Seventh framework programme (FP7)
Seventh framework programme (in further text FP7) is program of EU covering scientific exploration and technological development. FP7 is continuation of program FP6, supposed period 2007-2013.
FP7 gives finance support in the area of scientific research, (research institutions, SME or enterprises owned by state) with goal to intensify international cooperation in area of scientific research and technology.
Purpose of FP7 is creation of the 'European research area' (in further text ERA) and carrying them further towards the development of a knowledge-based economy. In that sense FP7 has a 4 aims:
- support trans-national cooperation on every scale across the EU;
- enhance investigator-driven basic research based on excellence;
- strengthen human potential in research and technology in Europe, both quantitatively and qualitatively;
- develop and enhance the excellence of European research institutions and universities.
Programs
FP7 is consisting of 4 main programs:
- Cooperation
- Ideas
- People
- Capacities'.
Besides these programs, FP7 has also:
- Program of European community for atomic energy (EURATOM)
- Joint Research Centre (JRC):
- nuclear activities (within EURATOM)
- non-nuclear activities
1. The 'Cooperation’ programme:
Support should be provided for trans-national cooperation at an appropriate scale across the Union and beyond, in a number of thematic areas corresponding to major fields of the progress of knowledge and technology, where research should be supported and strengthened to address European social, economic, environmental, public health and industrial challenges, serve the public and support developing countries. Where possible, this programme will allow flexibility for mission-orientated schemes which cut across the thematic priorities:
- Health
- Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology
- Information and communication technologies
- Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies
- Energy Environment (including climate change)
- Transport (including aeronautics)
- Socio-economic sciences and humanities
- Space
- Security
2. Programme „Ideas“
Activities should be implemented by a 'European Research Council' (ERC), which should enjoy a high degree of autonomy in order to develop very high-level frontier research at European level.
3. The 'People' programme:
Programme has next directions:
- encourage individuals to enter the profession of research;
- structure the research training offers and options;
- encourage European researchers to stay in, or return to Europe;
- encourage intersectorial mobility; – mobility of researches – a key for knowledge dissemination through the different countries and sectors, what leads to the science development in financial aspect as well.
Programme is focused on first three aspects:
a) Improvement of structure
b) Industry participation
c) Strengthening of international dimension
Program concept and classification of project proposals:
From practical reasons, project proposals classification will be made according to next Panels:
- Chemistry
- Social and human sciences
- Economy
- Informatics and technical sciences
- Geological and environment sciences
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Physics
In the area of researcher’s training, programme acts trough 'Marie Curie actions'. Training itself has next areas:
1. Starting training within the Mari Curie nets:
Marie Curie Research Training Networks (RTN)
Marie Curie Host Fellowships for Early Stage Research Training (EST)
Marie Curie actions-Large conferences (LCF)
Marie Curie actions-Series of events (SCF)
Marie Curie Chairs (EXC)
2. Continued education during the employment period and career improvement for experienced researchers through the individual scholarships and award on the level of European community:
Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowships (EIF)
Marie Curie European Reintegration Grants (ERG)
3. Cooperation and partnership in between industry and academic institutions:
Marie Curie Host Fellowships for the Transfer of Knowledge (TOK)
4. International dimension:
Marie Curie Outgoing International Fellowships (OIF)
Marie Curie Incoming International Fellowships (IIF)
Marie Curie International Reintegration Grants (IRG)
5. Specific actions:
Specific Support Actions
Marie Curie Excellence Awards (EXA)
4. The 'Capacities' programme:
Programme has next directions:
- the use and development of research infrastructures should be optimised;
- innovative capacities of SMEs and their ability to benefit from research should be strengthened;
- the development of regional research-driven clusters should be supported;
- the research potential in the Union's convergence and outermost regions should be unlocked;
- science and society should be brought closer together in European society;
- support should be given to the coherent development of research policies at national and Community level;
- horizontal actions and measures in support of international cooperation should be undertaken.
Programme 'Capacities' has next acting fields:
2.1. Research infrastructure
2.2. Research for SME support
2.3. Regions of knowledge
2.4. Research potentials of convergent regions
2.5. Science in society
2.6. Support for coherent development
2.7. International cooperation
International cooperation is divided in three parts:
2.7.1.Special cooperation programme – research themes oriented towards international cooperation.
2.7.2.Special programme people – international activities in the area of human resources.
