NATIONAL DOCUMENTATION CENTRE

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NATIONAL DOCUMENTATION CENTRE Athens, 18 December
2002 HELLENIC KICK-OFF EVENT 6th Framework
Programme
Maria Theofilatou
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Framework Programme (2002-2006)
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Framework Programme 6 (2002-2006)
Focus on strategic areas where immediate and
longer term integration of European research is
needed to generate and sustain necessary critical
mass New instruments- integrated
projects networks of excellence

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Overall architecture of the 6th FP
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Sixth Framework Programme
Thematic priorities 11285 M M
1.1.1 Life sciences, genomics and
biotechnology for health 2255 1.1.2.
Information society technologies 3625 1.1.3.
Nanotechnologies and nano-sciences,
knowledge- based multifunctional materials
processes 1300 1.1.4. Aeronautics and
space 1075 1.1.5. Food quality and safety
685 1.1.6. Sustainable development, global
change and ecosystems 2120 1.1.7. Citizens
and governance in a knowledge-based society
225
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Thematic priority 1 Life sciences, genomics and
biotechnology for health

• 1.1 Advanced genomics and its application for
  health

( 1100 M)

• 1.1.a Fundamental knowledge and basic tools for
  functional genomics in all organisms
• 1.1.b Applications of knowledge and technologies
  in the field of genomics and biotechnology for
  health

1.2 Combating major diseases
( 1155 M)

• 1.2.a Application oriented genomic approaches to
  
• medical knowledge and technologies
• 1.2.b Combating cancer
• 1.2.c Confronting the major communicable
• diseases linked to poverty

755 M
400 M
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Thematic priority 1 Life sciences, genomics and
biotechnology for health
Advanced genomics and its application for health
(1100 M )
Fundamental Genomics
Biotechnology
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1.1.a. Fundamental knowledge and basic tools for
functional genomics in all organisms

• Gene expression and proteomics
• Structural genomics
• Comparative genomics and population genetics
• Bioinformatics
• Multidisciplinary functional genomics approaches
  to basic biological processes

110001ATC1010010101010011011AUG0110101001010110101
0101010TTC110101001001000CCG
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Thematic priority 1 Life sciences, genomics and
biotechnology for health
Combating major diseases
(1155 M )
Medical knowledge technologies
Poverty-related diseases
Cancer
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Success will depend on mobilisation of all actors
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From 2000 EoI to one Workprogramme

• Where do the topics in our workprogramme come
  from?
• Submitted EoIs
• Gaps identified by experts
• Commissions Strategy to foster ERA
• None of the topics reproduce exactly one EoI
• Combination of several EoIs
• Addition of elements
• Modification of scope

A balance between Focusing ?? Ensuring
Competition
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Invitation for Expressions of Interest
An opportunity for Europes research community to
help prepare for the first calls of FP6

• Consultation to the scientific community on its
  readiness to implement new instruments in the 7
  priority themes of 6FP
• The results have helped to define the Work
  Programmes and to prepare the 6FP calls
• It has facilitated the understanding by the
  research community of the potential of the new
  instruments

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Expressions of Interest Result
Whole FP6 ? Some 13.000 EoIs received and
evaluated Priority one ? Close to 2.000 EoIs
received ? Evaluated with the help of over 200
external experts ? 2/3 Integrated Projects and
1/3 Networks
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Expressions of Interest Results
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Priority One Implementation
53 topics published in the first call Total
budget for first call EUR 513 million, broken
down as follows Instrument EUR
(millions) Integrated project or network of
excellence 385 410 Specific targeted research
project or co-ordination action 92 121
Specific support actions 8
10
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Priority One Implementation

• 
  

15 of FP budget is for participation of small
and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)
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Priority One Implementation

• Ethics
• Research with human beings
• Research with animals
• Stem cells
• Biological materials or data atribuable to
  individuals
• Clinical Trials
• EDCTP
• Pediatrics

New in FP6
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Evaluation process

• Call for proposals
• Evaluation by a strengthened peer-review system
• involving individual reviews, remote evaluation,
  panel sessions, hearings of applicants
• Specific criteria will include
• scientific quality
• potential impact on strengthening Europes
  excellence
• excellence of the network members
• extent, depth and lasting nature of the
  integration
• contribution to spreading excellence
• management and governance of the network

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How to find partners?
Thematic priority 1 Life sciences, genomics and
biotechnology for health
Former EU-funded projects including partner
information can be found on

