Information and Communication Technologies

Welcome to the UK National Contact Point for programmes covering the European Commission’s

• Framework Seven Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Programme
• ICT Policy Support Programme
• ARTEMIS & ENIAC Joint Technology Initiatives

Activities provide support for Research, Development and Innovation collaborations addressing objectives set out in the respective workprogrammes and following calls for proposals published in the Official Journal.

This NCP exists to provide you with a free support service to help you understand what these programmes offer in the context of your organisation. We will also highlight the very latest news and views on these programmes and offer expert and impartial guidance for those applying for EC funding.

The NCP team can provide general and specific advice on:

• How these programmes operate and their benefits
• Structure of the particular Workprogramme and its content
• Application process and calls for proposals current and future
• Consortium formation
• Proposal summary appraisal

In addition, we participate in seminars and workshops on a regional and national basis to ensure that we can maximise your chances of success in Europe.

FRAMEWORK 7

The principal funding source supported in this domain is the ICT Theme of the Seventh Research Framework:

Framework 7 ICT Theme

This theme funds research on opportunities identified by the biennial workprogramme This document addresses seven challenges:

• 1. Pervasive & Trustworthy Network and Service Infrastructures
• 2. Cognitive Systems, Interaction, Robotics
• 3. Components, systems, engineering
• 4. Digital Libraries and Content
• 5. Towards sustainable and personalised healthcare
• 6. ICT for Mobility, Environmental Sustainability and Energy Efficiency
• 7. ICT for Independent Living, Inclusion and Governance

An amendment in July 2009 includes a further challenge:

The Commission makes Calls for Proposals soliciting, by a specified deadline, formal proposals for collaborative research or coordination activities (50+ pages) addressing objectives identified in the call and described in the workprogramme. Evaluation of these proposals leads, for the successful minority, to negotiation of a grant agreement perhaps a year after the opening of the call.

Future & Emerging Technologies (FET)

FET Open – The Leading edge of ICT

The Future and Emerging Technologies open scheme uses a two step proposal. Initially it accepts brief proposals for novel research at any time. These ‘Short’ (5 page) proposals are collected into batches and evaluated on a timetable which is set out together with other details on the FET Open website. The best of these short proposals are subsequently asked to prepare a Full Proposal (50+ pages) by a specific deadline.

FET Open also accepts single step proposals for Coordination projects on a similar timetable.

In addition to the Open scheme FET proactively solicits single step proposals on partiular topics as part of the regular ICT Call structure.[ e.g in ICT Call 5:for “Human Computer confluence”, “Self Awareness in Autonomic systems” and “Towards zero power ICT ” ]

Brief descriptions of ICT calls may be found here

Joint Technology Initiatives.

These actions combine funding from The European Commission with that of participating member states [UK is one of these – the UK Funding comes from our Technology Strategy Board] to address calls based upon annual workprogrammes developed from Multi Annual Strategic Plans generated by these industrially led groupings in specific areas.

There are two of these of particular significance in the ICT domain:

ARTEMIS - Embedded Computing Systems Initiative

ENIAC - Research and technology development in Nanoelectronics

These JTIs are further described here

Non Framework Programmes

ICT Policy Support Programme (ICTPSP)

eContentplus

This programme has now closed, details may still be found on the Commission’s website

Help is at hand

If you need help in understanding the above – please call us on 0870 191 0112