Call for specific support actions across the thematic area 'life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health'

Brussels, 15 Jul 2003

The European Commission has published a call for proposals for strategic specific support actions across the thematic priority 'life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health' (area 1.3 of the work programme). This is one of the areas covered by the 'integrating the European Research Area [ERA]' specific programme of the Sixth Framework Programme.

The areas covered by this call are:
- Promotion of SME participation;
- Stimulating international co-operation;
- Linking with candidate countries;
- Stimulating exploitation: promotion and facilitation of assessment, dissemination, transfer, exploitation, and/or broad take-up of research results stemming from past and present EU programmes. These activities must aim over and above the standard diffusion and exploitation activities of individual projects, and may include modelling, experience-sharing or other fact-finding activities at the junction of initiatives of public and private partners involved in biotechnology innovation;
- Realising ERA objectives: activities contributing to the strategic objectives of the European Research Area in fields covered by this priority, such as pilot initiatives on benchmarking, cartography, networking, the debate on human values and technology options, or the collective management of the knowledge infrastructures of the future, etc.
- EU strategy for life sciences and biotechnology: specific support actions will be funded as necessary to implement any of the 30 actions listed in the Action Plan attached to COM(2002). Particular attention will be paid to support those actions relating to the resource base: investing in education and training, research, exploitation of intellectual property, the capital base and networks in Europe; to governing life sciences and biotechnology: social scrutiny and dialogue, consideration of ethical values and societal goals and to those actions relating to the European response to global challenges: international collaborations, poverty related diseases and the developing world.
- Supporting policy development: activities supporting future research policy developments such as prospective and foresight studies, analysis and evaluation of impact of past EU research programmes. Prospective studies on the impact of research policy on other policies (i.e. industry, health, trade, etc), and vice versa, are also welcomed.

In specifying the instruments to be used in these areas, the call requests the use of specific support actions. Proposers are advised to consult the full call text at the address below in order to find out the particular instruments requested for each area.

The total indicative budget for this call is four million euro in 2004.

To see the call text, please visit:
http://fp6.cordis.lu/fp6/call_details.cf m?CALL_ID=88
The deadline for submitting proposal documents is 15.4.2004

Before contacting the Commission, proposers are strongly advised to consult the original call text in the Official Journal of the European Union at the reference below.

Document Reference: OJ No C164 of 15 July 2003, p.15

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