Funding Opportunities for Continuation of ProENBIS Activities

Shirley Coleman ISRU

Life after proENBIS

Project ends December 2004Important to carry on collaboratingFunded collaboration provides opportunities for useful meetings, papers and transfer of ideasNeed to build on the relationships established under proENBIS

Possible sources of further funds

Mailing lists for regular updatesNewcastle University has various services for funding alertsCommunity of Science (COS)Research fortnight (RF)Both give weekly alerts via email relating to key words submitted on joining the mailing lists

FP6 instrumentsThe Integrated Project (IP) is an instrument to support objective-driven research, where the primary deliverable is new knowledge. Integrated projects should aim at either increasing Europe's competitiveness or addressing major needs in society. Projects must contain a research component and may also: focus on technological development, contain demonstration components, and contain a training component A minimum of three partners from three different countries should participate. SMEs are strongly encouraged to participate.The project duration is typically 3 to 5 years (no maximum)

FP6 InstrumentsNetworks of Excellence (NoE) are designed to strengthen scientific and technological excellence on a particular research topic. They aim to overcome the fragmentation of European research by: networking together the critical mass of resources and networking the expertise needed to provide European leadership Projects may include a training component.A minimum of three partners from three different countries need to participate. However, a minimum number participants may be specified in the calls for proposals.The project lasts up to 5 years with a maximum of 7 years.

FP6 InstrumentsSpecific targeted research projects (STREP) aim at improving European competitiveness or meeting the needs of society or Community policies They can be: An RTD project designed to gain knowledge or improve existing products, processes or services or, a demonstration project designed to prove the viability of new technologies but which cannot be commercialized directly. A minimum of 3 partners from three different Member States or Associated States, of which two must be Member States or Associated Candidate Countries, need to participate.Project duration is typically between 2 to 3 years, but may in exceptional cases be extended beyond 3 years.

FP6 InstrumentsCo-ordination actions (CAs) aim to promote and support the networking and coordination of research and innovation activities.Coordination actions should cover, definition, organization, management, of joint or common initiatives. They will cover activities such as: the organization of conferences, meetings, the performance of studies, exchange of personnel, the exchange and dissemination of good practices and setting up common information systems and expert groups.

FP6 InstrumentsSpecific Support Actions (SSA) Their main purposes is: to support the implementation of FP6, to potentially help the preparation of future Framework Programme and to stimulate, encourage and facilitate the participation of: SMEs, Small research teams, Newly developed and remote research centres and Organizations from the Candidate Countries The projects within the priority themes may cover the following for example: Conferences, Seminars, Studies and analysis , Working and Expert Groups, Operational support and dissemination, Information and communication or a combination of these as appropriate.

FP6 Instruments

Marie Curie Fellowships These aim to provide a variety of options for individual researchers as well as host institutions. There are a number of different schemes on offer: Host-driven actions, Individual-driven actions, Excellence recognition and Return and Reintegration Mechanisms (RRG, IRG).

Thematic AreasLife Sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health aims to integrate post-genomic research into the more established biomedical and biotechnological approaches. Involvement of key stakeholders e.g. industry, healthcare providers and physicians, policy makers, regulatory authorities, patient associations and experts on ethical mattersThese cover those areas where the EU in the medium term intends to become the most competitive and dynamic, knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion.

Thematic AreasInformation Society Technologies (IST) aim for direct contribution to European policies for the knowledge society and the e-Europe Action Plan; medium and long term RTD on the future generation of technologies integrating computers and networks into everyday environment; placing the individual at the centre. Nanotechnologies and nano-sciences, knowledge-based multifunctional materials and new production processes and devices offer contribution to the creation of the scientific base for the transition of European production industry from resource-based towards knowledge-based, more environment-friendly approaches.

Thematic AreasFood quality and safety aim to assure health and well-being of European citizens through a better understanding of the influence of food intake and environmental factors on human health; providing safer, high-quality and health-promoting food.Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems aim to strengthen the S&T capacities needed for Europe to be able to implement a sustainable development model in the short and in the long term, integrating its social, economic and environmental dimensions; contributing to international efforts mitigating adverse trends in global change.

Thematic AreasCitizens and governance in a knowledge-based society aim to provide a sound scientific base for the management of the transition towards a European knowledge based society, conditioned by national, regional and local policies and by decision making by individual citizens, families and other societal units.Aeronautics and space are striving towards higher levels of technological excellence by consolidating and concentrating RTD efforts in the context of the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe and the European Strategy for Space

Dates to rememberIST Call 4Date of publication November 2004 Closure Date 23 March 2005*IST Call 5 Date of publication May 2005Closure Date 21 September 2005*FET Open Date of publication November 2004Closure Date 10 May 2005*

(*all closing times are 17:00 Brussels local time)

NEEF North East Enabling Fund

The new NEEF was launched July 2004 It has a much-increased budget (400,000) over the original pilot scheme, and has a separate strand for Universities It is aimed at coordinators and partners of all types of FP6 proposals, whether for new or traditional instruments We are/have applied for NEEF

NEEF North East Enabling Fund

An initiative to provide funding of up to 15,000 to support North East organisations in developing FP6 proposals The funding is provided by One NorthEast, the Regional Development Agency, to cover 75% of the allowable costs incurred in preparing a full FP6 research proposalThe scheme has been developed to be of maximum benefit to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) Universities and Centres of Excellence

NEEF North East Enabling Fund

Allowable activities include:Searching for partnersAssessing feasibility Verifying novelty Analysing the market Planning the project and writing the full research proposal

The grant is payable upon verification of submission of an eligible FP6 research proposal.

