Seventh Framework Programme -FP7

Period: 2007-2013

Budget: EUR 50 521 million

The primary aim of the Seventh Framework Programme for research and Technological Developmentis to contribute to the strategic goals of the Lisbon strategy and help Europe to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world.

In the Lisbon strategy the European Union recognized the central role of research in achieving greater competitiveness and becoming the most dynamic knowledge-based economy of the world, capable of sustainable economic development and aiming at full employment with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion.

The Seventh Framework Programme is organised in four programmes corresponding to four basic components of European research:

1. Cooperation: supporting the whole range of research actions carried out in transnational cooperation in the following thematic areas:

(a) Health

(b) Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology

(d) Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies

(e) Energy

(f) Environment (including Climate Change)

(g) Transport (including Aeronautics)

(h) Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities

(i) Space

(j) Security

In addition, two themes are covered by the Euratom Framework Programme:

• Fusion energy research

• Nuclear fission and radiation protection

In the case of particular subjects of industrial relevance, the topics have been identified relying, among other sources, on the work of different "European Technology Platforms".

2. Ideas: supporting “investigator-driven” research carried out across all fields by individual national or transnational teams in competition at the European level.

3. People: strengthening, quantitatively and qualitatively, the human potential in research and technology in Europe, as well as encouraging mobility.

4. Capacities: supporting key aspects of European research and innovation capacities such as research infrastructures; regional research driven clusters; the development of a full research potential in the Community's convergence and outermost regions; research for the benefit of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs); “Science in Society” issues; support to the coherent development of policies; horizontal activities of international cooperation.

FP7 also supports the non-nuclear direct scientific and technical actions carried out by the Joint Research Centre (JRC).

The activities of the programme will be financed trough the following funding schemes:

A. Actions, which are primarily implemented on the basis of calls for proposals :

1. Collaborative projects
Support to research projects carried out by consortia with 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-scale focused research actions to large-scale integrating projects, which mobilise a significant volume of resources for achieving a defined objective. Projects may also be targeted to special groups such as SMEs.

2. Networks of Excellence
Support to a Joint Programme of Activities joint research programmes 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. The implementation of this Joint Programme of Activities these joint programmes will require a formal commitment from the organisations integrating part of their resources and their activities.

3. Coordination and support actions
Support to activities aimed at coordinating or supporting research activities and policies (networking, exchanges, trans-national access to research infrastructures, studies, conferences, etc). These actions may also be implemented by means other than calls for proposals.

4. Individual projects Support for “frontier” research
Support to projects carried out by individual national or transnational research teams. This scheme will mainly be used to support investigator-driven “frontier” research projects funded in the framework of the European Research Council.

5. Support for training and career development of researchers
Support for training and career development of researchers, mainly used for the implementation of the Marie Curie actions.

6. Research for the benefit of specific groups (in particular SMEs)
Support to research and technological development projects where the bulk of the research 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 EIB Group and other financial organisations.

B. Actions implemented on the basis of decisions by the Council and the European Parliament (or by the Council in consultation with 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 from the Community to the joint implementation of well identified national research programmes, on the basis of Article 169 of the Treaty

• A financial contribution from the Community to the implementation of Joint Technology Initiatives to realise objectives that cannot be achieved through the funding schemes identified in point 1 part a) above

• A financial contribution from the Community to the development of new infrastructures of European interest

While FP7 participants can in principle be based anywhere, there are different country categories, which may have varying eligibility for different specific and work programmes:

• Member States

• Associated Countries – with science and technology cooperation agreements that involve contributing to the framework programme budget

• Candidate Countries – currently recognised as candidates for future accession

Third Countries – the participation of organisations or individuals established in countries that are not Member States, candidates or associated and are justified in terms of the enhanced contribution to the objectives of FP7.

Cordis

FP 7 Budget breakdown