What is FP7?

Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development are the EU’s main source of support and funding for research.  The current Programme (FP7) will run from 2007 to 2013 with a total budget of over €50 million.  Its main aims are:

• to strengthen the EU’s scientific and technological base
• to encourage the EU’s competitiveness
• to promote research that supports EU policies

FP7 is open to a broad range of organisations (public and private) and individuals including university research groups, companies intending to innovate, small and medium-sized enterprises and researchers.  Generally, FP7 is open to participants from any country, although the EU Member States have access to the broadest rights and funding, and participation procedures might vary for non-EU countries.

How Does FP7 Work?

FP7 is divided into the following four key areas:

1.  Co-operation
This is the largest element of FP7, representing two thirds of the overall budget.  Funding under this section is for research activities involving collaboration between partners from different countries under ten themes:

•  Health (improving health conditions and increasing the competitiveness of European health-related    industries)
•  Food, agriculture and fisheries, biotechnology (research for contemporary social and economic challenges such as healthy food, sustainable development and production, climate change etc)
•  Information and communication technologies (improving the competitiveness of European industry and shaping ICT to meet the needs of European society and economy)
•  Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies (creating knowledge-based industry and economy, rather than resource-intensive industry)
•  Energy (development of cost-effective technologies for a more sustainable and competitive energy economy for Europe)
•  Environment (developing tools for the mitigation of climate change, promotion of innovative e-technologies)
• Transport (developing more competitive, safer and greener transport systems)
•  Socio-economic sciences and the humanities (improving understanding of Europe’s socio-economic challenges such as growth, employment and competitiveness)
•  Space (supporting a European space programme)
•  Security (developing technologies and knowledge to ensure security of citizens against threats e.g. terrorism, crime, natural disasters, industrial accidents)

2.  Ideas
The Ideas Programme supports ‘frontier research’ solely on the basis of scientific excellence.  Projects are ‘investigator driven’ and implemented by individual teams. The Programme is aimed at reinforcing excellence, dynamism and creativity in European research and should allow researchers to identify new opportunities for research, rather than being led by politicians.  Research can be carried out in any area of science or technology including engineering, socio-economic sciences and the humanities.  Unlike the Co-operation Programme, there is no obligation for cross-border partnerships.    The Ideas Programme is managed by the new European Research Council (ERC) – a pan-European funding body launched in February 2007.

3.  People
The People Programme provides support for researcher mobility and career development, both for researchers inside the European Union and internationally.  It aims to encourage the take-up of research careers, encourage researchers to stay in Europe and attract more researchers from outside Europe. The Programme is implemented via the existing so-called ‘Marie Curie’ actions, which for several years have been offering mobility and training opportunities to European researchers.  The European Commission hopes to improve the career prospects of researchers in Europe, attract more high-quality researchers and give them incentives to build their careers in Europe.  More emphasis is given to industry-academic transfers than in the past.  Key areas of the People Programme include:

•  Initial training of researchers – Marie Curie Networks
•  Industry-academia partnerships
•  Co-funding of regional, national and international mobility programmes
•  Intra-European fellowships
•  International – outgoing and incoming fellowships, international co-operation schemes, reintegration grants
•  Marie Curie Awards

4.  Capacities
Continuing activity under previous Framework Programmes, the Capacities Programme is intended to implement new research and innovation infrastructures to give researchers the tools to enable them to enhance the quality and competitiveness of European research.  For example, it aims to:

•  Optimise use and development of research infrastructures
•  Reinforce the innovation capacities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their ability to benefit from research
•  Promote and sustain development of regional groupings which depend on research
•  Unlock research potential in the EU’s outermost regions
•  Bring science and society closer together
•  Stimulate international co-operation

What are the Funding Schemes?

FP7 is implemented by different types of projects known as ‘funding schemes’.  These are as follows:

• Collaborative Projects – focused research projects with specific expected results, carried out by consortia made up of participants from different countries and from industry and academia
• Networks of Excellence – designed for research institutions willing to combine and integrate a substantial part of their activities in a given field in order to create a European ‘virtual research centre’
• Co-ordination and Support Actions – these do not cover the research itself, but the co-ordination and networking of projects such as the dissemination of knowledge or stimulating the participation of SMEs and civil society
• Individual Projects – carried out by individual national or multinational research teams, lead by a ‘principal investigator’ and funded by the European Research Centre
• Support for Training and Career Development – training and career development for researchers through a range of support actions named after Marie Curie
• Research for the Benefit of Specific Groups (especially SMEs) – projects where the bulk of the research is carried out by actors such as universities and research centres for the benefit of specific groups such as SMEs, civil organisations and their networks

What about Funding?

The basic principle of funding in FP7 is co-financing.  In other words, the European Commission does not buy research services but contributes a percentage of the overall costs by giving grants to projects.  The maximum reimbursement rates for a project depend on the funding scheme used, the legal status of the participants and the type of activity.

How to Apply for Funding

The European Commission publishes annual ‘Work Programmes’ which include the schedule of ‘Calls for Proposal’ to be published during the year.  Each Call usually covers specific research areas.  All Calls are announced in the EU’s Official Journal and are published on the FP7 section of CORDIS, the website dedicated to EU supported research (see below).

You respond to a Call by submitting your proposal.  CORDIS provides a ‘Guide for Applicants’ on its website.

Where Can I Get More Help?

Yorkshire Forward - European R&D Support Programme
Free support services to organisations in Yorkshire and Humber interested in participating in FP7 (themed workshops; diagnostic visits to discuss potential projects; e-bulletins; identifying partnering opportunities; guidance on proposal preparation; pre-submission evaluation):
http://www.euroresearchsupport.co.uk/

UK National Contact Point - FP7UK
Help for prospective applicants to access funding under FP7.  Aims to provide a single, centralised, one-stop shop for information and advice covering all aspects of FP7.
http://www.fp7uk.dti.gov.uk/default.cfm

CORDIS
Website providing FP7 information including the calendar or Calls for Proposals, the text of the Calls, FAQs, information updates etc:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html

European Commission DG Research
Website includes FAQs, downloadable booklets and leaflets:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7/index_en.cfm