The EU's primary instrument for funding research and development is known as the Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7). It runs from 2007 – 2013, and has a total budget of over 50 billion Euros. Each year calls for proposals are made by the European Commission under the research programme in order to fund projects corresponding to the priorities identified for that year.
The Research Programme is divided into four parts: cooperation, capacities, ideas and people. Funding for health-related research projects is specifically identified under the ‘cooperation’ aspect of FP7. However opportunities to access EU funding for research in areas relevant to NHS activity can also be found under other topics including ICT, biotechnology, food and socio-economic–sciences and the humanities.
ICT calls for proposals now open
The European Commission has published a call for projects in the field of ICT. NHS organisations specialising in this field and interested in forming part of a pan-European consortium are eligible to apply. Topic areas include:
- the Virtual Physiological Human,
- Brain-inspired ICT,
- cognitive systems, interaction and robotics.
The outline of topics drafted by the FP7UK service gives more detail on each of these points. The current call has a budget of EUR 286 million. Project applications must be submitted to the Commission by 13 April 2010.
2011 Health call: details coming soon
The first full draft of the call for applications for projects to start in 2011 under the 'Health' strand of FP7 is expected to be available by the end of March 2010. Among a broad range of topics to be covered, priority areas anticipated in this year’s call include brain and brain-related diseases, health promotion and disease prevention and supporting clinical trials.
The European Commission will hold an information day on the calls on 8 June 2010, shortly before the calls are officially published. Further information on events taking place in the UK and opportunities to liaise with the UK national contact point will be available in the coming weeks.