Transcript Information Society Technologies

Information Society Technologies
in the 6th EU Research Framework Programme
Instruments
Outline of Presentation
 Principles
– Focus, Integration & Structuring
 New
instruments
– Integrated Projects
– Networks of Excellence
 “Traditional”
instruments
– Specific Targeted Research Projects
– Co-ordination Actions
– Specific Support Actions
FP6 : Focus, Integration & Structuring

Fewer priorities, focus and integration
 Lasting, structuring impact

• Select a limited set of Strategic Objectives
• Focus on collaborative work that needs to be addressed
at European level
• Help ensure the co-evolution of technologies & applications
• Make the best use of the Instruments
Portfolio of a Strategic Objective
A given strategic objective will be addressed by …
 research
as deemed necessary to help achieve the objective
– by consortia constituted from industry and academia,
from suppliers and users, from small and large organisations, …
a
coherent portfolio of projects
– a limited number of Integrated Projects and Networks of Excellence
- used as a priority means to realise the objective, when appropriate as well as several Specific Targeted Research Projects, Specific
Support Actions and Coordination Actions
Range & dynamics of a Strategic Objective
 A Strategic
Objective
– addresses technology components,
integration into systems and platforms,
and development of innovative applications and services
– as interlinked research activities
 The
Instruments
– help ensure the co-evolution of technologies
and their integration in application contexts
– through their integration / structuring of various research activities –
from research & technology development to their application & transfer
– through their flexibility and adaptability – to remain applicable to
science or engineering, and to basic research or applied research
A Range of Better Differentiated Instruments
New instruments

Integrated Projects (IP)

Networks of Excellence (NoE)
‘Traditional’ instruments

Specific Targeted Research Projects (STReP)

Co-ordination Actions (CA)

Specific Support Actions (SSA)
Outline of Presentation
 Principles
– Focus, integration & structuring
 New
instruments
– Integrated Projects
– Networks of Excellence
 “Traditional”
instruments
– Specific Targeted Research Projects
– Co-ordination Actions
– Specific Support Actions
Integrated Projects - Purpose
 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 of a European dimension
 Each IP should
– integrate the types of activities needed to obtain the goals
(research and technology development, demonstration, technology
transfer or take-up, training, dissemination, knowledge management
and exploitation)
– integrate the critical mass of resources needed to obtain the goals
– integrate all elements of technology / value chain
to attain high-impact goals
– support industry-academia collaboration including SME’s
IP - What is Critical Mass?

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 millions

Concerning its partnership: minimum of three participants from three
different Member States or Associated States, of which at least two
should be Member States or Associated candidate countries
– but in practice likely to be substantially more (than the 6-9 in current RTD projects)
– SME participation is strongly encouraged
– ‘Third country’ participants may be included, with a possibility of Community financial
support for certain groups of countries

Concerning its duration: typically 3-5 years (today: typically 3 years)
– but more if necessary to deliver the objectives
IP - Financial Regime
 Community
support will be in the form of a “grant to the
budget”
 Paid as a contribution to actual costs
– that are necessary and economic for the project
– that are recorded in the accounts of the participants (or, when
provided for in the contract, in the accounts of third parties)
– that exclude indirect taxes, duties, interest…
 Annually,
each participant to provide a summary cost
statement supported by:
– certification of total costs by an independent auditor
– management-level justification of costs
– corresponding activity report
 Rolling
advance scheme throughout duration
IP - Cost Models
 A single
PROVISIONAL
family of three closely related cost models
– FC: all actual direct and indirect costs;
– FCF:all actual direct costs plus 20% of these direct costs
(excluding subcontracting) to cover related indirect costs; and
– ACF: additional actual direct costs plus 20% of these direct
costs (excluding subcontracting) to cover related indirect costs
 Each
organisation may use only one of the models for
all its FP6 participations, where they are relevant
– The same cost methodologies will be used for all instruments
implemented through ‘grant to the budget’
IP - 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%
IP - Flexibility & Autonomy
“Monolithic”
“Incremental” participation
• tasks identified
• tasks identified
• partners known at outset
• not all partners known
• budget known
• budget known
“Incremental” funding
• tasks to be completed
(objectives known,
technology roadmap known)
• partners to be
added/replaced
• budget to be changed
Networks of Excellence - the Objectives

to reinforce or strengthen scientific and technological excellence
on a given research topic
– by integrating the critical mass of expertise needed to provide European
leadership and be a world force
– around a Joint programme of activity (JPA)

to help structuring European research by integrating research
capacities across Europe.
– Durable integration
– So as to progress knowledge on a particular theme

to Overcome the fragmentation of European research

to act as a “Virtual Centre of Excellence”

to spread excellence beyond the partners
NoE - What is Critical Mass?

