7:
- Initial training of researchers - Networks of Initial Training (ITN)
- Life-long training and career development of experienced researchers -
Intra-European Fellowships for Career Development (IEF), European Reintegration
Grants (ERG) and Co-funding of Regional, National and International programmes
- Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways (IAPP) - Industry academia knowledge
sharing scheme
- International dimension - International Outgoing Fellowships for Career
Development I(OF), International Incoming Fellowships(IIF), International
Re-integration grants (IRG).
- Specific actions - Researchers Night 2007, Marie Curie Awards 2007
There is €4.7 billion earmarked for the People Programme. This sum will be
allocated as follows: 40% Initial training of researchers; 25-30% Life-long
training and career development; 5-10% Industry-academia pathways and
partnerships; 25-30% International dimension; 1% Policy Actions.
Further information
is available here
Capacities
The Specific Programme Capacities aims to enhance research and innovation
capacities throughout Europe , and to ensure their optimal use.
In order to develop (un-lock) the research potential in the enlarged Union , it
is necessary to unlock the potential of research groups, in particularly those
in convergence and outmost regions. The Commission proposal expands on the FP6
Marie Curie Transfer of Knowledge – Development Scheme and
on the FP5 schemes on European Centres of Excellence to achieve this. Activities
will include encouraging the exchange of know-how and experience through
secondments of staff; recruiting incoming experienced researchers and acquiring
new research equipment. There will also be workshops and conferences to
facilitate knowledge transfer as well as dissemination and promotional
activities.
There are seven broad areas within the Capacities programme:
- Research Infrastructures
- Research for the Benefit of SME's
- Regions of Knowledge and Support for Regional Research-driven Clusters
- Research Potential of Convergence Regions
- Science in Society
- Support to the Coherent Development of Research Policies
- International cooperation
Capacities General Work Programme is available here.
Euratom
Euratom research activities differ from those in other FP7 programmes in that
they are carried out under a separate treaty. The European Atomic Energy
Community (Euratom) - set up in 1957 - is legally separate from the European
Community (EC). The Member States and the Community institutions are the same
under both treaties. The Commission's amended FP7 proposals include EUR 2 751
million to fund nuclear research and training activities under the Euratom
Treaty - to be spent over five years (2007-2011) rather than the seven years of
the EC parts of FP7, five years being the maximum allowed by the Euratom Treaty.
In general, FP7 Euratom will address the major issues and challenges in nuclear
research and will contribute to the further consolidation of the European
Research Area in the nuclear energy sector. It will also support existing
Community policies while at the same time responding to new policy requirements.
The Euratom Framework Programme will help the creation of a critical mass and
new structures in key research fields at the European level as well as to
promote the free movement of ideas, knowledge and researchers. In general terms,
the Euratom programmes of research aim to develop and assemble knowledge and to
im proved scientific and technical competences and know-how in support of
safety, security, reliability, sustainability and cost-effectiveness of nuclear
energy.
In FP7 Euratom there are two associated programmes:
- indirect
actions in the field of fusion energy and nuclear fission and
radiation protection , managed by the Directorate General for Research.
- direct
research actions in the nuclear field undertaken by the Joint
Research Centre (JRC), covering nuclear waste management, environmental impact
and basic knowledge; nuclear safety; and nuclear security.
Further information
is available here
Joint Research Centre (JRC)
JRC provides customer-driven scientific and technical support to the conception,
development, implementation and monitoring of EU policies. As the research arm
of the European Commission, the JRC is a reference centre for science and
technology issues that serves the interests of the Member States while at the
same time remaining independent of special interests.
The Commission's proposals for the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) aim to
reinforce the JRC's customer-driven orientation and its already strong
connections with the scientific community by taking an integrated approach to
its main task, the provision of scientific and technological support to
policies. In particular, it will engage in activities aimed at consolidating
growth and security and ensuring sustainable development.
Under the Commission's amended FP7 proposals, the JRC will have a budget of EUR
1751 million to carry out direct non-nuclear research under FP7 in four broad
policy areas:
- Prosperity in a knowledge-intensive society
- In this policy theme, the JRC will carry out research and networking activities
intended to support, inform and analyse specific EU policies, including the
Lisbon agenda, which work towards the consolidation of a knowledge society in
Europe .
