topic Research

EU Research Framework Programme

The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation is the world's largest funding programme for research projects. The BMBF supports national efforts to ensure excellent research at a European level. Various advisory services are offered to German applicants, for example, by the Federal Government's National Contact Points for the Research Framework Programme (NCPs).

New Horizons: Research Ministers meet in Sopot

The European research ministers in Sopot, Poland ©Polish EU Presidency 2011Research ministers from across Europe met in Sopot on 20 and 21 July 2011, following an invitation from the Polish Council Presidency, in order to discuss the European Research Area (ERA) and the future EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. "Horizon 2020" - the future framework programme - is to start on 1 January 2014 and is of central importance for the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy.

European Research Area: Creative Stimuli for Europe's Intellectual Capital

The further implementation of the European Research Area (ERA) and the development of the future EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation "Horizon 2020" are currently on the agenda of European research ministers. Europe must implement the ERA and meet the growth expectations of the Europe 2020 Strategy through forward looking research and innovation policies - only then will Europe be able to compete globally. The German Federal Government views the future framework programme as the central strategic instrument in this process.

Important social and economic challenges of the 21st century include areas such as energy, climate, resources, health, nutrition, and demographic change. Answers and solutions can only be found through European or worldwide cooperation in education, research, and science. Simultaneously, the global competition for technologies and markets is constantly growing. We must strengthen the competitiveness of European companies by advancing key technologies while expediting and improving the implementation of research findings into new products, processes, and services. The humanities and social sciences play an essential role in interdisciplinary efforts to meet the key challenges faced by European society. In Germany and Europe, institutions of higher education are the central medium for this kind of research.

The EU Research Framework Programmes

On the basis of the Treaty of Lisbon, all measures taken in the field of research funding and technological development are pooled in a Community Research Framework Programme.

The primary goal of the Research Framework Programme is to strengthen the scientific and technological basis for European industry and to foster its international competitiveness, in addition to supporting all research efforts which are considered necessary for other policies of the EU.

The EU Research Framework Programme is administered centrally from Brussels. Topics and calls for proposals are determined and issued by the EU, meaning they follow a top-down approach. Research cooperation in Europe is also advanced and practically supplemented by programmes such as COST and EUREKA, both of which take a bottom-up approach, meaning topics are determined by the applicants.

The Seventh Framework Programme (2007-2013)

The seventh EU Framework Programme (FP7) has an overall budged of €54.4 billion. Of this total, €4 billion are designated for Euratom.

FP7 is divided into four specific programmes:

1. Cooperation (budget: €32.4 billion)

   The first specific programme is the key pillar of the FP7. It supports cross-border cooperative projects between universities, industry, and research centres. The programme is subdivided into ten themes:
   
   
   1. Health
   2. Food, agriculture and fisheries, biotechnology
   3. Information and communication technologies
   4. Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies
   5. Energy
   6. Environment (including climate change)
   7. Transport (including aeronautics)
   8. Socio-economic sciences and the humanities
   9. Security
   10. Space
       

2. Ideas (budget: €7.5 billion)

   This new programme will strengthen the expertise of European research and improve the attractiveness of Europe for the best researchers as well as for industrial research investment. The European Research Council (ERC), which was established under this programme, concentrates on the support of "frontier research" by selecting and funding the most creative researchers.
   

3. People (budget: €4.7 billion)

   The "Marie Curie Actions" make maximal use of human resources in research. These actions, which were increased under FP7, aim to arouse interest in research-based careers and recruit researchers from Europe and beyond.
   

4. Capacities (budget: €4.2 billion)

   The fourth specific programme improves the opportunities for research and innovation. Targeted funding is provided for seven broad areas, such as research infrastructure and SME-led research, in order to ensure their optimal use.

€1.7 billion are allocated to the Joint Research Centre (JRC), which provides customer-driven scientific and technical support in the conception, development, implementation, and monitoring of EU policies. The JRC also serves as a reference centre for science and technology for the EU.

For the first time, procedures within the framework programme will be more flexible and more rationally designed ("Simplification"). In addition, the "Risk-Sharing Finance Facility" (RSFF) will be introduced as a new financing system in cooperation with the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The Sixth European Research Framework Programme (2002-2006)

The sixth EU Research Framework Programme (FP6) expired at the end of 2006. It had a budget of approximately €20 billion (including the Euratom Framework Programme) for a period of four years. The main goal of FP6 was the implementation of the European Research Area.

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  topic Research

  15.01.2007 - 16.01.2007

  Preparation of the 8th EU Research Framework Programme

  The Federal Government set out its position on the basic elements of the 8th EU Research Framework Programme (FP8) in its guideline paper of 26 March 2010.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/6351.php)