Challenging current thinking

Target outcomes

This objective supports the exploration of new and alternative ideas that, because of their risky or non-conventional nature, would not be supported elsewhere in the ICT Work Programme. It seeks:

• Foundational breakthroughs as crucial steps towards new forms and uses of information and information technologies within a clear long-term vision that is far beyond the state of the art.
• Ambitious proof-of-concept and its supporting scientific foundation, where novelty comes from new, high-risk ideas rather than from the refinement of current ICT approaches.
• New inter-disciplinary collaborations, possibly with prominent and internationally recognized non-EU research teams where these can provide a significant added valu. 

Expected impact

For STREP projects:

• Opening new avenues of research towards future ICT that may be radically different from present day ICT.
• Strengthening the future potential for high-risk/high-impact research and innovation.
• New research alliances in transformative research, exploiting synergies in the global science and technology scene for increased impact and excellence.
  

For CSA projects:

• Catalyse transformative effects on the communities and practices for high-risk and high-impact research and on mechanisms to support the global nature of such a research.
• New, engaged and risk-taking research communities prepared to develop new and non-conventional approaches for addressing future challenges in science and society.

Indicative budget

EUR 75 million, out if which a maximum of EUR 7.5 million for CSA. This is an indicative budget which is expected to be committed for successful proposals from the cut-off dates 06/07/2010 up to and including 10/04/2012 - (batches 9 to 13 included).