Research Infrastructures in the Seventh Framework Programme FP7

1
Research Infrastructures in the Seventh Framework
Programme (FP7)
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Introduction to FP7
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The Capacities Programme

• The Capacities Programme covers the following 6
  broad areas
• Research infrastructures
• Research for the benefit of smallmedium
  enterprises
• Regions of knowledge and support for regional
  research- driven clusters
• Research potential of Convergence Regions
• Science in Society
• Support to the coherent development of research
  policies
• International cooperation

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The Work Programme for Research Infrastructures

• Integrating activities
• ICT-based e-infrastructures
• Design studies
• Construction of new infrastructures (or major
  upgrades)
• Support for policy development programme
• implementation

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Integrating Activities

• Integrating activities aim to improve
  access to, and the development of, research
  infrastructures across Europe and to foster
  cross-disciplinary fertilizations and the sharing
  of knowledge and technologies between academia
  and industry. Integrating activities normally
  include several facilities, although
  exceptionally a consortium may be focused on only
  one infrastructure. Integrating activities must
  involve
• Networking activities (2) Trans-national access
  and/or service activities (3) Joint research
  activities

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Networking activities

• Networking activities might include the
  following
• Sharing of resources
• Development of common standards pertaining to
  the operation of infrastructures
• Development of common databases
• Foresight studies
• Provision of training to new users of
  infrastructures
• Coordination of national and international
  initiatives related to the infrastructures
• Strenthening of virtual research communities
  pertaining to the infrastructure

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Trans-national access and/or service activities

• Trans-national access activities should improve
  / extend access to infrastructures operated by
  the consortium, or provide some related remote
  services.
• Service activities should provide services
  related to the infrastructures to the allied
  communities of users. These might include
• Upgrading of the communication infrastructure
• Providing grid infrastructure support
• Support of databases and repositories
• Integration of virtual research services

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Joint research activities

• The innovative exploration of new technologies
  for the efficient shared use of infrastructures
  might include
• The use of higher-performance instrumentation,
  methodologies, protocols.
• Integration of infrastructures into virtual
  facilities
• Providing innovative solutions for data
  collection, management, curation, and annotation
• Innovative solutions for communications
• Novel grid architecture frameworks policies
  providing innovative grid technologies
• Advanced service agreements and innovative
  licensing schemes innovative software solutions.

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ICT-based e-infrastructures

• ICT-based e-infrastructures activities should
  foster the emergence of virtual communities
  across Europe. Examples of facilities that would
  be eligible for support would be
• GÉANT, the worlds pan-European research network
• e-science grid infrastructures
• the expansion of e-infrastructures that address
  the needs of specific academic communities, such
  as digital repositories.

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Design studies
Design studies seek to support the conceptual
design of new research infrastructures of
European importance. Major upgrades of existing
infrastructures may also be supported if the end
result of such upgrading will be equivalent to
the creation of a new infrastructure. All
disciplines are eligible for support. Design
studies also seek to create new organisational
models that are designed to consolidate a
sustainable approach to e-infrastructures,
especially grids and data repositories, and to
facilitate new service provisioning schemes.
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Construction of new infrastructures (or major
upgrades)preparatory phase
This seeks to provide leveraging support for the
preparatory phase of the construction of new
infrastructures or major upgrades of existing
ones. It seeks to bring collaborative projects
to the level of legal and financial maturity
required to implement the project. This
preparatory phase may also include technical
work. Activities may include legal work,
governance and logistical work, strategic work,
financial work, and technical work.
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Support for policy development programme
implementation
The aim is to support, in the context of building
up the European Research Area, the coordination
of national and/or regional policies and
programmes in the field of research
infrastructures, as well as the work of ESFRI and
e-IRG (e-Infrastructure Reflection Group). This
will help providing the necessary conditions for
pooling talent, maximising resources, and
ensuring the best outcome of rationalised
research investments in Europe.
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Calls in research infrastructures

• Currently open call (Call 3) in integrating
  activities support for policy development.
  Deadline 29th February 2008.
• Deadline for next call (Call 4), in ICT-based
  e-infrastructures is 11th September 2008.
• Autumn 2009 call 5 anticipated in ICT-based
  e-infrastructures support for policy
  development.
• Spring 2010 call 6 anticipated which will cover
  ALL AREAS of the infrastructures programme.
• Spring 2012 call 7 anticipated in integrating
  activities, ICT-based e-infrastructures,
  support for policy development.

