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The European Union's Seventh Framework Program for Research and Technological Development (FP7) is planned for 7 years and will be active from 2007 to 2013.
FP7's budget is still being negotiated between the European Council of Ministers, the European Parliament and the European Commission. It is currently estimated that the overall budget for FP7 will be 49 billion €.
FP7's first calls for proposals are to be published by the end of 2006.

FP7 aims for simplified instruments and procedures for funding and participation. Collaborative research will be based around broad research themes, rather than instruments, with much continuity from FP6 as well as the addition of two new topics, space and security.

The broad objectives of FP7 have been grouped into four categories: Cooperation, Ideas, People and Capacities. For each type of objective, there is a specific programme corresponding to the main areas of EU research policy. All specific programmes work together to promote and encourage the creation of European poles of (scientific) excellence.

Cooperation

  • The specific programme on 'Cooperation' supports all types of research activities carried out by different research bodies in trans-national cooperation. Eligible actions range from collaborative research projects and the creation of networks to the establishment of European Technology Platforms and the coordination of non-EU research programmes. International cooperation with non-EU countries is also included. Accounting for over half FP7's total budget, the 'Cooperation' Programme aims to gain or consolidate leadership in key scientific and technology areas.
  • The programme will be sub-divided into nine distinct themes. Each one will be operationally autonomous while at the same time ensuring coherence within the Cooperation Programme and allowing for joint activities cutting across different themes, through, for example, joint calls.

    - Health
    -     Food, agriculture and biotechnology
    -     Information and communication technologies. See also FP7 on ICT
    -     Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies
    -     Energy
    -     Environment (including climate change)
    - Transport (including aeronautics)
    -     Socio-economic sciences and the humanities
    -     Security and Space

    Ideas

    The specific programme for 'Ideas' aims to support frontier research at the existing borders of knowledge, carried out by individual teams in all scientific and technological fields, including engineering, socioeconomic sciences and the humanities. The investigator-driven programme will be carried out by an independent European Research Council (ERC) to stimulate creativity, excellence and the discovery of radical, new knowledge.

    People

    The Specific Programme on 'People' provides support to researchers, supporting their career development and mobility by means of an expansion of the existing 'Marie Curie' exchange programme. These actions will be reinforced and refocused on key aspects of skills and career development, while also strengthening the links with national research systems. The overall aim is to strengthen, qualitatively and quantitatively, human resources in the European research sector.

    Capacities

    The specific programme on 'Capacities' will focus on improving research capacities throughout Europe. The main actions include support to research infrastructures, research for the benefit of SMEs, regional research-driven clusters, help for convergence regions to unlock their full research potential, 'Science in Society' (activities aimed at strengthening the link between science and society in general) and horizontal activities of international cooperation.

    In addition, there will also be a Specific Programme for non-nuclear research carried out directly
    by the Joint Research Centre (JRC).

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