• www.cordis.lu/life/src/projects.htm

FP6 Partners Database www.cordis.lu/fp6/partners
.htm EoI eoi.cordis.lu/search_form.cfm
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More information
Help-Desk Life Sciences, Genomics
Biotechnology for Health rtd-genomics_at_cec.eu.int

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Instruments for implementing the thematic
priorities (I)

• Wider range
• Better differentiation
• New instruments
• Integrated projects (IP)
• Networks of excellence (NoE)
• Article 169 (joint implementation of national
  programmes)

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Instruments for implementing the thematic
priorities (II)

• Traditional instruments
• Specific targeted research projects
• Co-ordination actions
• Specific support actions

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Principles guiding their design (I)

• Simplification and streamlining
• to minimise the overheads for all concerned
  whether applicant, contractor or the Commission
• to speed up procedures, especially
  time-to-contract
• Flexibility and adaptability
• to enable instruments to be applicable throughout
  the priority themes
• to enable projects to evolve

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Principles guiding their design (II)

• Increased management autonomy
• to eliminate unnecessary micro-management
• While preserving public accountability and
  protecting interests of the Community

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Classification of the instruments
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Instruments to be used in priority (I)

• Calls for proposals will identify which
  instruments are to be used, which have priority,
  and for what
• From the outset, IPs and NoE will be the priority
  means
• for implementing those themes where it is already
  deemed appropriate
• while maintaining the use of specific targeted
  research projects and coordination actions

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Instruments to be used in priority (II)

• In 2004, the Commission will arrange an
  independent evaluation of the use of the
  instruments
• may lead to an adjustment of their relative
  weightings

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FP6 Integrated Projects
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Purpose of Integrated Projects (I)

• Designed to generate the knowledge required to
  implement the priority thematic areas of FP6
• by integrating the critical mass of activities
  and resources needed
• to achieve ambitious, clearly defined scientific
  and technological objectives
• Essentially an instrument for supporting
  objective-driven research of a European dimension

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Activities

• Activities integrated by a project may cover the
  full research spectrum
• should contain objective-driven research
• technological development and demonstration
  components as appropriate
• may contain a training component
• the effective management of knowledge will also
  be an essential feature
• the whole carried out in a coherent management
  framework

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Rates of Community support

• Maximum rates of support for FC and FCF
  participants
• 50 for RTD and innovation-related components
• 35 for any demonstration component
• 100 for any training activities
• 100 for consortium management
• AC participants supported at up to 100 for all
  components of the project (except for consortium
  management which will be supported as under FCF)
• For IPs, no more than 7 of the Community
  contribution can be used to support consortium
  management costs reimbursed at up to 100

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What is the scale of critical mass (I)?

• Concerning resources each IP must assemble the
  critical mass of resources needed to achieve its
  ambitious objectives
• activities integrated may range up to several
  tens of million euro
• but no minimum threshold, provided necessary
  ambition and critical mass is achieved

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What is the scale of critical mass (II)?

• Concerning the partnership minimum of 3
  participants from 3 different Member States or
  Associated States, of which at least 2 should be
  Member States or Associated candidate countries
• but in practice likely to be substantially more
• SME participation is strongly encouraged
• third country participants may be included,
  with a possibility of Community financial support
  for entities from certain groups of countries

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What is the scale of critical mass (III)?

• Concerning its duration typically 3 to 5 years
• but more if necessary to deliver the objectives

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Proposal submission (I)

• Through calls for proposals
• may be preceded by expressions of interest to
  help focus calls and assist in consortium
  building
• Simplified proposal-making
• requiring only sufficient management-level
  detail
• reflecting evolutionary nature of the project
• summary description of activities for entire
  duration
• detailed implementation plan only for first 18
  months

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Flexibility and autonomy of implementation (II)

• For changes in the consortium
• the consortium may itself decide to take in new
  participants (though without additional funding)
• the contract will specify when this must involve
  a competitive call
• the Commission may decide to launch calls to add
  activities and participants (with additional
  funding)
• e.g. to enhance SME participation

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Monitoring

• Robust monitoring of each IP by the Commission
• by one or possibly a team of project officers
• through
• annual review
• mid-term or milestone review (optional)
• final review
• involving external experts at all stages

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More Information on the instruments

• Regularly updated website on the instruments
• europa.eu.int/comm/research/fp6/networks-ip.html
  
• Brochures and leaflets on the new instruments
  (also available on Europa as above)
• Presentation slides (on Europa as above)
• Guide on Participating in European Research
• On integrated projects
• Leonidas.Karapiperis_at_cec.eu.int