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Who can apply for funding?

• Prospective applicants might include
• Early-stage researchers (e.g. postgraduate
  students)
• Postdoctoral researchers
• Experienced researchers
• Research groups in higher-education institutions
• Higher-education institutions with facilities of
  transnational interest
• Applications must come from a consortium of
  partners, at least 3 of whom must come from
  different EU member states or associated
  countries.

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Success Stories

• A number of Irish researchers have already been
  successful in obtaining funding from FP7 research
  infrastructures calls. Examples of FP7 projects
  in which there is currently Irish involvement
  are
• European Clinical Research Infrastructures
  Network (ECRIN)
• Underwater Neutrino Observatory (in design
  phase), (KM3NET)
• Multidisciplinary Seafloor Observatory (EMSO)
• European Social Survey (ESS)
• Digital infrastructure to study the sources in
  cultural heritage institutions (DARIAH)

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How to apply

• Applications must be submitted via the
  Electronic Proposal Submission System (EPSS) on
  the Cordis website at http//cordis.europa.eu/fp7
  /dc/index.cfm?fuseactionUserSite.FP7SubmitProposa
  lPage.
• Advice for applicants is given in the Guide to
  Applicants that can be downloaded from the
  Cordis website at http//cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/
  index.cfm?fuseactionUserSite.CapacitiesDetailsCal
  lPagecall_id89.
• It is also important to study the Model Grant
  Agreement that can be downloaded from the Cordis
  website at http//cordis.europa.eu/fp7/calls-grant
  -agreement_en.html.

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What support is available?

• Travel support Grants of up to 150 are
  available to researchers.
• Coordination support Grants are available for
  the preparation of
• proposals by coordinators.
• Feasibility support Companies can apply for a
  grant to facilitate
• their participation.
• Full details and application forms are available
  from Enterprise
• Ireland at
• http//www.enterprise-ireland.com/FP7/FinancialSu
  pport.htm

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Support from the HEA
National Delegate Dr. Gemma Irvine, Email
girvine_at_hea.ie Tel [phone] National
Contact Point Dr. Abigail Chantler Email
achantler_at_hea.ie Tel [phone]
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Useful websites
CordisResearch Infrastructures http//cordis.euro
pa.eu/fp7/capacities/research-infrastructures_en.h
tml EuropaResearch Infrastructures http//ec.euro
pa.eu/research/infrastructures/landscape_en.html E
uropean Strategy Forum on Research
Infrastructures (ESFRI) http//cordis.europa.eu/es
fri/ Higher Education Authority
(HEA)FP7 http//www.hea.ie/index.cfm/page/sub/id/
1163 FP7 Ireland http//www.fp7ireland.com
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Hints Tips for Researchers How to get involved
in projects

• Network with key potential partners use Cordis
  partner search
• Get active long before the next call and be
  aware of potential
• consortia
• Influence the content of calls via your National
  Delegate
• Get information from your National Delegate
  regarding the
• Work Programme
• Establish a track-record of publications
  presentations
• Have a unique skill / selling-point to bring to
  the table
• Get named in draft project plans
• Submit a proposal more than once if unsuccessful
  the first time
• around

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What to do when a call is published

• Understand the type of proposal required
  linkages to EU initiatives
• Find a minimum of 3 partners from different
  countries
• Contact potential partners, underlining what you
  can contribute
• to the project
• Contact your National Contact Point for
  assistance
• Stay active throughout the proposal writing
  process
• Contribute to the proposal constructively
  proactively
• Have a long-term strategy from the inception of
  the project
• to its implementation

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Things of which to be aware

• FP7 demands time effort at all stages of the
  process
• Long-term projects require long-term plans
• Passing evaluation thresholds does not guarantee
  funding
• Can be difficulties entering established
  circles of trust of
• active project partners from previous Framework
  Programmes
• Onerous administration, especially with on-line
  submission system
• Coordinators can experience difficulties, e.g.
  having insufficient
• leverage over partners, language barriers,
  politics, national
• agendas, different work-styles of individuals,
  difficulties
• coordinating large projects with many partners.

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Advantages of participation in FP7

• Build research capacity
• Enhance your international profile
• Improve your network of contacts
• Increased research outputs
• Leverage new funding opportunities
• Thank you for listening!