European Commission: CORDIS: FP7

Capacities

Research potential of Convergence Regions

Find calls for this theme

Objective

Stimulating the realisation of the full research potential of the enlarged European Union by unlocking and developing the research potential in the EU´s ‘convergence regions’ and outermost regions, and helping to strengthen the capacities of their researchers to successfully participate in research activities at EU level.

Why is it important?

In order to support the realisation of the full research potential of the enlarged European Research Area, this action will seek to unlock the potential of research groups in the convergence regions and outermost regions of the EU.

What will be funded?

FP7 will provide support for:

Trans-national two-way secondments of research staff in the convergence regions;
The acquisition and development of research equipment in selected centres;
The organisation of workshops and conferences to facilitate knowledge transfer;
‘Evaluation facilities’ for research centres in the ‘Convergence regions’ to obtain an international independent expert evaluation of their research quality and infrastructures.

‘Research potential’ is a bottom-up scheme, the projects may address any research theme of FP7.

The Funding scheme for this activity will be ‘Coordination and Support Actions’.

Calls

The European Commission will fund ‘Research potential’ activities by selecting project proposals submitted following the publication of a ‘Call for proposals’. When the first calls of the ‘Research potential’ Work Programme are published they will be announced on this page. Read more…

Budget:

The EU Member States have earmarked a total of € 340 million for funding these activities over the duration of FP7.

Other relevant European activities

Strong synergies will be sought with the EU's regional policy. Actions supported under this heading will identify needs and opportunities for reinforcing the research capacities of emerging and existing centres of excellence in Convergence Regions which may be met by the Structural and Cohesion Funds.

Since October 2010 the Synergies Expert Group (SEG), made up of experts, rapporteurs and representatives from FP7, the Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) and the Cohesion Policy Funds, has been analysing how EU research policy should be aligned across the main European research policy framework programmes and actions.

In June 2011, the group published a report containing several key recommendations for the future of EU research policy. A key pillar of the SEG report was ensuring the regional aspect of research remains at the top of the EU policy agenda. This same topic was a feature shared with another report 'Analysis and recommendations for the future evolution of the Research Potential Activity of the EU-EU FP7 Capacities Programme'. Written by the Expert Group on Research Potential Project Portfolio, the authors made recommendations for the continuing evolution of the Research Potential programme.

ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/seg-final_en.pdf

Analysis and recommendations for the future evolution of the Research Potential Activity of the EU-EU FP7 Capacities Programme:

ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/potential-activity-report_en.pdf

For more information, please visit:

Final Report of the Synergies Expert Group:

For further information, see the following pages on related initiatives, the CORDIS Regional Service and the Regional aspects of research under FP7.

For networking and support, see also the European Network for the Research Potential programme (ResPotNet).