General Information Fifth Framework Programme (FP5)

Contacts
Website: www.cordis.lu/fp5/home.html
Summary Information

The Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) is the European Community's research funding programme for the period 1999-2002. In November 1998 agreement was reached between the European Parliament and the Council, at a Conciliation Committee, for a budget of 13,700 MECU Assuming this passes the final voting procedures the legislative decision should be adopted by the end of 1998, with the first calls for proposals in February 1999. As more information becomes available summaries will be added to the NF-2000 website. It should be noted that full texts will be made available in the official languages through the Commission and national offices, as well as through the internet on CORDIS and EUROPA.

The programme is structured around four thematic and three horizontal activities (innovation, SMEs and training).

The future of non-food activities lies in Theme One:

The quality of life and management of living resources

The programme is designed to promote the competitiveness of industry and improve quality of life in Europe through funding collaborative research projects, which will forge links between countries, and between industry and academia.

This theme is one of seven programmes, of which there are four 'thematic' RTD programmes and three supporting cross-programme activities (innovation, SME's and training). Four thematic programmes account for about 70% of the budget: In addition to that indicated above, the other themes are:

• 'The user friendly information society' - covering information and communications technologies;
• 'Competitive and sustainable growth' - covering industrial and transport technologies;
• 'Energy, Environment and Sustainable development' - covering rural and urban environmental issues, and energy research (in separate sub-programmes with their own budgets). This programme is also referred to as "Preserving the Ecosystem".

These four thematic programmes contain:

1. a range of 'key actions' comprising research targeted at key economic and social issues in the fields above
2. a range of generic actions and
3. measures to promote better use of infrastructure.

The three supporting activities will cover:

• "Confirming the international role of Community research" - supporting research collaboration with countries that are non member states of the EU.
• "Promotion of innovation and encouragement of SME participation" - measures to promote innovation, including the dissemination and exploitation of results and the involvement of SMEs in FP5.
• "Improving human research potential and the socio-economic knowledge base" (IHP) - covering research fellowships and networks, access to large-scale facilities and a key action on socio-economic research.

Funding will be available for technological development or demonstration (RTD). Organisations may also participate if they are potential users of EC RTD results, or are able to assist in their dissemination and exploitation. As previously, most of the funding in FP5 will go to shared cost RTD projects, where the EC will provide up to 50% of the allowable project costs and the participants will provide the balance. These projects can be submitted in response to calls for proposals which will define research topics in detail. To be funded, research should not have reached the near market development stage; it should be applied research with clear potential for practical exploitation. However, there is some scope for a wide range of research and development, from basic research to demonstration projects, to be funded depending on the requirements in the future work programmes. There will be a limited amount of funding available for demonstration activities, which are closer to the market (possibly up to production of a prototype); a lower level of Community funding will be available for this (probably 35%).

There are additional funding measures to help SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), for promoting dissemination and exploitation of results, and for individual research fellowships.

To be eligible for funding under FP5, research projects must normally:

• be collaborative - they must be carried out by organisations from at least two eligible countries, working in project consortia;
• contribute to achieving the goals of the programme.

WHO CAN TAKE PART?

Participation in FP5 is expected to be open to all types of organisations that undertake research, have the potential to do so, or could benefit from the results of research. The main players will be based in the 15 member States of the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom). In addition, organisations in some other countries can take part:

• Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein (fellow members of the European Economic Area) -organisations from these fully associated countries should be able to take part in FP5 with basically the same participation rights as organisations in the EU member States;
• Israel, and countries which have applied to join the European Union - Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia - are expected to become fully associated; organisations from these countries are expected to have basically the same participation rights as the EC member States;
• Countries with whom the EC has a science and technology agreement - organisations can take part without receiving EU funding. Depending on the outcome of current negotiations there are likely to be agreements with: Australia, Canada, China, Russia, South Africa and USA. The agreements will also allow for organisations within the EC to take part in research programmes in these countries;
• Organisations from other countries can be part of project consortia on a case-by-case basis, without receiving funding, if their participation contributes significantly to the successful completion of the project.