- Priority areas include competitiveness and innovation, supporting the European
Research Area, research in the areas of renewable and cleaner energies and
transport, the information society, life sciences and biotechnology.
- Solidarity and responsible resource management
- The JRC will work to define approaches to achieve economically, environmentally
and socially sustainable development.
- Priorities include sustainability in rural development, agriculture and
fisheries, a holistic approach to natural resources management, environment and
health, and climate change.
- Security and freedom
- The JRC's contribution to security and freedom will rest on research to provide
suitable technological means for the detection and analysis of potential threats
and the delivery of tools to im prove the EU's prevention, monitoring and risk
management capacities.
- Priority areas include internal security, responses to and management of
disasters, and food and feed safety and quality.
- Europe as a world partner
- The JRC will provide support to the EU's external relations instruments,
including instruments for stability and humanitarian aid, thus assisting EU
policy efforts to im prove the global security situation and helping to equip
the EU's development cooperation policy with tools such as an Observatory for
Sustainable Development and Environment in APC countries.
- Priority areas include global security issues and development cooperation.
FP7 Funding Mechanisms
The main funding mechanisms in FP7 are listed below. Work programmes
determine particular funding schemes to be used for the topic on which
proposals are invited.
Networks of Excellence (NoE)
Joint Programme of Activities implemented by a number of research organisations
integrating their actions in a given field, carried out by research teams in the
framework of long-term cooperation. The implementation of this
Joint Programme of Activities requires a formal commitment of organisations to
coordination and integration of their resources and strategies dedicated to the
network. The support is given with a goal of integrating research activities in
strategic areas of European competitiveness.
- Maximum of 5-7 years
- €4- 15 million
- 6- 12 participants
Collaborative projects (CPs)
Research projects carried out by consortia of participants from different
countries, aiming at developing new knowledge, new technology, products,
demonstration activities or common resources for research. The size, scope and
internal organisation of projects can vary from field to field and from topic to
topic. Projects can range from small or medium-size focused research actions to
large-scale integrating projects for achieving a defined objective. Projects are
also encouraged to target special groups, such as SMEs and other smaller
participants.
- Small and medium scale collaborative projects
- targeted to specific objectives
- overall work plan clearly fixed for the whole project
- 18-36 months
- €0.8-3 million (average €1.9M)
- 6-15 participants
- Large collaborative projects
- set of defined, integrated, differentiated activities, covering a range of
aspects
- objective-driven research, addressing a range of different disciplines
- 36-60 months
- €4-25 million (average €10M)
- 10-20 participants
Coordination/ Networking Actions
Activities aimed at coordinating or supporting research efforts and policies
(networking, exchanges, trans-national access to research infrastructures,
studies, conferences, etc.).
Support actions
Preparation of future actions, using ongoing research to define future research
agenda.
Main sources of information
! The EU has produced a very useful series of
fact sheets
& FAQs on FP7 — the first point of reference for learning about the new
Framework !
CORDIS
The Community Research & Development Information Service (CORDIS) has an
established information network dedicated entirely to the Framework 7.
- FP7 Home gives a
structural introduction to the Programme, together with links for further info
according to various scenarios/types of users.
- FP7 Newsroom enables
you to browse FP7 news, events and interviews published in
CORDIS News, submit your
own news and subscribe for email alerts.
- Understand FP7
section goes through main objectives, specific programmes and provides links to
fact sheets.
- Participate in FP7
gives details and provides links to documentation on the issues of participation
- Find a call lists all
open calls for proposals with links to each call's page
- Get support offers
descriptions of various support services available to FP7 participants
- Find project partners
provides search facilities for finding international research partners
- Find a document
-- this domain is a comprehensive resource containing all documents,
publications and magazines held by CORDIS on FP7. The service also holds
documents related to future policies and activities of the European Union
related to scientific research, technological development and innovation and
competitiveness.
UK Research Office (UKRO)
Other useful links
EU Policy Portal 'EuroActiv' is very good for
policy- related matters; the site is regularly updated
European Research
Council (ERC) - funding research that is not on the
basis of collaboration between states, rather purely
based on excellence and competition.
FP7UK
is
maintained by the Office of Science and Innovation (OST). Brief overview and
summaries of the programmes, together with some news updates.
