How to participate in FP7 Miroslav Polzer Austrian Science and Research Liaison Office Ljubljana Centre for Social Innovation ZSI, Vienna / Austria several parts of the presentation are based on Hyperion / Sean McCarthy training course material

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How to participate in FP7 Miroslav Polzer
Austrian Science and Research Liaison Office
Ljubljana Centre for Social Innovation ZSI,
Vienna / Austriaseveral parts of the
presentation are based on Hyperion / Sean
McCarthy training course material www.hyperion.ie
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Why should an SME (from SEE) participate in FP7?

• Advantages/Potentials of FP cooperation
• To establish contacts with major players
• To broaden skill base (management, political,
  business ..)
• To work in a challenging and exciting environment
• To become a STI player on European level (access
  to networks, technology and financing)
• Disadvantages/Risks
• Very demanding project preparation
• Low success rates (in some programmes well below
  10 )
• FP not suited to short term problems
• Demanding administration (reporting, audits,
  intraconsortial communication, etc.)
• Cofinancing demand
• Framework programmes are not a market EU is
  funding RD risks it is illegal to make profit
  during the project, no product development but
  pre-competitive research commercial
  exploitation is encouraged (after the project)
• Participation in FP is most appropriate for
  research intensive SMEs with growth potentials!!

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How to proceed? I

• Clarify your best scientific area niche within
  a niche (how do you contribute with your
  competencies to excellence of the project)
• Identify relevant people (EU officials, best
  scientists, gurus)
• Join relevant EU associations/networks (according
  to McCarthy this is a key success factor)
• Promote your expertise through conferences/associa
  tions
• Identify the relevant workprogrammes/instruments
• Study background documentation (studiesprocedures
  )
• Participate in EU evaluations, committees,
  studies, etc.
• Follow the BEST strategy best science, best
  partners, best solutions for EU policies (and
  follow the European Commissions Guidelines)

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How to proceed? II

• Appoint a Framework Programme Guru in your
  company
• Train financial personnel on FP financial rules
• Use Support services (public (e.g. NCPs) and
  private) to streamline bureaucracy
• Become knowledgable regarding Intelectual
  Property Rights issues
• Develop a strategy for exploitation of project
  results in your company

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Best Ways to find partners

• Find who is already receiving contracts in your
  scientific area http//www.cordis.lu/fp6/projects
  .htm (FP6) 
• Join Existing Networks Search for 'Coordination
  Actions' on http//www.cordis.lu/fp6/projects.htm
  
• Check Conferences that have been funded in your
  area http//europa.eu.int/comm/research/conference
  s/index_en.cfm 
• Join the Relevant EU Association
  www.hyperion.ie/euassociations.htm
• Join an existing COST Action http//www.cost.esf.o
  rg/index.php 
• Contact National Contact Point for your area
  http//cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ncp.htm  
• Internet sites to find Slovenian and Austrian
  partners
• Slovenia Your Cooperation Partner
  http//www.rtd.si/sycp/documents/_start/index.html
  
• Austrias IT Research Landscape
  http//research-it.at

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Secrets of proposal writing

• Aim of the proposal to solve a problem (gap) the
  EC has identified
• Educate the evaluater (with facts and figures)
• Lobbying (US term) Briefing (in Europe)
• The EC love their documents. Follow guidelines in
  detail
• EC guidelines tell you what they want You must
  know why?
• FP 4 Developing Technologies
• FP 5 Solving problems with Technologies
• FP 6 Best consortium to solve strategic EU
  problems
• FP 7 Technology platforms, competitivness,
  global challenges, etc.
• Analyse rejected/successful proposals
  successful individuals
• You may use for your proposal writing also
  existing templates
• e.g. templates prepared by Sean McCarthy
  www.hyperion.ie/templates.htm

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• Thank you for your attention
• polzer_at_zsi.at
• www.aso.zsi.at