Two new research groups at the University of Bergen (UiB) have been invited to participate in funding contract discussions with administrators of the EU’s 6th Framework research funding programme (FP6, 2002-2006).
According to UiB’s Division of Research Management, this underlines that there remain good EU funding opportunities for UiB research groups. They also encourage researchers to begin to think about strategies for seeking funding from the 7th Framework programme (FP7), which begins in 2007 (2007-2013).
Two new EU projects
The two research groups are FEMCIT, led by Tone Hellesund and EUROSPHERE, co-ordinated by Yngve Lithman and Hacan Sicakkan.
FEMCIT, the Construction of Female Citizenship, addresses the impact of recent women’s movements on contemporary gendered citizenship in Europe today. Around 15 researchers from nine different countries are investigating which strategies have been successful, and what differences exist between diverse European regions today.
EUROSPERE or “Diversity and the European Public Sphere – Towards Citizens’ Europe”, is a continuation of a research collaboration involving around 20 European researchers. The project focuses on how a person can be an effective citizen in a unified Europe, and analyses which social considerations help to develop a feeling of belonging to Europe.
Both projects are integrated projects (IP), part of thematic priority 7, Citizenship and Governance. They are two of fourteen that have been selected for support. The two projects must complete agreement formalities with all participating researchers before the final funding details with EU can be completed.
UiB researchers have co-ordinating roles in two other large European research projects supported by 6th Framework funding; one in climate research and one in cancer research.
Looking ahead to FP7
Astrid Bårdgard, a senior advisor at the Division of Research Management at UiB, is very pleased with the news about the two projects. “It demonstrates that the EU funding possibilities are better than we had feared at the beginning of FP6,” she says.
Bårdgard is now working on strategies relating to the EU’s newest funding programme, FP7, which will begin in 2007, while application details will become available towards the end of 2006.
Bårdgard explains that obtaining EU funding is critically important for the results-based part of an institution’s budget. This part of the budget is based on a relative distribution of funding, which, very roughly stated, means that every kroner of EU support is matched by around 0.85 kroner from the university’s research budget. However, she underlines, the benefits of international collaboration and not financial considerations should be the driving force behind the establishment of international research efforts.
Think EU
The main aspects of UiB’s strategy towards FP7 are that individual research groups should be made more aware of the FP7 opportunities and should be encouraged to undertake more responsibility themselves. Details will shortly be discussed by the university’s Research Committee.
“We would like people to be much more aware of EU research priorities and funding possibilities, and for research groups to already be thinking about how to possibly orient themselves towards FP7,” says UiB’s Vice-Rector for International Relations, Kjersti Fløttum. “It is critical to be involved in the process early, when it is most possible to influence developments in the programme,” she adds. Both she and Bårdgard strongly encourage academic milieux at UiB to begin active planning now. They would like research groups to reflect on how their research activity relates to the thematic areas that have been defined for FP7 and encourage all university researchers to participate in discussions about research priorities.
“Even though the over-riding framework for FP7 has now been defined, there is still room for discussion and developments within the framework,” explains Bårdgard. She underlines that being part of an international network can be particularly helpful in this aspect.
Fløttum highlights the competency the Division of Research Management has developed and which can be of tremendous help to groups submitting funding applications, in particular with respect to budgeting and leadership issues. Enthusiasm and determination continue to be necessary requirements for a successful application process.
Tough competition
There are nine thematic areas in FP7. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Health have been granted the most funding, with 12.6 and 8.2 billion euros respectively. Socio-economic Sciences and Humanity research will receive the lowest amount of funding, together receiving 792 million euros in funding.
In addition to funding applications by large trans-national research networks, FP7 includes a programme called ‘Ideas’ that will be administered by the newly established European Research Council. Ideas is a programme that will fund basic research projects. Details about the programme are currently being worked out.
“The competition for funding will be tough,” says Bårdgard, “but they would like to encourage some of the high quality research groups at UiB to ‘go for it’!” It is also important for UiB scientists to be a part of EU research networks, not just trying to co-ordinate them, stresses Bårdgard.
The Division of Research Management at UiB is now going around to the various Faculties and research centres to mobilise and inform scientists. They are also working closely with the Research Council of Norway. According to Bårdgard, the FP7 priorities will also have an influence on Norwegian research funding priorities in the years to come.