Further Information : Other Funding
The 7th Framework Programme (FP7) is the EU's main instrument for funding research
With a budget of €53 billion from 2007-2013, FP7 supports projects under five specific Programmes:
- Cooperation - fostering collaboration between industry and academia to gain leadership in key technology areas
- Ideas - supporting basic research at the scientific frontiers (implemented by the European Research Council).
- People - supporting mobility and career development for researchers both within and outside Europe.
- Capacities - helping develop the capacities that Europe needs to be a thriving knowledge-based economy.
- Nuclear Research (Euratom programme) - developing Europe's nuclear fission and fusion capabilities.
FP7 is based on co-financing, with a standard intervention rate for research and technological development activities of 50%, though some organisations (SMEs and non-profit public bodies) can receive up to 75%. Certain activities e.g. networking, training can be funded up to 100% of the eligible costs. The grants are determined on the basis of calls for proposals and a peer review process.
The core of FP7 is the Co-operation programme which fosters collaborative research across Europe and other partner countries, according to several key thematic areas. These themes are:
- health food,
- agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology
- information and communications technologies
- nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies energy
- environment (including climate change)
- transport (including aeronautics)
- socio-economic sciences and the humanities
- space
- security
This programme also includes the new Joint Technology Initiatives, which are industry driven, large-scale multi-financed actions, supported in certain cases by a mix of public and private funding. Other highlights of this programme include Coordination of non-community research programmes, which aims to bring European national and regional research programmes closer together (e.g. ERA-NET), and the Risk-sharing finance facility.
Ideas Programme and the European Research Council (ERC)
The Ideas programme is the first time an EU Framework research programme has funded pure, investigative research at the frontiers of science and technology, independently of thematic priorities. The Ideas programme is flexible in its approach to EU research, in that proposed research projects are judged solely on the basis of their excellence, as judged by peer review. It is being implemented by the new European Research Council (ERC), which consists of a Scientific Council (to plan scientific strategy, establish the work programme, quality control and information activities) and an implementing agency (administration, support for applicants, proposal eligibility, grant management and practical organisation).
Research may be carried out in any area of science or technology, including engineering, socio-economic sciences and the humanities. Particular emphases are being placed on emerging and fast-growing fields at the frontiers of knowledge, and on cross-disciplinary research. Unlike the Cooperation programme, there is no obligation for cross-border partnerships.
What's new in FP7?
FP7 has some key differences to earlier EU research programmes, including:
- Increased budget - the FP7 budget represents a 63% increase from FP6 at current prices, which means additional resources for European research. It is also a strong political message to the EU Member States, which have committed themselves to increase research spending from 2% of GDP currently to 3% in 2010.
- Focus on themes - a strong focus on major research themes (e.g. health, ICTs, space, etc.) within the largest component of FP7 - Cooperation - makes the programme more flexible and responsive to the needs of industry.
- European Research Council (ERC) - the first pan-European agency for funding research, the newly created European Research Council, aims to fund more high-risk yet potentially high-gain European research at the scientific frontiers.
- Regions of Knowledge - FP7 is establishing new Regions of Knowledge that bring together the various research partners within a region. Universities, research centres, multinational firms, regional authorities and SMEs can all link up and strengthen their research abilities and potential.
- Risk-sharing finance - a new Risk-sharing finance facility is to enhance backing for private investors in research projects, improving access to loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for large European research actions.
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