FUNDS FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Transforming the use of conventionally fuelled vehicles in urban areas

Deadline: 18th March 2014

Proposals should address one of the following domains:

• Comparing innovative policies, measures and tools that will, inter alia, halve the use of conventionally fuelled vehicles in cities, while increasing accessibility of urban areas and improve air quality and road safety. This could include:

– Assessing the role of regulatory measures, demand side measures, innovative mobility services and the promotion of alternative modes as part of wider package of technologies, policy-based and soft measures with a strong potential for replication. The related consensus building, information and communication activities should be fully integrated in the work.

– Exploring how changes in mobility behaviour, individual choices, and social norms can be catalysed, accelerated and guided towards modal shift, changing vehicle use or ownership, reducing the need for travel, new mobility patterns, or their combination. Relevant drivers and barriers could be identified. The research should gather, evaluate and disseminate techniques that can be employed, including approaches that use social media.

• Exploring policy frameworks and measures to ensure the uptake of alternative fuelled vehicle fleets in urban areas. This could include:

– Assessing the opportunities for large scale deployment of alternative fuel distribution infrastructure, including for electric vehicle recharging. This could include a comparative assessment of deployment approaches combined with the adequate vehicles. Research on partnerships, business models and planning/rollout approaches could be undertaken and standardisation aspects could form part of the work. Pre-commercial procurement initiatives could be facilitated.

– Analysing the potentials for upgrading and/or regenerating electric public transport systems (i.e. trolleybus, tram, light rail and metro) while ensuring the safe integration of electric vehicles into infrastructure, in line with the trend towards electromobility. This could include the evaluation of costs and benefits of development schemes, also addressing noise aspects, as well as knowledge transfer, exchange of experience and preparing policy recommendations. Activities to improve the operational potential and energy performance of electric public transport may be included.

Project Budget: between EUR 4 to 6 million each

Funding rate: 100%

Source: European Commission official website

For further information please contact us

FUNDS FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Smart Rail Services

Deadline: 18th March 2014 (pre-proposals)

Proposals should address one of the two main challenges:

1) Seamless multimodal travel

2) Logistic Services

Regarding Seamless multimodal travel, research and innovation activities should aim at conceiving and prototyping an on-line, mobile, suite of integrated facilities providing a whole new traveller experience throughout the journey (namely planning and reservation of user-friendly multimodal trips and services, including information related to the specific needs of persons with reduced mobility and to the environmental impact of user choices), easily accessible entitlements, validation and control for all transport modes, en-route assistance including re-accommodation. The whole process should be further supported by the necessary business analytics providing relevant feedback of traveller data with the aim of ensuring more robust and responsive transport operations. Developments should evolve on the basis of robust business models capable of guaranteeing the economics of these e-services in the long-term.

Regarding Logistic Services, proposals should aim at addressing the key challenges of freight through a systematic "top-down" approach that backtracks from the performance indicators to be achieved – either in a geographical reach perspective (i.e. applicability of the solutions on a European scale) or in market segmentation (e.g. trainload/intermodal/wagonload or commodity-based segments) - and define the optimal combination of business, operational and technological solutions that are required for their delivery. In view of the significant financial fragility of the sector, priority should be given to those aspects that maximise potential returns in the short-term and require only moderate investment.

Project Budget: around EUR 12 million for the first challenge (Seamless multimodal travel) and around EUR 6 million euro for the second challenge (Logistic services)

Funding rate: 100%

Source: European Commission official website

FUNDS FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT - AVIATION

Competitiveness of European Aviation through cost efficiency and innovation

Deadline: 18th March 2014 (for pre-proposals)

Regarding aircraft, research and innovation actions could target the development of technologies and methodologies which have the potential to save costs and time across the whole life cycle of the aircraft (design, production, maintenance, overhaul, repair and retrofit), including for certification aspects. Research and innovation actions could also target the integration of additional functions (e.g. sensing, actuating) or materials in structural components of the aircraft, the increased use of automation and artificial intelligence in control systems allowing versatility and new capabilities or to provide passenger with additional services on-board of the aircraft or at the airport.

Regarding air transport operations, research and innovation actions could target cost efficiency of ground operations, as well as innovative approaches which can reduce the needs or accelerate the pace of the training of personnel.

RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Deadline for presentation of concept notes: 30 January 2014

The global objective of this Call for Proposals is: to support actions, presented and implemented by

Non-State Actors and Local Authorities, aiming at raising public awareness of development issues and promoting development education in the European Union (EU) and acceding countries, to anchor development policy in European societies, to mobilise greater public support for action against poverty and for fairer relations between developed and developing countries, and to change attitudes to the issues and difficulties facing developing countries and their peoples.

Proposals must address one or several of the following issues:

• Basic living standards
• Drivers for inclusive and sustainable growth
• Sustainable management of natural resources
• Equality, equity and justice
• Peace and security

Detailed newsletter

Proposal of 2015 as European Year for Development

The EU's proposal that 2015 should be the European Year of Development has been adopted by the Commission and will now be considered for adoption by the Council and European Parliament. 2015 will be a pivotal year for development; it is the last year for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the year in which the major decisions will be taken on what their replacements will look like.

