Seventh Framework Programme

Acronym	FP7

Programme Owner	European Commission
	DG Research

Budget	Total budget approx. : 50521million EUR

Deadline	2007-2013

Target Groups	The Framework Programmes (FPs) have been the main financial tools through which the European Union supports research and development activities covering almost all scientific disciplines. Main goal: leverage effect on national research spending, in order to achieve the objective of spending 3% of GDP on research in Europe. The Commission intends to play a central role in driving and coordinating European research, so that knowledge is placed at the service of growth and employment in Europe.
	Target groups: Public research institutes, universities, private companies, public authorities and their consortia

TOPICS	I. COOPERATION (32365 million EUR)
	Themes of trans-national cooperation: pluri-disciplinarity will be encouraged by joint cross-thematic approaches.
	Health: (6050 million EUR)
	Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology: (1935 million EUR)
	Information and Communication Technologies: (9110 million EUR)
	Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and New Production Technologies: (3800 million EUR)
	Energy: (2300 million EUR)
	Environment (including Climate Change): (1900 million EUR)
	Transport (including Aeronautics): (4180 million EUR)
	Socio-economic Sciences and the Humanities: (610 million EUR)
	Security: (1350 million EUR)
	Space (1430 million EUR)

	Support to trans-national cooperation is implemented through:
	1. Collaborative research
	constitutes the bulk and the core of EU research funding
	the aim is to establish excellent research projects and networks able to attract researchers and investments from Europe and the entire world
	Implementation: by supporting collaborative research through a range of funding schemes (Collaborative projects, Networks of Excellence, Coordination/support actions)

	2. Joint Technology Initiatives
	combines private sector investments and national and European public funding
	will be identified on the basis of a series of criteria including: Added value, European-level intervention, The degree and clarity of definition of the objective to be pursued, Strength of the financial and resource commitment from industry, Scale of the impact on industrial competitiveness and growth, Importance of the contribution to broader policy objectives, Capacity to attract additional national support and leverage current or future industry funding, Inability of existing instruments to achieve the objectives.

	3. Coordination of research programmes
	in order to enhance the complementary and synergy between the Framework Programme and activities
	two main tools: the ERA-NET scheme and the participation of the Community in jointly implemented national research programmes.

	4. International Cooperation
	the opening of all activities for the targeted groups of third countries while encouraging them to seize this opportunity
	specific cooperation actions that serve as privileged tools for implementing the cooperation between the EU and third countries (e.g. actions aiming at reinforcing the research capacities of candidate countries as well as neighbourhood countries)
	problems either that face these 3rd countries or that have a global character and that are of mutual interest and mutual benefit

	II. IDEAS (7460 million EUR)
	Intended to enhance frontier research in Europe e.g. most ambitious and innovative research projects. Within this new structure, at the forefront of European research, there will be an European Research Council, consisting of Scientific Council, supported by a dedicated implementation structure. The Scientific Council will identify priorities and scientific strategies. The aim is to enhance European basic research excellence by promoting competition and risk-taking.

	III. PEOPLE (4728 million EUR)
	Activities:
	Initial training of researchers
	Life-long training and career-development
	Industry-academia pathways and partnerships
	International dimension: attracting research talent and fostering research collaboration with researchers from outside Europe
	Specific actions to create a European labour market for researchers.

	IV. CAPACITIES (4217 million EUR)
	Intended to give researchers powerful tools that will enable them to enhance the quality and competitiveness of European research. This means more investment in research infrastructure, in the creation of regional research-driven clusters and in research for the benefit of SMEs. This programme also has to reflect the importance of international cooperation in research and the role of science in society.
	Research infrastructures: optimising the use and development of the best research infrastructures in Europe
	Research for the benefit of SMEs: strengthening the innovation capacity of European SMEs : increase their research efforts, extend their networks, etc.
	Regions of knowledge: strengthening the research potential of European regions by encouraging and supporting the development
	Research potential: stimulating the realisation of the full research potential of the EU and helping to strengthen the capacities of the researchers
	Science in society: stimulating the harmonious integration of scientific and technological endeavour, and associated research policies and the execution of the objectives: strengthening the European science system, broader engagement of researchers and the public, improved communication between the scientific world and the wider audience of policy-makers, the media and the general public, etc.
	Activities of international cooperation: supporting European competitiveness through strategic partnerships with third countries, engaging the best third country scientists to work in and with Europe and addressing specific problems that third countries face

Type of support	Grants



	Eligibility

Organiza-tional	Not specified, must be able to implement the project

	In case of international consortia: minimum 3 partners from 3 different countries (can be member states, associated candidate countries, associated countries), at least 1 member state in the consortium


Economic	Legal entity: any natural person or any legal person created under the national law, Community law or international law with legal personality, acting under its own name and able to gain stipulated rights and obligations.

Geographic
Scientific	Any undertaking, university or research centre or other legal entity whether established in a Member State or in a third country.

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Seventh Framework Programme