CORDIS Archive

European Science Foundation paper on the 5th Framework Programme

The following contains a summary of the position of the European Science Foundation (ESF) on the shape of the European Community's 5th RTD Framework Programme. The ESF represents 59 major research funding agencies in 21 European countries.

The ESF has picked out five major themes around which the European research agenda should, in its opinion, be centred, together with a number of priority areas for research within these themes:

• Information and communications technology - the perpetual revolution: using information; the digital society
• Industrial technologies for complex systems and products: man-machine interface; micro-systems; health engineering; energy systems; clean processing systems and materials flows; energy technologies; materials technologies
• Molecular mechanisms in life and health: beyond the genomes; structural biology; integrated biology
• Sustaining our environment: sustainable use of natural resources; managing environmental resources; environment and health
• Change and stability in European society: driving forces of the European economy; European institution building; culture as an integrating force; a mobile society; households and lifestyles

The ESF paper discusses ways in which to improve the capacity of European research. Pooling expertise and building on existing strengths, particularly through training and mobility of researchers, will be the key. In particular, improved links between industry and the scientific community need to be formed. The ESF also advocates further development of a European policy on research infrastructure, and stresses the importance of integrating scientists from Central and East European countries.

The paper calls for programme management to be decentralized, to ensure that EC research is more science driven. Long-term research must be addressed to support knowledge generation. The paper also calls for more flexibility in the specific programmes and greater coordination between them.

In respect of evaluation procedures, the ESF raises the possibility of pre-screening and is in favour of greater targeting, in order to lower the rejection rate in calls for proposals. The peer review process could be improved, particularly by moderating the volume of demand. Transparency must, however, be maintained.

Copies of the paper may be obtained from: