FP7 Cooperation ERA-NET Pre-Proposal service of 12th August 2008, open until 11th July 2008

Objectives

The objective of Community actions in this field is to help structure the European Research Area. A first group of actions aims to reduce the fragmentation of the European Research Area resulting from the coexistence of several national and regional public research programmes by favouring actions supported together by several Member States and the Commission (such as joint calls, joint programmes, etc.).

Actions

ERA-NET

The objective of the ERA-NET scheme is to develop and strengthen the coordination of national and regional research programmes through two specific actions:

• 'ERA-NET actions' - which provide a framework for actors implementing public research programmes to coordinate their activities. This will include support for new ERA-NETs as well as for the broadening and deepening of the scope of ERA-NET actions initiated through FP6, e.g. by extending their partnership, as well as opening mutually their programmes... read more
• 'ERA-NET Plus actions'- In a limited number of cases with high European added value, additional EU financial support can be provided to facilitate joint calls for proposals between national and/or regional programmes... read more

Initiatives under Article 169 of the EU treaty

Here, the Community will participate in programmes implemented jointly by several Member States on the basis of Article 169. This is especially relevant to European cooperation on a large scale in "variable geometry" between Member States showing overlapping interests and commitments. In well identified cases, such Article 169 initiatives will be launched in areas identified in close association with the Member States, including the possible cooperation with intergovernmental programmes, on the basis of the criteria defined in the Seventh Framework Programme decision... read more

Public research programmes only correspond to some 50% of research activities undertaken in the European Union.

Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs)

Framework Programme 7 will also support initiatives aiming at integrating private and public research efforts. For a very limited number of European Technology Platforms, the scope and ambition of their strategic research agendas and the resources involved justify setting up long-term public private partnerships in the form of Joint Technology Initiatives... read more

The ERA-NET Scheme in the 2008 calls / workprogramme

In 2008, ERA-NET Actions will be implemented via different topics.
Given the novelty of such Actions, consortia of programme owners and managers are encouraged to use a pre-proposal check service operated by the Commission.
Please note that the Pre-Proposal service, for the cut-off date of 12th August 2008, will remain open until 11th July 2008.

Joint ERA-NET call

This covers most of the themes calling for ERA-NET and ERA-NET Plus actions under the Cooperation programme as well as actions of a horizontal nature, or those not directly linked to the Cooperation Themes.

Other ERA-NET topics

The ICT Theme in Cooperation and two Parts in Capacities (Infrastructure and International Cooperation) will also open calls for ERA-NET and ERA-NET Plus actions as given in the table below. Proposers should note the bottom-up nature of the Capacities calls, hence usage of the pre-proposal service is advised.
Please note that the Pre-Proposal service, for the cut-off date of 12th August 2008, will remain open until 11th July 2008

In addition, Coordination and Support Actions for the coordination of national and regional research programmes or initiatives are called for within 17 areas/objectives under the ICT Theme.