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Page updated:
23 February 1998
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ETO Site Team
Europe's Fifth Framework Programme: Overview
Four main "themes" that will focus the contents of the programme
These "themes" effectively state the main objectives for the Fifth Framework Programme:- Improving the quality of life and the management of living resources
- Creating a user-friendly information society
- Promoting competitive and sustainable growth
- Preserving the ecosystem
Four "activities" through which the themes will be addressed
These define the structure of the programme:- The main research activities - focused on the four themes shown above ("activity 1")
- The international dimension - linkage with non-EU countries and research ("activity 2")
- Support to innovation and to participation by small and medium-sized enterprises ("activity 3")
- Improving human potential - the research infrastructure, training of researchers, developing science and technology policy, and the targeting of socio-economic research ("activity 4")
Funding
1. The budget
The overall budget agreed by the Council is 14 billion ECU (14,000 million ECU). This is less than the amount proposed by the Commission and recommended by the Parliament and will still be subject to further debate. ECU 1,260 million of the total is allocated to the Euratom (nuclear energy) programme, which is not discussed in these pages. The main part of the funding (some 70% of the total) will be focused on the "first activity" (the main research), and within that the Information Society theme is allocated 3,363 million ECUs. The detailed allocations are (thousands of ECUs):| Thematic programmes | Quality of life and living resources | 2239 |
| Information society | 3363 | |
| Competitive and sustainable growth | 2389 | |
| Energy, environment and sustainable development | 2048 | |
| International cooperation | 458 | |
| Innovation and SMEs | 350 | |
| Human potential and socio-economic research | 1205 | |
| Directed actions | (Joint Research Centre)* | 688 |
| Euratom | 1260 |
2. Basis of funding proposals
The following is a general guideline only, different rules will apply to different aspects of the programme and to different types of participants (eg companies vs university departments).- Research and technological development projects are expected to be funded 50-50, ie 50% of the agreed eligible cost of projects will be funded by the programme and 50% by the proposers
- Demonstration projects are expected to be funded 35% by the programme
- Cooperative research - in which a group of small or medium sized enterprises contract research out to a research partner - are expected to be funded to 50%
- Exploratory awards up to 75% may be made for feasibility studies
- Training fellowships for researchers may be funded 100%
- There may be up to 100% funding for coordinating and implementing networks of market and policy actors supporting objectives within the main themes and for research training networks
- There may by up to 100% funding for costs connected with "concertation"* and for "accompanying measures"*
Timetable
An initial tranche of funding (ECU 3,100 million) is allocated for the period 1998-1999 so that funded work on the programme can start immediately the agreement has been ratified by the Member States in a formal document. Its anticipated that the first Calls for Proposals will be launched before the end of 1998. The Commission is already encouraging interested parties to contribute ideas and comments on an informal basis. Some projects and networks in the existing (Fourth Framework) programme hold workshops for knowledge sharing and requirements assessment as part of their existing work and increasingly the focus of these is being influenced by the published information about the Fifth programme.The programme will run from 1998 to 2002.
Please note that these pages include interpretation of published and working documents of the European Commission, the Parliament and the Council, together with inputs from people and projects who have been and are engaged in the process of shaping the programme. They are provided for initial information only and companies or individuals considering participation in the programme should consult the published Calls for Proposals and other official documents as they become available. ETD is not able to answer individual questions, but welcomes suggestions and ideas for projects from those intending to participate. There will be a separate section of these pages outlining the support for projects available from ETD and its associates.