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FP6 Networks of excellence
europa.eu.int/comm/research/nfp/networks-ip.html
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NoE Objectives

• Strengthen Europes excellence on a particular
  research topic
• by integrating the critical mass of expertise
  needed to provide European leadership and be a
  world force
• around a joint programme of activities
• Tackling the fragmentation of European research
• where the main deliverable is a durable
  structuring and shaping of how research is
  carried out in Europe
• Spreading excellence beyond its partners

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NoE
The joint programme of
activities (1)

• A range of new or re-oriented activities
• Integrating activities
• coordinated programming of the partners
  activities
• sharing of research platforms/tools/facilities
• joint management of the knowledge portfolio
• staff mobility and exchanges
• relocation of staff, teams, equipment
• reinforced electronic communication systems

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NoE
The joint programme of
activities (2)

• Joint research activities a programme of joint
  research to support the networks goals
• development of new research tools and platforms
  for common use
• generating new knowledge to fill gaps in or to
  extend the collective knowledge portfolio

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NoE
The joint programme of
activities (3)

• Activities to spread excellence
• training researchers and other key staff
• dissemination and communication activities
• networking activities to help transfer knowledge
  to trams external to the network
• where appropriate, promoting the exploitation of
  the results generated within the network
• where appropriate, innovation-related activities

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NoE
The joint programme of
activities (4)

• Network management
• overall coordination of the joint activities
• communication with the Commission, reporting
• activities linked to consortium-level financing
  and accounting management and legal issues
• coordination of the knowledge management
  activities, if appropriate, other
  innovation-related activities
• promotion of gender equality
• science and society issues
• supporting the governing board and other network
  bodies
• ALL ACTIVITIES WITHIN
• A COHERENT MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

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NoE
Measuring integration(1)

• In their proposal, participants will include
  possible qualitative and quantitative indicators
  for measuring progress towards integration

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NoE
Measuring integration(2)

• Main factors to be examined
• extent of mutual specialisation and mutual
  complementarity
• sharing /development for common use of research
  infrastructure, equipment, tools and platforms
• regular joint execution of research projects

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NoE
Measuring integration(3)

• Main factors to be examined
• interactive working through electronic
  communication systems
• joint management of the knowledge portfolio
• joint training programme (researchers and other
  key staff)
• coherent management framework

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NoE
Critical mass (1)

• Expertise assembling of the critical mass needed
  to achieve the ambitious goals of the network
• variable from topic to topic
• larger networks may involve several hundreds of
  researchers
• may be smaller provided that the necessary
  ambition and critical mass are achieved

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NoE
Critical mass (2)

• Partnership in general at least six (legal
  minimum 3 from 3 different countries)
• Duration of Community supporttypically 5 years
• more if necessary BUT no more than 7 years

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NoE
Financial regime (1)

• Community support targeted at overcoming the
  barriers to a durable integration
• these barriers are mainly organisational,
  cultural, human ? cannot be quantified in normal
  accounting terms
• Has led to the concept of an incentive, taking
  the form of a global fixed grant for integration

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NoE
Financial regime(2)

• A fixed grant for integration, acting as an
  incentive, calculated on basis
• of the degree of integration
• of the total number of researchers
• of the characteristics of the field of research
• of the joint programme of activities
• with a bonus for registered doctoral students

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NoE
Financial regime(3)

• The average annual grant to a network could vary
  with the number of researchers as follows

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Reminder
Main NoE features(1)

• Demonstrated need for structuring
• description of fragmentation on the topic
• existence of excellent capacities in Europe in
  the topic
• ? Is there a real need for a structuring
• intervention?

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Reminder
Main NoE features(2)

• Characteristics of the network planned
• composition of the partnership presence of key
  excellent actors
• potential synergies, complementarities,
  specialisation among the members
• quality/degree of integration planned
• ? Is the network planned likely to tackle the
  fragmentation problem identified?

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Reminder
Main NoE features(3)

• Viability of the network during and beyond the
  period
• awareness of high decision level representatives
  of the participating organisations strong
  commitment
• security regarding networks funding,
  particularly beyond the period
• ? Will the network constitute a durable answer to
  the problem identified?

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More information?

• Regularly updated website on the instruments
  europa.eu.int/comm/research/fp6/networks-ip.html
• Brochures and leaflets on the new instruments
  available at Heysel conference and on Europa as
  above
• Presentation slides on Europa as above
• Networks of excellence colette.renier_at_cec.eu.int