The EU's primary instrument for funding research and development is known as the Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7). It runs from 2007 – 2013, and has a total budget of over 50 billion Euros. Each year calls for proposals are made by the European Commission under the research programme in order to fund projects corresponding to the priorities identified for that year.
The Research Programme is divided into four parts: cooperation, capacities, ideas and people. Funding for health-related research projects is specifically identified under the ‘cooperation’ aspect of FP7. However opportunities to access EU funding for research in areas relevant to NHS activity can also be found under other topics including ICT, biotechnology, food and socio-economic–sciences and the humanities.
**UPDATED VERSION OF THE WP 2012 NOW AVAILABLE**
An updated version of the 2012 Work Programme was published on 20 January 2012. Download it here.
The main changes are:
A.- One new topic: HEALTH.2012.2.3.1-1: Coordination action in support to the Joint Programming Initiative on "The microbial challenge – an emerging threat to human health"
Funding scheme: Coordination and Support Action (coordinating action)
Only up to one proposal can be selected with an indicative budget available of EUR 2 000 000
Part of call FP7-JPROG-2012-RTD (general annex 4)
B.-Three changes under “other activities”:
1. Prize Competition – development of a novel alternative to cold-chain technologies for vaccine formulation, preservation and transportation
• Indicative budget: EUR 2 000 000; to be judged by independent experts
• Launch date 16.04.2012
• Deadline for submission of proposals: 3.09.2013, with mandatory registration of all participants by 30.04.2013 (further details on this new initiative will be provided in the coming weeks)
2. EDCTP Impact Assessment - update
• Assessing the impact of the EDCTP programme to launch of EDCTP- 2 initiative under Art. 185
• Funding scheme: CSA - by appointment of experts with an indicative budget of EUR 100 000
3. Assessment(s) on 'Impacts of Framework Programmes in the area of Public Health research'
• Thorough analysis of the impact of Framework programmes 5, 6 and 7 in the area of Public Health research
• Funding scheme: CSA - by appointment of experts with an indicative budget of EUR 100 000
Initial deadlines for applications for the 2012 FP7 Health Work Programme have now closed
As a reminder, the key priority areas for NHS organisations were as follows:
Active and healthy ageing
Supporting the goals of the active and healthy ageing European Innovation Partnership (EIP) is a major focus of the health theme, including ageing-related research into medical technologies in relation to detection, diagnosis & monitoring, innovative therapies, large-scale data gathering, systems biology, human development and ageing, chronic diseases, healthcare systems, support actions, and clinical trials including elderly patients.
SME relevant research
Promoting innovation by strengthening the links between academia and industry is the priority for this work programme. A number of topics under this theme, such as medical technologies, are specifically targeted at SMEs and SMEs are encouraged to lead projects for several topics. There is also a new pilot SME innovation call. NHS organisations may wish to consider working with SMEs in collaborative projects to increase the attractiveness of their bid.
Medical technologies
Focusing on organ transplantation and artificial organs, diagnostics for infectious diseases, management of diabetes, sensory impairment, chronic inflammatory disease and health technology assessments are priorities for this area.
Rare diseases
Projects that aim to develop new technologies for diagnosis and treatment, or develop new drugs to deal with rare diseases will be included under this priority. Projects will focus on using –omics technologies for better diagnosis and treatment, as well as pre-clinical or clinical development of orphan drugs.
Clinical trials
Clinical trials that aim to improve treatments for the elderly, paediatric /adolescent diabetes medicines and orphan drugs will be supported under this priority.
The budget allocation for projects to be funded in 2012 was approximately €620 million. The full call can be found here.
The European Office also produced a briefing on the health-related aspects of the 2012 call, which can be read here, and a shorter look at the non-health specific calls which could also be of interest, which can be read here.
For more information please contact Hazel.baird@nhsconfed.org or Michael.wood@nhsconfed.org.
2013 Work Programme
The initial priorities for the 2013 FP7 Health Work Programme are now being discussed and agreed at a European level. If you are thinking of applying for this funding programme and would like to discuss the emerging themes, then please contact: Hazel.Baird@nhsconfed.org.
We will list the final 2013 FP7 priorities on this web page when they are published.
It is worth noting that the 2013 call will be the final one in the current seven year funding cycle for the EU's Research Framework. Post 2013, research funding at a European level will be made available through Horizon 2020, though this is still at a very early stage in develoment. The NHS European Office will keep you updated on progress of Horizon 2020.
FP7 Evaluation
The European Commission has published the 3rd FP7 monitoring report covering the period 2007-9.The report notes that 22% of applications to all FP7 programs were successful. The UK has had the second highest uptake of FP7 funds during this period (Germany had the highest uptake).
Online resource for FP7 projects
Launched in summer 2010, www.healthcompetence.eu is an on line interactive search engine that aims to provide information on all projects related to life science and health which have received European Commission funding since 2004. The website includes details of 3,300 funded projects and information on over 5,000 partners.
Participation Portal
Please note that the future publication of the FP7 Health calls has switched from CORDIS to the Participant Portal. The Participant Portal, which can be accessed at: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal, is now the European Commission's single authoritative website for the publication of FP7 calls.
NHS involvement in FP7 at a glance
This project is focused on 'regional healthcare systems', where the main strategies and decisions are taken at a regional level. The aim is to develop a centralised approach to innovation and research, with full involvement of patients and clinicians, with the aim of introducing new technologies into the healthcare system.
NHS participant: Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
Total EU contribution: 2,750,000 EUR.
The main purpose of the EVINCI-study is to test the impact of combined “anatomo-functional”, non invasive, cardiac imaging for the detection and characterization of Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD). A part of the study will be dedicated to the development, in cooperation with industry, of an advanced informatics platform able to synthetically present to the end-user (patients, physicians, etc.) the integrated cardiological diagnostic profile of an individual patient, resulting from clinical-biohumoral and multi-imaging assessment.
NHS participant: Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
Total EU contribution: 2,700,000 EUR
The main goal of this proposal is to develop alternative high-throughput testing strategies using in vitro and in silico methods to assess the toxicological profile of Nanoparticles (NP) used in medical diagnostics.
NHS participant: University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Total EU contribution: 3,000,000 EUR