Critical mass of effort
– the network must assemble the critical mass needed
to address key challenges in the network field
– will vary from topic to topic
– largest networks may involve several hundreds of researchers
• but networks may be much smaller

Concerning its partnership:
– minimum of 3 participants
– from 3 different countries (Member or Associated States)
– in practice more are foreseen

Concerning duration of Community support
– typically five years
– but more if needed to create a durable integration

Budget wise
– several M€ per year
NoE - the Joint Programme of Activity
The JPA contains a range of “additional” activities

Integrating activities
–
–
–
–
–
–

coordinated programming of the partners’ activities
sharing of research platforms/tools/facilities/software libraries
joint management of the knowledge portfolio - sharing of IPR
staff mobility and exchanges
relocation of staff, teams and equipment
reinforced electronic communication systems
Joint research activities
– a programme of joint research to support the network’s goals

Activities to spread excellence
– training of researchers and other key staff
– dissemination and communication - technology transfer to industry

All within a unified management structure
NoE - the Key Characteristics
 Demonstrated need for structuring
– description of fragmentation in the topic
– existence of excellent capacities in Europe in the topic
 a network of excellence should constitute an answer to the
fragmentation problem identified
 Features of the network planned
– composition of the partnership: presence of key excellent actors
– potential synergies/complementarity/specialisation among the
members
– quality /degree of integration proposed
 Viability
of the network beyond the period
• awareness of high-decision level representatives of the participating
organisations : strong commitment
• security regarding network’s funding, particularly beyond the period
NoEs - Measuring Integration
 In
the proposal, participants will include possible
qualitative and quantitative indicators for measuring
progress towards integration
 The main factors to be examined:
– extent of mutual specialisation and mutual complementarity
– sharing and development for common use of research
–
–
–
–
–
infrastructure, equipment, tools and platforms
regular joint execution of research projects
interactive working through electronic communication systems
joint management of the knowledge portfolio
joint training programme (researchers-other key staff)
coherent management framework
NoE - Financial Regime

Community support must be targeted at overcoming
the barriers to durable integration
– these barriers are often 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”
– calculated on basis of the total number of researchers that make up the
research capacities of the partners on the topic of the network
– where a “researcher” has a PhD or at least four years research experience
– with a bonus for registered PhD students

Payments in the form of annual disbursements of the grant
will be paid on the basis of results
– will depend on a progressive advance towards a durable integration
– with an additional check that costs of at least the value of the grant were
incurred in implementing the JPA
NoE - Financial Regime
 Grant for integration based on:
– the degree of integration proposed by the consortium
– the number of researchers that all participants intend to integrate
– the characteristics of the field of research concerned
– the joint programme of activities
a
lump sum per researcher ‘involved’
– starts from 20K€ per researcher
– diminishes as the number of researchers increases
 Payments
– disbursed in annual instalments
– according to planned progress in the JPA
– including the effort towards lasting integration
– possibly degressive to avoid dependence
– can be used by the network for any activity
Outline of Presentation
 Principles
– Focus, integration & structuring
 New
instruments
– Integrated Projects
– Networks of Excellence
 “Traditional”
instruments
– Specific Targeted Research Projects
– Co-ordination Actions
– Specific Support Actions
Specific Targeted Research Projects
 Designed
to generate the knowledge required to
improve European competitiveness and to meet the
needs of society or Community policies
– by improving existing or developing new products, processes
or services and/or
– by proving the viability of new technologies offering potential
economic advantage
 Consists of one or more of the following activities
– Targeted, well defined and precisely focused research and
technological development
– Demonstration component(s) as appropriate
– Project management
Co-ordination Actions
 Designed
to promote and support the networking and coordination of research and innovation activities at
national, regional and European level
– by establishing in a coherent way co-ordinated initiatives of a
range of research and innovation operators, in order to achieve
improved integration of the European research
 Consists
of one or more of the following activities
 Organisation of conferences, of meetings;
 Performance of studies, analysis;
 Exchanges of personnel;
 Exchange and dissemination of good practice;
 Setting up of common information systems
 Setting up of expert groups;
 Definition, organisation, management of joint or common initiatives
+ Project management activities
Specific Support Actions
 Designed to
– complement the other FP6 instruments
– help in preparations for future Community RTD policy activities
– stimulate, encourage and facilitate the participation of SMEs, small
research teams, newly developed and remote research centres, as well
as those organisations from the Candidate Countries in the activities of
the priority thematic areas.
 Consists







of one or more of the following activities
Conferences, seminars, working groups and expert groups;
Studies, analysis;
Fact findings and monitoring;
Trans-national technology transfer and take-up related services;
Development of research or innovation strategies;
High level scientific awards and competitions;
Operational support and dissemination, information and communication
activities
+ Project management activities
Expected Scale for STREPs, CAs and SSAs
 Resources:
each project must assemble the resources
needed to achieve its objectives
– activities included may range up to several millions of €
• but no minimum threshold
 Partnership:
minimum of three participants from three
different countries (for an SSA a single one eligible)
– but in practice likely to be more
• SME participation is strongly encouraged
• ‘Third country’ participants may be included, with a possibility of
Community financial support for certain groups of countries
 Duration: typically two to three years
– but exceptionally more if duly justified as necessary to deliver
the objectives
For further information
General FP6:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/fp6/index_en.html
http://www.cordis.lu/rtd2002
IST:
http://www.cordis.lu/ist
http://www.cordis.lu/ist/fp6/fp6.htm
IST infodesk
E-Mail : [email protected]
Fax : +32 2 296 83 88