Research Programmes

 

 

Research Office
International Research Unit

 

Contacts
 

Office Coordinator

Teresa Caltabiano
Phone: (+39) 095 7307002
E-mail: t.caltabiano@unict.it


Phone: (+39) 095 7307014 - 050
E-mail: adcosen@unict.it - v.lazzara@unict.it

 

 

 

VII FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME (Website)

 


The Seventh Framework Programme is made up of four programmes:

 

COOPERATION

The specific programme on 'Cooperation' supports all types of research activities carried out by different research bodies in trans-national cooperation and aims to gain or consolidate leadership in key scientific and technology areas.

The Cooperation programme is sub-divided into ten distinct themes. Each theme is operationally autonomous but aims to maintain coherence within the Cooperation Programme and allowing for joint activities cutting across different themes, through, for example, joint calls.

The ten identified themes reflect the most important fields of knowledge and technology where research excellence is particularly important to improve Europe’s ability to address its social, economic, public health, environmental and industrial challenges of the future. Their continued relevance will be guaranteed by relying on a number of sources from the research sector, including the European Technology Platforms (ETP). Important themes identified in the Strategic Research Agendas (SRAs) developed by the ETPs are therefore covered by the Cooperation programme.

 

IDEAS

The objective of the specific programme ‘Ideas’ is to reinforce excellence, dynamism and creativity in European research and improve the attractiveness of Europe for the best researchers from both European and third countries, as well as for industrial research investment, by providing a Europe-wide competitive funding structure, in addition to and not replacing national funding, for ‘frontier research’ executed by individual teams. Communication and dissemination of research results is an important aspect of this programme.

 

PEOPLE

The 'Marie Curie Actions' have long been one of the most popular and appreciated features of the Community Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development. They have developed significantly in orientation over time, from a pure mobility fellowships programme to a programme dedicated to stimulating researchers' career development. The 'Marie Curie Actions' have been particularly successful in responding to the needs of Europe's scientific community in terms of training, mobility and career development. This has been demonstrated by a demand in terms of highly ranked applications that in most actions extensively surpassed the available financial support.


Activities

The 'People' Specific Programme is implemented through actions under five headings:

  • 'Initial training  of researchers to improve mostly young researchers' career perspectives in both public and private sectors, by broadening their scientific and generic skills, including those related to technology transfer and entrepreneurship [Website].
     

  • 'Life-long training' to support experienced researchers in complementing or acquiring new skills and competencies or in enhancing inter/multidisciplinarity and/or intersectoral mobility, in resuming a research career after a break and in (re)integrating into a longer term research position in Europe after a trans-national mobility experience [Website].
     

  • 'Industry-academia pathways and partnerships to stimulate intersectoral mobility and increase knowledge sharing through joint research partnerships in longer term co-operation programmes between organisations from academia and industry, in particular SMEs and including traditional manufacturing industries [Website]
     

  • 'International dimension', to contribute to the life-long training and career development of EU-researchers, to attract research talents from outside Europe and to foster mutually beneficial research collaboration with research actors from outside Europe [Website].
     

  • 'Specific actions' to support removing obstacles to mobility and enhancing the career perspectives of researchers in Europe [Website].

 

IDEAS

The objective of the specific programme ‘Ideas’ is to reinforce excellence, dynamism and creativity in European research and improve the attractiveness of Europe for the best researchers from both European and Third Countries, as well as for industrial research investment, by providing a Europe-wide competitive funding structure, in addition to and not replacing national funding, for ‘frontier research’ executed by individual teams. Communication and dissemination of research results is an important aspect of this programme.

 

CAPACITIES

The Commission’s proposals for the FP7 Capacities programme aim to enhance research and innovation capacities throughout Europe and ensure their optimal use. The Capacities programme operates in seven broad areas:
 

  • Research infrastructures;

  • Research for the benefit of SMEs;

  • 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.


This specific programme also aims to:
 

  • support the coherent development of policies;

  • complement the Cooperation programme;

  • contribute to EU policies and initiatives to improve the coherence and impact of Member States policies;

  • find synergies with regional and cohesion policies, the Structural Funds, education and training programmes.

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LIFE PROGRAMME (Website)


The LIFE programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment. The general objective of LIFE is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental policy and legislation by co-financing pilot or demonstration projects with European added value.

The programme is divided in three components:
 

  • LIFE+ Nature and Biodiversity;

  • LIFE+ Environment Policy and Governance;

  • LIFE+ Information and Communication.

 

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OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME ITALIA-MALTA 2007-2013 (Website)


The Programme aims at achieving the following general objective: strengthening the attractiveness and the competitiveness of the cross-border area, within a framework of environmental sustainability.

Considering the socio-economic characteristics of the cooperation area and especially the limited budget of the Programme, the strategic choices have been directed to three intervention’s priorities:

 

  • AXIS I - competitiveness: research and innovation; sustainable development priority;

  • AXIS II- environment, energy and risk prevention;

  • AXIS III - technical assistance, awareness, communication and publicity

 

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ENPI CBC-MED CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN (Website)


The multilateral cross-border cooperation "Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme" is part of the new European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and of its financing instrument (European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument - ENPI) for the 2007-2013 period: it aims at reinforcing cooperation between the European Union (EU) and partner countries regions placed along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

The Operational Programme establishes a strategic framework of 4 Priorities jointly defined by the participating countries:
 

  • promotion of socio-economic development and enhancement of territories;

  • promotion of environmental sustainability at basin level;

  • promotion of better conditions and modalities for ensuring the mobility of persons, goods and capitals;

  • promotion of cultural dialogue and local governance.

