URBACT Call for Proposals for the Creation of Pilot Networks

Deadline 04 November 2013

URBACT Call for proposals is now open for the creation of up to 4 Pilot Networks for the transfer of good practice in the field of integrated and sustainable urban development.

In URBACT II, the focus of exchange networks has been on fostering integrated and participative approaches to urban policies through sharing experience and practices, and improving local policies (production of Local Action Plans). The full chain of identification, transfer and validation of "good practices" in the field of urban policies has barely been explored. It is proposed to experiment this "capitalisation of good practices" process with small scale pilot projects under the current programme so as to explore tools and processes to be embedded in URBACT III. T

The pilot Transfer Networks shall aim to: 

1. Support the validation of good practices through the transfer (re-use) by cities in the framework of a transnational exchange and learning project. 

2. Identify key elements of success for the transfer of the selected practices 

 3. Explore how transnational cooperation can support the identification, validation, dissemination and active in-take of good practices in the field of integrated sustainable urban development (in the perspective of the URBACT III programme, with a focus on the EU2020 objectives).

More generally, these pilot Transfer networks shall allow the programme to explore how URBACT III could, building on transnational cooperation, foster and support the mapping, re-use and validation of good practices. 

The budget of the Pilot Transfer Networks will range from 250.000 to 400.000 EUR depending on the number of partners involved. Cities will need to consider their financial contribution to the project as co-financing is fixed at a maximum of 70% for competitiveness regions and 80% for convergences regions 

For further information please CONTACT US

Prevention of and Fight against Crime

European funds for Prevention of and Fight against Crime 

Deadline 10 August and 12 October 2012 

Proposals submitted should target at least one of the following specific objectives of the Programme:

- to stimulate, promote and develop horizontal methods and tools necessary for strategically preventing and fighting crime and guaranteeing security and public order such as the work carried out in the European Union Crime Prevention Network, public-private partnerships, best practices in crime prevention, comparable statistics, applied criminology and an enhanced approach towards young offenders; 

- to promote and develop coordination, cooperation and mutual understanding among law enforcement agencies, other national authorities and related Union bodies in respect of the priorities identified by the Council in particular as set out by the Europol's Organised Crime Threat Assessment; 

- to promote and develop best practices for the protection and support witnesses; 

- to promote and develop best practices for the protection of crime victims.

European grant funds: IPA Europeaid

EuropeAid: IPA Information and Communication Programme 2011

Deadline: 8th May 2012

This Call for Proposals has three distinct priorities. Therefore, it is divided in three lots and the funding is broken down by lot:

· LOT 1: actions aiming at informing the general public about the EU, its policies and the benefits of EU membership (mainly through public activities and with the help of media);

· LOT 2: initiatives targeting at bringing the EU closer to Croatian youth, most notably the eurosceptics among them (age group from 16 to 26, but not exclusively);

· LOT 3: proposals focusing on informing and educating various specific segments of the public on the possibilities of EU funds.

European funds for Security (2)

European funds for research and development: Security

Deadline: 23rd November 2011

BENEFICIARIES:
Any legal entities established in a Member State or Associated country

Activity: Intelligent surveillance and border security

Sea borders

• Increasing trustworthiness of vessel reporting systems
• Pre-Operational Validation (POV) at EU level of common application of Surveillance tools

Border checks

• Research on "automated" comparison of x-ray images for cargo scanning with reference material (use of historic images in an automated environment) to identify irregularities
• Research and validation for sub-surface fingerprint live scanners
• Tools and processes for assessing the impact of policies/actions on border control
• Innovative, costefficient and reliable technology to detect humans hidden in vehicles/closed compartments
• Further research, development and pilot implementation of Terahertz passive detection techniques (T-Ray)
• Enhancing the workflow and functionalities of Automated Border Control (ABC) gates

Border intelligent surveillance

• Development of airborne sensors and data link

Activity: Restoring security and safety in case of crisis
Preparedness, prevention, mitigation and planning

• Preparedness for and management of large scale fires
• Psycho social support in Crisis Management