The EU is the biggest donor of the official development assistance (ODA) in the world. Four years after the adoption of the Agenda for Change (the European Commission's blueprint to refocus its development aid to make sure that it reaches those sectors and countries which need it most), 2015 is the ideal time for donors and stakeholders to come together to look at what has been achieved so far, and most importantly, what still needs to be done. Despite the current economic downturn, support for development remains high across the EU, with some 85% of EU citizens saying that Europe should continue helping developing countries despite the economic crisis, according to a recent Eurobarometer survey. 

The European Year of Development 2015 will be a key opportunity to raise awareness of development across Europe, and to show European taxpayers know that every euro spent on development benefits both people living in some of the world's poorest countries, and EU citizens themselves.

(source: European Commission)

European funds for culture

EuropeAid programme

EU grant funds for Supporting culture as a vector of democracy and economic growth 

Deadline: 18 December 2012 for concept notes

The call for proposals is divided into two lots, corresponding to two different specific objectives, as follows: 

Lot 1: Encourage cultural expressions which promote diversity, intercultural dialogue and human and cultural rights, in the context of reconciliation, conflict resolution and democratisation 

Target groups include cultural actors (such as policy-makers, artists and cultural workers), media, education professionals and civil society.  

Lot 2: Strengthen capacities of cultural actors for the development of a dynamic cultural sector contributing to economic growth and sustainable development 

Target groups include different categories of cultural actors, such as policy-makers, artists and cultural workers in general (including technicians, managers and professionals involved in production, promotion and distribution), entrepreneurs, etc., as well as other stakeholders involved in the cultural sector, including relevant public bodies, civil society organisations or private entities.

Detailed newsletter and official documents

EU Funds for research and developments

European funds for research: 7 Framework programme (7FP)

KBBE: knoweldge-based bio-economy

Deadline: 5 February 2013

Sustainable production and management of biological resources from land, forest and aquatic environments 

• Enabling research Area 
• Increased sustainability of all production systems (agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture); plant health and crop protection 
• Optimised animal health, production and welfare across agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture 
• Socio-economic research and support to policies 

European fundings for environment

Anticipation on the new call for proposal within the VII Framework programme for research and development: Environment

Topics will cover the following area:

• Coping with climate change
• Sustainable use and management of land and seas
• Improving resource efficiency
• Protecting citizens from environmental hazards
• Mobilising environmental knowledge for policy, industry and society
• Public-Private Partnership 'Energy Efficient Buildings Initiative'

European funding for GMES and GNSS based services

European Mobile and Mobility Industries Alliance: Phase II

Deadline: 27/06/2012

The overall purpose of this call is to extend the European Mobile and Mobility Alliance (EMMIA) in a second phase focused on a number of concrete and operational activities with special emphasis on promoting the further use of data and information from Earth monitoring and satellite navigation.

Strand 1  calls for the development and testing of new voucher schemes aimed at promoting the further use of GMES and GNSS based services in mobile services industries. Such vouchers schemes could either directly support mobile services providers (“Type A”) or the users of such mobile services (“Type B”). Strand 1 of the call will be implemented through a one-step application procedure.

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 biotechnology research

European gratn funds for industrial Research and development project in Biotechnology 

Deadline: 1st February 2012

MAIN AREAS OF INTERVENTION:

The strategic objective of the call is to foster the competitiveness of Europe’s biotechnology industry by supporting research intensive SMEs and their strategic partnerships. The programme focuses on supporting innovation and competitive research in SMEs by funding transnational projects with challenging application aspects and a substantial commercial impact on the market.

This call addresses applications in all fields of modern biotechnology, irrespective of particular branches (red, green, grey (environmental), white (industrial) and blue biotech projects are welcome).

Funding is intended for innovative biotech-projects in the fields of:

• Industrial research & development (planned research or critical investigation aimed at the acquisition of new knowledge and skills for developing new products, processes or services or for bringing about a significant improvement in existing products, processes or services. It comprises the creation of components of complex systems, which is necessary for the industrial research, notably for generic technology validation, to the exclusion of prototypes as covered by “experimental development”)
• Applied research (the implementation of the results of industrial research for the creation of commercial applications. Applied research is performed in order to solve specific, practical questions related to product development up to the first prototype).

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

Download a more detailed newsletter

Research on Transport and Aeronautics

Research funding in the field of Transports (including Aeronatics)

Deadline: 1st December 2011

MAIN AREAS OF INTERVENTION:

CHALLENGE 1. ECO-INNOVATION

ACTIVITY:THE GREENING OF AIR TRANSPORT

AREA: GREEN AIRCRAFT

• Flight physics
• Aerostructures
• Propulsion
• Systems and equipment
• Avionics

AREA: ECOLOGICAL PRODUCTION AND MAINTENANCE

• Production
• Maintenance and disposal

AREA: GREEN AIR TRANSPORT OPERATIONS

• Flight and Air Traffic Management
• Airports
• Demonstration of breakthrough sub-system enabling high overall pressure ratio engines.

