Quality of life and management of living resources

can be implemented by Thematic Programmes as well as by other specific training activities in the Human Potential Programme. The fellowships system is described schematically in Box 2.

 By integration between Thematic Programmes. Complementary and synergistic interactions will be ensured in implementing the Programmes.

I.3. Implementation

I.3.1. WORK PROGRAMME

A Work Programme has been drawn up for each Specific Programme, describing the specific activities and the various research areas. The Work Programme will be revised regularly with the assistance of Advisory Groups of independent experts to ensure its continued relevance in the light of evolving needs and developments. Potential proposers should therefore ensure they are consulting the current version of the work programme when planning a proposal. The Work Programme appearing at the Specific Programme Web site is always the current version.

The Work Programme includes an indicative timetable or “roadmap”, which indicates which parts of the Work Programme will be opened, by calls for proposals, and deadline(s) involved. This provides a means of focusing attention on areas or sub-areas, thereby optimising opportunities for launching collaborative projects and establishing thematic networks.

The Commission will manage the Specific Programmes to ensure that links in thematic content between the programmes are exploited in a synergistic way. This may occasionally require joint or synchronised calls for proposals. Where necessary, co-ordination measures such as these will be indicated in the announcement of the calls for proposals, and in the Work Programme.

I.3.2. TYPES OF ACTIONS SUPPORTED

The Community will contribute financially to the RTD activities, carried out under the Specific Programmes implemented within the Fifth Framework Programme. The general rules are as follows:

(a) Shared-cost actions

• Research and technological development (R&D) projects – projects obtaining new knowledge intended to develop or improve products, processes or services and/or to meet the needs of Community policies (financial participation: 50 % of total eligible costs4, ).

• Demonstration projects4 – projects designed to prove the viability of new technologies offering potential economic advantage but which cannot be commercialised directly (financial participation: 35 % of total eligible costs5).

• Combined R&D and demonstration projects4– projects combining the above elements (financial participation: 35 to 50 % of total eligible costs4,5).

• Support for access to research infrastructures – (only implemented under “Improving the human research potential and the socio-economic knowledge base” – IHP Programme) actions enhancing access to research infrastructures for Community researchers. Support will cover maximum of 100 % of the eligible costs necessary for the action.

• “SME Co-operative” research projects4 – projects enabling at least three mutually independent SMEs from at least two Member States or one Member State and an Associated State to jointly commission research carried out by a third party (financial participation: 50 % of total eligible project costs4).

• “SME Exploratory” awards – support of 75 % of total eligible costs for an exploratory phase of a project of up to 12 months (e.g. feasibility studies, validation, partner search).

(b) Training fellowships

Marie Curie fellowships are either fellowships, where individual researchers apply directly to the Commission, or host fellowships, where institutions apply to host a number of researchers (financial participation: maximum of 100 % of the additional eligible costs necessary for the action ). See Box 2.

The decisions on the specific programmes may define specific sub types of actions for example: the programme “Confirming the international role of Community research” – INCO 2 - defines bursaries for young researchers from developing countries and other bursaries for researchers from the EU Member States or Associated States as specific training fellowships. See Box 1.

(c) Research training networks and thematic networks

- Training networks for promoting training-through-research especially of researchers at pre-doctoral and at post-doctoral level (these are only implemented under the IHP Programme) - and thematic networks for bringing together e.g. manufacturers, users, universities, research centres around a given S&T objective. These include co-ordination networks between Community funded projects. Support will cover maximum 100% of eligible costs necessary for setting up and maintaining such networks.

(d) Concerted actions

Actions co-ordinating RTD projects already in receipt of national funding, for example to exchange experiences, to reach a critical mass, to disseminate results etc. (financial participation: maximum of 100 % of the eligible costs necessary for the action).

(e) Accompanying measures

Actions contributing to the implementation of a Specific Programme or the preparation of future activities of the programme. They will also seek to prepare for or to support other indirect RTD actions (financial participation: maximum of 100 % of total eligible costs).

Each Specific Programme will not necessarily open all the above mentioned types of actions in all calls. Please refer to sections II and Part 2 of this Guide to see which actions are called for in the different programmes and calls.

I.3.3 CLUSTERS

The cluster is a defined group of RTD projects. Its aim is to guarantee complementarity among projects, to maximise European added value within a given field and to establish a critical mass of resources at the European level.

An integrated approach towards research fields and projects financed is needed to solve complex multidisciplinary problems effectively. The clusters reflect this problem-solving approach. Indeed, in a cluster projects are joined together because they complement each other in addressing major objectives in the context of a key action or a generic activity (sometimes even across different key actions or specific programmes). Clusters are expected to optimise scientific networking, management, co-ordination, monitoring, the exchange of information and, on voluntary basis, the exploitation and dissemination activities. The cluster may thus become a natural process to generate European added value, wherever it makes sense, beyond the limited resources of an isolated project.

All types of projects can be assembled and integrated within a cluster, including those funded by different EU RTD activities (key action, generic activity, infrastructure). By the same token, and as part of an overall European approach, relevant activities under other research frameworks (notably EUREKA, COST) could also be taken into account whenever this can reinforce synergy. Clusters will be set up through thematic networks or complementary clauses.

I.3.4. GENDER EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

In line with the Commission’s strategic approach of mainstreaming equal opportunities in all Union policies, particular account is taken in the Fifth Framework Programme of the need to promote the participation of women in the fields of research and technological development. Therefore women are encouraged to participate in proposals for the above mentioned RTD activities.

Box 1 - Bursaries for young researchers from Developing Countries

When preparing a joint research proposal1 or concerted action proposal for submission to any of the programmes, a consortium may, if it wishes, include an application for an international co-operation training bursary2. These bursaries will be funded from the budget of the Specific Programme ‘Confirming the International Role of Community Research’ and are intended to allow young researchers from Developing Countries, including Emerging Economies and Mediterranean Partner Countries3 to work for up to 6 months in a European research institute participating in a FP-5 project. The bursaries will be granted for training activities only (e.g. to allow the applicant to learn a new scientific technique or for work on a particular experiment or set of experiments where the host institution has particular expertise and which cannot be performed in the home institution of the candidate).

The bursary application must be submitted together with the proposal application and will be evaluated together with it. Spontaneous, individual bursary applications will not be accepted. Inclusion of a bursary application will neither enhance nor detract from the chances of success of the proposal. Only if the whole proposal is selected for funding and the bursary application is highly rated, will the bursary be granted. A poor bursary application can be rejected without harming the chances of success of the proposal.

In order to be eligible, the bursary applicant must not be more than 40 years of age at the time of application, must be a national of one of the eligible countries3 and be established and working in that country and intending to return there at the end of the training period. She/he must also have a good knowledge of a working language of the host institute. Applications from female researchers are encouraged.

The host institute must be established in an EU Member State or in a State Associated to FP-54 and must be a member of the consortium proposing the research project or concerted action.

Eligible bursary applications will be evaluated according