2.7.3.Special programme Capacities – implements horizontal action of support and measures with focus on activities different from thematic or interdisciplinary areas. Goal is support to the coordination of state programme for international scientific cooperation, and different activities of international cooperation within different programmes of FP7.
Hereby support is given to the coordination of national policies and activities of EU Member States (MS) and Associated States (AC) concerning international scientific and technical cooperation through the next schemes:
- ERA-NET with an aim to increase cooperation and coordination of national and regional research programmes by linking nets, mutual opening and joint development and implementation of joint activities.
ERA-NET PLUS represents “international cooperation” – by financing joint trans-national researchs.
Implementation
Implementation in FP7 goes through direct and indirect actions.
A) Indirect actions:
The supported activities will be funded through a range of 'Funding schemes', which will be used, either alone or in combination, to fund actions implemented throughout the FP7. The decisions for specific programmemes, work programmemes and calls for proposals will specify, as and when appropriate:
- the type(s) of scheme(s) used to fund different actions;
- the categories of participants which can benefit from them;
- the types of activities which can be funded through each of them.
Where different funding schemes can be used, the work programmemes may specify the funding scheme to be used for the topic on which proposals are invited.
The funding schemes are:
a) to support actions which are primarily implemented on the basis of calls for proposals:
1. Collaborative projects
Support for research projects carried out by consortia with participants from different countries, aiming to develop 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-scale- focused research actions to large-scale integrating projects for achieving a defined objective. Projects will also be targeted towards special groups (SMEs).
Two main kind of projects are: 'Integrated projects' (IP) and 'Small or medium scale focused research actions' (STREP)
- IP
IP include more partners (multinational consortium) and they are directed to aimed researches. Their aim is generating of new knowledge necessary for thematic prioritises. Their task is to collect critical mass and to contribute to comprehensiveness of EU. They must have research component, but also could have technological and demonstration activities and elements of experts training.
Kind of integrations that they presume:
- Vertical (example: from knowledge creator to actors involved in technological development and transfer)
- Horizontal (many multidisciplinary activities)
- Sector (example: integration of public and private sector or university and research centres and institutes)
- Financial (public and private resources)
European Commission (EC) co-finance IP grant support (contribution for research costs etc.). Projects must have at least three partners from three different states EU MS or AC. At least two states must be AC or MS.
- Specific projects
Specific projects are aimed on generating and promotion of new knowledge (improving of existing and developing of new products etc.) and they support research, developing-technological and demonstration activities (that are lesser in size than IP).
EU contribution depends on kind of costs and activities. These projects are main support instrument for international cooperation but they are also using thematic priorities, activities supported by other policies of EU, and projects that have goal of harmonizing relationship between sconce and society.
2. Networks of excellence
Support for a 'Joint programme of activities' implemented by a number of research organisations integrating their activities in a given field, carried out by research teams in the framework of longer term cooperation.
Support for activities aimed at coordinating or supporting research activities and policies. These actions may also be implemented by means other than calls for proposals.
4. Support for 'frontier' research
Support for projects carried out by individual national or trans-national research teams. This scheme will be used to support investigator-driven 'frontier' research projects funded in the framework of the ERC.
5. Support for training and career development of researchers
Support for training and career development of researchers, mainly to be used for the implementation of the Marie Curie actions.
6. Research for the benefit of specific groups
Support for research projects where the bulk of the research and technological development is carried out by universities, research centres or other legal entities, for the benefit of specific groups, in particular SMEs or associations of SMEs. Efforts will be undertaken to mobilise additional financing from the 'European Investment Bank' (EIB) and other financial organisations.
There are two kinds of projects:
6.1. Researches for single SME – new knowledge etc., that gives possibility for improvement or development of new products etc.
6.2. Researches for associations of SMEs – establishing of norms, establishment and implementation of regulative, technical problems industrial sector in whole etc.
7. Article 169. – Programmemes implemented jointly by several Member States
These programmes demand cooperation of governmental level of EU MS .
b) To support actions implemented on the basis of decisions by the Council and the European Parliament based on a proposal from the Commission, the Community will provide financial support to multi-financed large-scale initiatives:
A financial contribution to the joint implementation of well-identified national research programmemes. This joint implementation will require the establishment or existence of a dedicated implementation structure. Community financial support will be provided subject to the definition of a financing plan based on formal commitments from competent national authorities.