CHALLENGE 2. SAFE AND SEAMLESS MOBILITY

ACTIVITY: INCREASING TIME EFFICIENCY

AREA: TIME EFFICIENT AIR TRANSPORT OPERATIONS

• Airports

ACTIVITY: ENSURING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND SAFETY

AREA:PASSENGER FRIENDLY CABIN

• Noise and vibration
• Systems and equipment

AREA: AIRCRAFT SAFETY

• Aerostructures
• Systems and equipment
• Human factors
• Propulsion: tolerance to particle ingestion
• Innovative approach to helicopter safety

AREA: OPERATIONAL SAFETY

• Design systems and tools
• Maintenance
• Airports
• Human factors
• Integrated approach to safe flights under icing conditions.
• Integrated approach and demonstration of safe operations under crew peak workload / reduced crew configuration.

ACTIVITY:PROTECTION OF AIRCRAFT AND PASSENGERS

AREA: AIRCRAFT SECURITY

• Aerostructures

CHALLENGE 3: COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH INNOVATION

ACTIVITY: IMPROVING COST EFFICIENCY

AREA: AIRCRAFT DEVELOPMENT COST

• Design systems and tools
• Aerostructures
• Systems and equipment
• Avionics
• Production

AREA: AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL COST

• Flight Physics
• Aerostructures
• Systems
• Maintenance and repair

AREA: AIR TRANSPORT SYSTEM OPERATIONAL COST

• Design systems and tools
• Human factors
• Integrated approach and demonstration to lean manufacturing of metal, composite and hybrid aircraft / engine structures

ACTIVITY: PIONEERING THE AIR TRANSPORT OF THE FUTURE

CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITIES

• European Air Transport System scenario elaboration and trend assessment capability.
• Attracting young Europeans to future careers in the field of aeronautics.
• Supporting organisation of conferences and events of special relevance to Aeronautics and Air Transport research
• Assessment of the potential insertion of unmanned aerial system in the air transport system.
• Efficient airports for Europe
• Airport centred co-modality and intermodality
• Facilitating access to aircraft for disabled people

Download a more detailed newsletter

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

Download a more detailed newsletter

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

Download a more detailed newsletter

Research on Environment (including climate change)

Two calls are expected under the FP7 Environment Theme targeting five challenges, including climate change, sustainable use and management of land and seas, improving resource efficiency, protecting citizens from environmental hazards, and mobilizing environmental knowledge for policy, industry and society.

Specific objectives for the environment and climate research are:

• Provide knowledge-based options for addressing major societal challenges notably climate change, biodiversity loss, land and sea management and resource efficiency.
• Develop and strengthen European leadership in innovation including key environmental technologies pursuing a broad concept of innovation, both research driven innovation and new business models, eco-design, services (e.g. ecosystem services) and innovation in policy, governance and consumption behaviour.
• Promote and facilitate knowledge transfer, assessment, uptake and exploitation of scientific data and results, in particular through demonstration and delivery of innovative tools and services such as ecosystem services and earth observation systems.

Publication Date: 20/07/2011

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.

European grant in MACRO AND NANO ELECTRONICS

Deadline: 15th September 2011

AUTOMOTIVE AND TRANSPORT

• Intelligent electric vehicle (EV)
• Safety in traffic

COMMUNICATION & DIGITAL LIFESTYLES

• Internet multimedia services
• Evolution to a digital life style

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

• Energy distribution and management – smart grid
• Reduction of energy consumption

HEALTH AND THE AGING SOCIETY

• Home healthcare
• Hospital healthcare

DESIGN TECHNOLOGIES

• Managing complexity
• Managing diversity
• Design for reliability and yield

SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESS AND INTEGRATION

• Know-how for advanced and emerging semiconductor processes
• Competitiveness through semiconductor process differentiation
• Opportunities in system-in-package

EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND MANUFACTURING

• Advanced cmos – 1X nm & 450mm
• Manufacturing

SAFETY & SECURITY

• Securing the European challenging Applications

European Grants for transnational cooperation

European funding: TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION PROJECTS WITHIN THE CENTRAL EUROPE

DEADLINE: 14th October 2011.

BENEFICIARIES:

Partnerships consisting of public and private representatives of at least three member states have the possibility to submit their project proposals with the aim to improve quality of life of Central European citizens.
List of the eligible countries/regions

ACTIVITIES:

Projects partners are invited to submit their projects within one of the four project priorities:

• innovation,

• accessibility,

• environment

• competiveness of cities and regions

Areas of Intervention.

• Fostering knowledge development

• Promoting information and communication technology

• Supporting environmentally friendly technologies and activities

• Developing polycentric settlement structures and territorial cooperation.

• Capitalising on Cultural Resources