Response

• Positioning and timing tools to guarantee security assets trace and tracking together with worker safety in a secure environment
• Situational awareness guidance and evacuation systems for large crowds, including crowds unpredictable behaviour
• Post crisis lesson learned exercise

Recovery

• Next generation damage and post-crisis needs assessment tool for reconstruction and recovery planning

CBRN Response

• Development of mobile laboratories, structures and functions to support rapid assessment of CBRN events with a cross-border or international impact
• Means of decontamination of large groups, urban/wide areas and large, complex and/or sensitive object
• Tools for detection, traceability, triage and individual monitoring of victims after a mass contamination

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European research grants in the field of environment

Research fundings for the environemnt

DEADLINE: 20^th October 2011

MAIN AREAS OF INTERVENTION:

1. Coping with climate change

• Exploiting the full potential of economic instruments to contribute to achieving the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction objectives for 2050 (CP)
• Explore opportunities, risks and feasibility and policy implications associated with key geo-engineering options

2. Sustainable use and management of land and seas

• Improve scientific knowledge base to support the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (“The Ocean of Tomorrow”)
• Development of advanced technologies and tools for mapping, diagnosing, excavating and securing underwater and coastal archaeological sites

3. Improving resources efficiency

• Policy options for a resource efficient economy
• Development of resource efficiency indicators
• Support for standardisation needs in the field of environment  

4. Mobilising environmental knowledge

• Exploring opportunities for open access to primary environmental data
• Integrated assessment of air pollution supporting the revision of EU air quality legislation

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Research funds in the field of Environment

European research funds: Cooperation with India

Deadline: 20th October 2011 (for preproposals)

AREA OF INTERVENTION:
Water technology: research and innovation

• Water purification
• Water reclamation
• Water reuse

The objective of this call is to develop:

• Reliable and cost-effective solutions for producing clean and safe drinking water at community level
• Reliable, rapid and cost-effective monitoring techniques for the detections of water contaminants
• Cost-effective low energy technologies for treatment of municipal and household wastewater including disposal of sludge/energy recovery from sludge
• Techniques for online pathogen monitoring for safe reuse of treated water for intended application

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Research on Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and Production Technologies

The new call for proposal will be published on 20th July 2011.

Main Activites for 2012 research projects:

The focus will be on  smart and sustainable growth, for a greener industry

The activites proposed in the programme will support the European Economic Recovery Plan, through three Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): 'Factories of the future', 'Energy efficient Buildings' and 'Green cars'.

With regard to specific challenges, the following issues are addressed:

• Energy and Energy efficiency
• Environmental issues and sustainable development 
• Raw Materials 
• Health and safety 
• Factories of the Future 
• European energy-efficient buildings 
• Green Cars

If you are interested in this call, please contact us for further information.

COOPERATION BETWEEN HIGHER ACADEMIC ISTITUTIONS AFRICA-CARRIBEAN-PACIFIC

DEADLINE: MAY  6^TH, 2011.

The objective of the programme is to promote sustainable development and poverty alleviation by increasing the availability of trained and qualified high-level professional manpower in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

BENEFICIARIES:

Eligible applicants are Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific that provide courses at the graduate and/or doctoral level of higher education, recognised by the competent authorities in their own country.

Eligible activities

The project will involve the identification of existing high quality master and doctoral programmes, the organisation and implementation of student and staff mobility at these levels of higher education, the provision of education/training and other services to foreign students and teaching/training and research assignments and other services to staff from the country/-ies covered by the project.

AIM OF THE PROGRAMME

•  provide access to higher education for students including those from disadvantaged groups,
• facilitate cooperation on recognition of studies and qualifications,
• contribute to the improvement of the quality of higher education through the promotion of internationalisation, and harmonisation of programmes and curricula within participating institutions,
• enhance the international cooperation capacity of HEIs in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries,
• promote cooperation between sending and hosting institutions,
• enable students, academics and staff to benefit linguistically, culturally and professionally from the experience gained in the context of mobility to another country,
• enhance, in the medium-term, the political, cultural, educational and economical links between the participating countries.