FP7 Specific Programmes

This page provides a general overview of the four Specific Programmes that make up FP7: Co-operation, People, Capacities and Ideas.

1. Cooperation (Collaborative Research)

With a total budget of €32.4 billion, Cooperation is the core programme of FP7. This programme fosters and supports collaboration between researchers from across the EU and beyond. Cooperation is divided into 10 themes:

 

  

1. Health
2. Food, Agriculture and Fisheries and Biotechnology
3. Information and Communication Technologies
4. Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies
5. Energy
6. Environment (Including Climate Change)
7. Transport (including Aeronautics)
8. Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities
9. Space
10. Security

Cooperation is a "top down" programme. Calls for proposals are made in each of the ten themes through pre-defined and agreed Work Programmes. Calls in each theme are usually (but not always) made on an annual basis. As Marine is a cross-cutting theme, marine or marine-related topics can appear in the Work Programmes of all ten themes.

However themes, 2 (Food, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Biotechnology) and 6 (Environment including climate change) are of particular relevance for marine researchers in the life and physical sciences. Opportunities are also available in:

• Ocean Energy (Theme 5, Energy),
• Shipping and Maritime Transport research (Theme 7, Transport),
• Marine-related ICT Technologies (Theme 3, ICT).

Open calls with marine or marine-related topics are advertised on the Marine Institute's FP7 Calls page and our general Open Calls page. In all cases, links to the appropriate CORDIS pages are provided.

2. People (Marie Curie Actions)

FP7 People is a key Programme supporting researcher mobility and career development. Unlike Cooperation, People is a "bottom-up" Programme. This means that the research topic is specified and defined by the applicant and proposals are welcome from all fields of scientific research*. Marie Curie can, therefore, provide opportunities to participate in FP7 international research when there are no relevant calls in your area appearing in the Cooperation programme.

Marie Curie for Young Researchers
If you are an "Early-Stage Researcher" looking to embark on a PhD, or an "Experienced Researcher" (with a PhD or 4 or more years research experience), then Marie Curie Individual Fellowship Schemes can provide you with an invaluable opportunity to expand your knowledge and develop your career by conducting PhD or post-doctoral studies in another country.

Marie Curie for Principal Investigators (PIs)
If you are a Principal Investigator, you can collaborate with PIs in other European and Third Countries to develop an International Training Network. Or you can simply act as the host supervisor for an individual fellow from outside of Ireland. You can, therefore, use the opportunities provided by Marie Curie to:

• expand your research team
• add value to your nationally funded research
• transfer knowledge and experience from labs in other countries
• host and train postgraduate and post-doctoral researchers

*Note: Although for most Marie Curie actions career development is the key evaluation criterion, proposals are also evaluated for scientific and technological excellence.

Marie Curie Actions in FP7:
The following actions are supported by the People Programme.

• ITN: Marie Curie Initial Training Networks
• IEF: Intra European Fellowships for Career Development
• ERG (European Reintegration Grants)
• IAPP (Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways)
• IOF: International Outgoing Fellowships for Career Development
• IIF: International Incoming Fellowships
• IRG: Marie Curie International Reintegration Grants
• NIGHT: Researchers' Night
• IRSES: (International Research Staff Exchange Scheme)

3. Capacities (Research Capacities & Infrastructure)

The FP7 Capacities Programme aims to enhance research and innovation capacities throughout Europe. For the Irish marine research community, three of the six CAPACITIES sub-programmes are of particular interest:

• Research Infrastructures
• Research for the benefit of SMEs
• Regions of Knowledge

 

Another sub-programme may involve Irish partners indirectly:

• Research Potential of Convergence Regions*

*Note: As Ireland is a non-convergence region, Irish organisations cannot apply directly for Research Potential funding, but may act as technology transfer partners on projects originating from convergence or outermost regions.

4. Ideas ("Frontier Research" based on Scientific Excellence)

Implemented by the European Research Council (ERC) the FP7 IDEAS Programme funds investigator-driven "blue-skies" research. The IDEAS Programme aims 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.

Calls are currently open for the ERC Advanced Investigator's Grant for the Domain, Life Sciences. See our FP7 calls page for further details.