NEEF North East Enabling Fund

Applying for the North East Enabling Fund is relatively straightforwardThe application process involves the submission of a five-page proposal to the Beta Technology North East officeEach proposal is evaluated in confidence against a strict set of criteria by at least two independent evaluators.

6th FrameworkIdea proposed by ISRUInformation Society Technologies IST Network of Excellence (NoE) (March 2005)Six sigma knowledge transferEstablish six sigma material in European languagesEstablish database of multi-language/multi-cultural materialInternet learning Multilanguage formatSMEs benefit from this material often language barrier stops SMEs using techniquesEuropean industries competitive edge

Network of Excellence

Material centralised via website/internetPartners will be able to deliver courses on sites throughout Europe or via InternetShare experiences and learn form these leading to a Network of Excellence Case studies tailored to cultures/languagesDistance learningSME network involvedLarger companies may like to be involved

3rd Country participation in FP6

The thematic network part of FP6 is to be extended to allow third country organisations to be includedThere is significant funding available to facilitate this procedurePartners from any country can participate in any consortium, as long as the minimum number of partners from Member and Associated States is respected, and third-country partners are in addition to these minima

3rd Country participation in FP6

To date, third country participation in the thematic areas of FP6 is low, and the take-up of the 285m is small. This is unlikely to be due to lack of interest, and more likely to be due to lack of awareness of the opportunities.

6th Framework classification of countries

EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and UK EEA Countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway Association Agreement Countries: Israel & Switzerland (tbc)Candidate Countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, TurkeyThird Countries: INCO (Developing, Mediterranean, Russia and CIS), all other countries

FP6 Rationale for SMEs

FP6 attaches great importance to the participation of SMEs as they play a crucial role in European competitiveness and job creation Experience shows that SMEs are a source of dynamism and change in new markets, particularly those at the leading edge of technology.

Participation of SMEs in FP6

The main route for SME involvement in the seven Priority Thematic Areas is through the Networks of Excellence (NoE), Integrated Projects (IP) and Specific Targeted Research Projects

Marias ideas 6th frameworkStochastic for Quality Movement We are now in a better shape than when we set up the Pro-ENBIS project Pro-ENBIS has been a clear success for what has been produced- relevant tools, concepts and methodology Experts around Europe focusing on major issues, for instance, the profitability of European industry/business/ public sector will get financed by the EC, if well targeted at least to a couple of relevant industry sectors

Project 1Title: Closing the Gap Between Industry and Academia: Design and Control of the Mutual Self Interest in SQM

Engineers/managers will need considerable assistance to model their own plant/business be it SME or big enterprises or governmental institutions Most industrialists agree that a model needs to address the issues seen as important by industry

Project 1

Some academics understand that only when a large number of problems have been solved can a more academic overview be established to provide models that applyWhen collaborating with industry in a modeling exercise, contact is necessary with senior management

Project 1

It has to be recognized that modeling developments for decision-making in maintenance requires engineers and managers as equal partners in the modeling process with the modeler Teaching modeling to engineering students will be a complex taskUnless they can understand statistical and mathematical concepts, their potential to embrace modeling must be limited

Project 1

There is no coherent postgraduate training in SQM Students seldom meet the topic of, for instance, maintenance at undergraduate level or postgraduate level, and seldom meet modeling for decision-making EC seems desperate to have academics to move towards industry to identify and solve actual problems Student placement is no longer considered to be enough

Project 1

There is a need to design and monitor mutual self interest in SQM for the academy and the industry/business and that is precisely the aim of the present project

Project 1The project fits very well ENBIS mission.Pro-ENBIS has The Industrial Visit SchemeThe Related SERVQUAL QuestionnaireThe SQM Survey of CompaniesConsultants and AcademicsA Template for Evaluating Practical Statistical EfficiencyThe SQM Library ConceptMany others

Project 2Title: SQM Library and Their Continuous Improvement and Innovation

Motivation for this kind of project: All CEOs, be it from SME or otherwise, private or public sectors, have mainly two important questions on their mindCan you solve my problem and how much will it cost. Therefore, we also have to propose a solution that globally (including environmental impact and costs) costs less than the problem. That is to say, we have to be cost-effective too, and do not forget to advertise it.

Project 2Aim: To set up a framework, inspired by the Medicine Doctors Network in order to efficiently deal with recognized industry/business problems in specified areas, including maritime related industries. This project also will among other activities promote industrial visits and think tank activities among academics and the targeted industrialists in order to create a relevant SQM Libraryvalidate the credibility of the proposed numerical, simulation and analytic methodologies to be part of the SQM Library

Project 2select methods and tools to be implemented as a final software for modeling and performance evaluation;enhance numerical, simulation and analytic methodologies and solution algorithms under more realistic industrial/business profilesinvestigate further the definition of performance bounds for complex systemsset up a mechanism for continuous improvement and alerts of needed innovation, where the cost-effective has to be also clearly demonstrated.

Project 2

Pro-ENBIS Resources:Perhaps, Marias joint paper with Ron and John, presented at ESREL 2003 could be used as a kick-off in the preparation of such a proposal. Some other papers already published inside WP4 and in all the other WPs, could be used as well.