A financial contribution to the implementation of 'Joint technology initiatives' to realise objectives that cannot be achieved through the above-mentioned funding schemes. 'Joint technology initiatives' will mobilise a combination of funding of different kinds and from different sources; private and public, European and national. This funding may take different forms and may be allocated or mobilised though a range of mechanisms: support from the framework programme, loans from the EIB and risk capital support. Community support will be provided subject to the definition of an overall blueprint of financial engineering, based on formal commitments from all parties concerned.
A financial contribution to the development of new infrastructures of European interest. The development of new infrastructures will mobilise a combination of funding of a different nature and origin: national funding, framework programme, structural funds, loans from the EIB and others. Community support will be provided subject to the definition of an overall financial plan based on a commitment from all parties concerned.
The Community will implement the funding schemes in compliance with the provisions of the relevant regulation and State aid instruments, as well as international rules in this area. In compliance with this international framework, it will be necessary to be able to adjust the scale and form of financial participation on a case-by-case basis, in particular if funding from other public sector sources is available, including other sources of Community financing such as the EIB.
When subjects from candidate-states participate, additional contribution can be gained from IPA.
B) Direct actions:
The Community will undertake activities implemented by the JRC, which are referred to as direct actions.
Classification of partners
FP7 has 3 categories of partners:
- EU MS
- AC
-„Third“countries
BiH is amongst so called „Third“countries (“ICPC countries”). From those reason legal subjects from BiH primary can apply in thematic priorities concerning the International Cooperation.
Due to that, BiH has two opportunities:
- As „partner country“ ( ICPC) when it is remark in proposal call.
- Within SICA that has a form of coordinated joint calls within every theme.
Every legal subject can participate in FP7. Legal subject must be registered according to the law, national or international. Legal persons are institutions from EU MS or AC.
General rules
Partnership consists of three members for three different countries. From that number two must be EU MS or AC.
Physical person can participate in specific program „People“. JRC can participate but it is wishful to be from MS or AC (same principle is used for international European interest organizations and bodies established in accordance with EC law).
Additional conditions (number and type of participants etc.) can be established by WP or SP. Separate actors, consisting of more members, fulfilling conditions mentioned above can participate.
Specific rules
For research activities in frontier areas (ERC) – at least one legal subject must be from MS or AC. For Coordination and support actions, training activities and researcher career improvement – at least one legal subject (exception in case of coordination activities). For Collaborative projects – is necessary participation of the “third” countries in international cooperation – ICPC/INCO – minimum 4 participants, and from that number two from MS or AC and two from ICPC/INCO.
Participation of international organizations and participants from the third countries is possible if minimal conditions are fulfilled.
Other rules
- EC accept and publicize rules about procedures for proposition calls, evaluation, selection and deliver (including applying levels and evaluation).
- EC accept and publicize rules to secure consistent verification of legal status and finance capacity of participants.
- Evaluation Criteria are established according to SP and WP.
- Irregularity and disrespect of fundamental ethic principles are base for exclusion from selection and evaluation process.
Project can be sent after published call for proposals, except:
- Coordination and support actions
- – Beneficiary is decided by SP or WP, if decided so in framework of SP.
- Coordination and support actions
- – For buying of material or services by Community.
- Coordination and support actions – for appointing of independent experts.
- Other activities, in cases where it is decided by financial rules or rules of their implementation.
Ethical Principles
Research activities supported by the 'Seventh framework programme' should respect fundamental ethical principles, including those reflected in the ' Charter of fundamental rights' of the European Union. The opinions of the 'European group on ethics in science and new technologies' are and will be taken into account. Research activities should also take into account the 'Protocol on the protection and welfare of animals' and reduce the use of animals in research and testing, with a view ultimately to replacing animal use.
All the research activities carried out under the FP7 shall be carried out in compliance with fundamental ethical principles. The following fields of research shall not be financed under this framework programme:
- research activity aiming to clone humans for reproductive purposes;
- research activity intended to modify the genetic heritage of human beings which could make such changes heritable;
- research activities intended to create human embryos solely for the purpose of research or for the purpose of stem cell procurement, including those created by means of somatic cell nuclear transfer.
Research on human stem cells, both adult and embryonic, may be financed, depending both on the contents of the scientific proposal and the legal framework of the Member State(s) involved. Any application for financing for research on human embryonic stem cells shall include, as appropriate, details of licensing and control measures that will be taken by the competent authorities of the Member States as well as details of the ethical approval(s) that will be provided. As regards the derivation of human embryonic stem cells, institutions, organisations and researchers shall be subject to strict licensing and control in accordance with the legal framework of the Member State(s) involved.