Seventh Framework Programme

The Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development, also called Framework Programmes or abbreviated FP1 through FP8, are funding programmes created by the European Union in order to support and encourage research in the European Research Area (ERA). The specific objectives and actions vary between funding periods.

The framework programmes up until Framework Programme 6 covered five-year periods. The Sixth Framework Programme took place from 3 June 2002 until 2006. From Framework Programme 7 on, programmes runs for seven years (2007 – 2013). The Eighth Framework Programme will run from 2014 until 2020.

The EC budget for the FP7 programme is € 50.5 billion. Overall, this represents a 41% increase from FP6 at 2004 prices and 63% at current prices. FP7 is also designed to respond to Europe’s employment needs and competitiveness. FP7 supports research in selected priority areas – the aim being to make, or keep, the EU as a world leader in those sectors.

The COOPERATION Programme

FP7 is made up of 4 main blocks of activities forming 4 specific programmes plus a fifth specific

programme on nuclear research, including COOPERATION, IDEAS, PEOPLE, CAPACITIES and NUCLEAR. The AfriCAN Climate Project is co-funded within the COOPERATION – Collaborative research block, providing research support to international cooperation projects across the European Union and beyond, in order to address European social, economic, environmental, public health and industrial challenges, serve the public good and support developing countries. COOPERATION supports research in the following thematic areas:

  • Health
  • Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology
  • Information and Communication Technologies
  • Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies
  • Energy
  • Environment (including climate change)
  • Transport (including Aeronautics)
  • Socio-economic sciences and Humanities
  • Security
  • Space

The inter-disciplinary climate change field is not only covered by the “Environment” Theme, but also by Health, Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology, Energy and Transport.  The AfriCAN Climate portal has been designed to disseminate climate change related research results from all these fields.

The FP7 AFRICA CALL 2010

On 30 July 2009, the AFRICA CALL 2010 was published by DG RTD under FP7 implemented jointly by the Themes “Health”, “Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology” and “Environment (including climate change)”. The aim of this call was to address some of the Science & Technology objectives of the "Africa – EU Strategic Partnership" putting emphasis on "Water and Food Security and "Better Health for Africa". This call had a multi-disciplinary approach involving various scientific and technological research fields, such as food, agriculture, health, land and water resources, including their interaction with climate change.

Under the AfriCAN Climate portal section “EC Projects and Clusters”, you can find examples of projects and project clusters supported by the AFRICA CALL 2010, as well as by other calls published within the 6th and 7th EU Framework Programmes.

The Participant Portal

Since July 2011 the Participant Portal is the single authoritative web site that published FP7 calls. The Participant Portal is your entry point for electronic administration of EU-funded research and innovation projects, and hosts the services for managing your proposals and projects throughout their lifecycle.

Currently the portal covers mainly actions under the 7th EU-Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7). In the future, its coverage will be extended to other programmes in the area of research and innovation.

NCPs Network of National Contact Points (NCPs) in Member States and Associated States

The NCP network is the main provider of advice and individual assistance in all Member States and Associated States. The Participant Portal provides a service to easily find the contact details of the designated National Contact Points for your country. Since NCPs are appointed for each of the areas of FP7, when seeking support you should contact the NCP relevant to your area of interest.

The Environmental NCP Together project was set up to reinforce the cooperation between the people and institutions appointed as national contact points (NCP) for the theme Environment in 7th Framework Programme (FP 7). This project is a set of coherent activities and tasks that gathers Environment NCP from EU member States and Associated States, including states from Africa, with the main goal to improve their services offered to potential proposers and to support integration of Environment NCPs from International Cooperation Countries with important research potential, where NCP or similar networks were established for dissemination of information on FP 7 were already set up. The Environmental NCP Together joined the AfriCAN Climate project as a Supporter.