 

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ENPI CBC-MED CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION ITALIA-TUNISIA 2007-2013 (Website)


The program aims to promote the economic, social, institutional and cultural cooperation between the Sicilian and Tunisian territories through a process of sustainable development in a pole of joint cross-border cooperation.

  • Priority Axis 1 - "Development and Regional Integration";Priority Axis 2 

  • "Promotion of sustainable development";

  • Priority Axis 3 - "Cultural and scientific cooperation".

 

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MED PROGRAMME (Website)


The MED Programme is an EU transnational cooperation programme among the “Territorial Cooperation objective” of the EU Cohesion Policy. Partners from 13 countries, including the whole Northern Mediterranean seacoast, are working together to strengthen the competitiveness, employment and sustainable development of this area. The transnational setup allows the programme to tackle territorial challenges beyond national boundaries, such as environmental risk management, international business or transport corridors.

 

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INTERREG IIIC (Website)


INTERREG IIIC is an EU-funded programme that helps Europe’s regions for partnerships to work together on common projects.

By sharing knowledge and experience, these partnerships enable the regions involved to develop new solutions to economic, social and environmental challenges.

 

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INTERREG IVC (Website)


INTERREG IVC provides funding for interregional cooperation across Europe. The overall objective of the INTERREG IVC Programme is to improve the effectiveness of regional policies and instruments. A project builds on the exchange of experiences among partners who are ideally responsible for the development of their local and regional policies. The fields of support are innovation and the knowledge economy, environment and risk prevention.

 

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DAPHNE (Website)

The DAPHNE programme was launched in 2000 to prevent violence against children, young people and women, provide support to the victims of violence and prevent their future exposure to violence.

The focus of the Daphne programme is on:

 

  • assisting and encouraging NGOs and other organisations active in this field;

  • developing and implementing targeted awareness-raising actions;

  • identifying and enhancing actions contributing to positive treatment of people at risk of violence;

  • setting up and supporting multidisciplinary networks;

  • ensuring the expansion of the knowledge base and exchange, identification and dissemination of information and good practice;

  • designing and testing awareness-raising and educational materials, and supplementing and adapting those already available;

  • studying phenomena related to violence and its impact;

  • developing and implementing support programmes for victims and people at risk, and intervention programmes for perpetrators.

 

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COST (Website)


COST is an intergovernmental framework for European Cooperation in Science and Technology, allowing the coordination of nationally-funded research on a European level. It contributes to reducing the fragmentation in European research investments and opening the European Research Area to cooperation worldwide. It also increases the mobility of researchers across Europe and fosters the establishment of scientific excellence in the nine key domains:
 

  • Biomedicine and Molecular Biosciences;

  • Food and Agriculture;

  • Forests, their Products and Services;

  • Materials, Physics and Nanosciences;

  • Chemistry and Molecular Sciences and Technologies;

  • Earth System Science and Environmental Management;

  • Information and Communication Technologies;

  • Transport and Urban Development;

  • Individuals, Societies, Cultures and Health.

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EURAMET (Website )


The European Association of National Metrology Institutes (EURAMET) is a Regional Metrology Organisation (RMO) of Europe. EURAMET is responsible for the elaboration and execution of the European Metrology Research Programme, known as the EMRP, which is designed to encourage collaboration between European National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) and partners in industry or academia. EURAMET serves the promotion of science and research and European co-operation in the field of metrology. The programme funds joint research projects in specific fields of metrology with over 50 projects selected for funding and many more expected over the coming years.

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CIP (Website)


The Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) supports innovation activities (including eco-innovation), provides better access to finance and delivers business support services in the regions. It encourages a better take-up and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and helps to develop the information society. It also promotes the increased use of renewable energies and energy efficiency. The CIP is divided into three operational programmes. Each programme has its specific objectives, aimed at contributing to the competitiveness of enterprises and their innovative capacity in their own areas, such as ICT or sustainable energy:

  • The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP);

  • The Information Communication Technologies Policy Support Programme (ICT-PSP);

  • The Intelligent Energy Europe Programme (IEE).

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SCIENCE FOR PEACE AND SECURITY (SPS) – NATO (Website)


The SPS Programme supports collaboration between scientists from NATO member states and those from Partner countries associated with NATO. Grants are given for workshops, training, and multi-year projects which are focused on research topics relevant to NATO’s objectives. All activities funded under the Programme must address topics that are proposed in response to those Key Priorities. The SPS Key Priorities, which are in line with NATO’s Strategic Objectives and formally approved by the NATO Political and Partnerships Committee (PPC), are reviewed on a regular basis. Partner nations which have developed Individual Partnership Action Plans (IPAPs) or Individual Partnership Programmes (IPPs) identify their national and regional priorities in those documents.