The first calls for the 7th Framework Programme is expected to be announced on December 22nd, 2006. After the final approval of the FP7 texts by the Competitiveness Council, the Commission will publish the first calls for proposals on 22 December as planned, and officially launch the biggest ever European research programme.
The FP7 is divided into four specific programmes. The ‘Cooperation’ programme will support research cooperation in a number of specified thematic areas. ‘Ideas’ will fund investigator-driven research through a newly created European Research Council (ERC). The ‘People’ programme will support training and researchers’ career development, while ‘Capacities’ will support the coordination and development of research infrastructure, regional research clusters, international cooperation and closer ties between science and society.
9 thematic areas are defined for the FP7:
- Health
- Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and Process Technologies (NMP)
- Energy
- Environment
- Transport
- Security
- Space
- Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities
Major part of the FP7 budget for 2007 is expected to be allocated to the projects submitted for the first call. The deadline for project proposal submission is not certain yet for all thematic areas, but it is assumed to be on May 2007.
