The following explanations are provided for clarity and easy-reference. They have no legal authority, and do not replace any official definitions set out in the Council decisions.
N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
A
Acknowledgement of receipt
Applicants are informed by email shortly after the deadline that a proposal has been successfully submitted (but not that it is necessarily eligible). Contact the help desk urgently if you do not receive such an acknowledgement.
Applicant
This term is used generally to describe a person or entity applying to a call for proposal. In the context of the individual-driven Marie Curie Actions (i.e. where a single researcher applies for funding together with a host organisation) the term 'applicant' is used to refer to the applicant researcher, whereas the term 'participant' refers to the host organisation.
Assimilated Nationals
are nationals of Third Countries having legally resided, and having had their main activity (work, studies, etc.), in Member States/Associated Countries for at least three out of the last four years, measured at the relevant deadline for submission, or at the time of selection by the host organisation, depending on the action. For the purposes of the Marie Curie Actions, these researchers assume the nationality of the country in which they have resided the longest during the past four years.
Associated countries
Non-EU countries which are party to an international agreement with the Community, under the terms or on the basis of which they make a financial contribution to all or part of the Seventh Framework Programme. In the context of proposal consortia, organisations from these countries are treated on the same footing as those in the EU. The list of associated countries is given in the Guide for Applicants for each call.
AWARDS
Marie Curie Awards (no further calls are foreseen for this action).
B
C
Call fiche
The part of the work programme giving the basic data for a call for proposals (e.g. budget, deadline etc). It is posted as a separate document on the CORDIS web page devoted to a particular call.
Call for proposals (or "call")
An announcement, usually in the Official Journal, inviting proposals for research, training and/or transfer of knowledge activities depending on the type of Marie Curie Action. Full information on the call can be found on the CORDIS web-site.
CIG
Marie Curie Career Integration Grants
COFUND
Marie Curie Co-funding of Regional, National, and International Programmes.
Consensus meeting
The stage in the proposal evaluation process when experts come together to establish a common view on a particular proposal.
Consortium
Some Marie Curie schemes require proposals from a number of participants who agree to work together in what is commonly referred to as 'a consortium'.
Continuous submission
Some calls (e.g. ERG & IRG) are open for an extended period, during which proposals may be submitted at any moment. In these cases, proposals are evaluated in batches after fixed cut-off dates.
Coordinator
The coordinator leads and represents the applicants. He or she acts as the point of contact with the Commission.
CORDIS service
A web service providing access to all the documentation related to FP7, and access to the electronic proposal submission service.
Cut-off date
An intermediate date in the context of a call operating a continuous submission procedure. Proposals are evaluated in batches after each cut-off date.
D
Deadline
For a particular call, the moment after which proposals cannot be submitted to the Commission, and when the Electronic Proposal Submission Service closes for that call. Deadlines are strictly enforced.
Deliverable
A deliverable represents a verifiable output of the project. Deliverables are often written reports but can also take another form, for example the completion of a prototype etc.
Direct costs
Direct costs are all eligible costs which can be attributed directly to the project and are identified by the participant as such, in accordance with its accounting principles and its usual internal rules.
E
Early-stage researchers
are defined as those who are, at the time of selection by the host institution, in the first four years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers. This is measured from the date when they obtained the degree which would formally entitle them to embark on a doctorate, either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country in which the research training is provided, irrespective of whether or not a doctorate is envisaged.
Experienced researchers
must, at the time of the relevant deadline for submission or selection by the host organisation, depending on the action, either be in possession of a doctoral degree, irrespective of the time taken to acquire it, or have at least four years of full-time equivalent research experience, including the period of early stage research defined above.
Electronic Proposal Submission Service (EPSS)
A web-based service which must be used to submit proposals to the Commission. Access is given through the CORDIS web-site, or via a specific site.
Electronic Proposal Submission Service (EPSS) Helpdesk
A telephone / email service to assist applicants who have difficulty in submitting their proposal via the Electronic Proposal Submission System:
tel: +32 2 233 3760
email: support@epss-fp7.org
Eligibility Review Committee
An internal committee which examines in detail cases of proposals whose eligibility for inclusion in an evaluation is in question.
Eligibility criteria
The minimum conditions which a proposal must fulfil if it is to be retained for evaluation. The eligibility criteria in FP7 relate first and foremost to submission before the deadline, minimum participation, completeness and scope. However, additional eligibility criteria apply to certain Marie Curie Actions and may relate to e.g. research experience of the applicant, nationality etc. Applicants should check the work programme, and the Guide for Applicants for the relevant action.
ERG
Marie Curie European Reintegration grants.
Ethical issues table
Research activities supported by the Framework Programme should respect fundamental ethical principles. The main issues which might arise in a project are summarised in tabular form in a checklist included in the proposal.
Evaluation criteria
The criteria against which eligible proposals are assessed by independent experts. The evaluation criteria are generally the same for all Marie Curie Actions, and relate to S/T quality, Training/Transfer of Knowledge, Impact, and Implementation. However, additional evaluation criteria may apply to certain calls, and applicants should check the work programme, and the relevant Guide for Applicants.
Evaluation Summary Report (ESR)
The assessment of a particular proposal following the evaluation by independent experts is provided in an Evaluation Summary Report. It normally contains both comments and scores for each criterion.
F
FP7 enquiry service
A general information service on all aspects of FP7 is available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/enquiries.
Funding scheme
The mechanisms for the Community funding of research projects. The funding schemes have different objectives, and are implemented through grant agreements.
G
Grant Agreement (GA)
The legal instrument that provides for Commission funding of successful proposals.
H
Hearing
Applicants whose proposals have been evaluated are sometimes invited to provide explanations and clarifications to any specific questions raised by the experts. These questions are submitted to the applicants in advance.
I
IAPP
Marie Curie Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways.
IEF
Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowships for Career Development.
IIF
Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowships.
Indirect costs
Indirect costs, (sometimes called overheads), are all those eligible costs which cannot be identified by the participant as being directly attributed to the project, but which can be identified and justified by its accounting system as being incurred in direct relationship with the eligible direct costs attributed to the project.
Individual evaluation
The stage in the evaluation process when experts assess the merits of a particular proposal before discussion with their peers.
Industry participation
In the Marie Curie Actions, 'industry' is to be seen in a wider scope than just the traditional manufacturing and/or production industries and is to comprise enterprises and organisations in the general sense of commercial or socio-economic actors. In some Marie Curie Actions the participation of industry is highly recommended or even required.
Information Days
Open events organised by the Commission to explain the characteristics of specific calls, and often as well, a chance for potential applicants to meet and discuss proposal ideas and collaborations.
Initial information letter
A letter sent by the Commission to applicants shortly after the evaluation by experts, giving a report from the experts on the proposal in question (the Evaluation Summary Report).
International Cooperation Partner Countries (ICPC)
A list of low-income, lower-middle income and upper-middle-income countries, given in annex 1 to the work programme. Organisations from these countries can participate and receive funding in FP7, providing that certain minimum conditions are met.
International European Interest Organisation
International organisations, the majority of whose members are European Union Member States or Associated Countries, and whose principal objective is to promote scientific and technological co-operation in Europe.
IOF
Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowships.
IRG
Marie Curie International Reintegration grants.
IRSES
Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme.
ITN
Marie Curie Initial Training Networks.
J
Joint Research Centre (JRC)
The Commission's own research institutes.
K
L
Lump sum
Lump sums do not require the submission of financial justifications (statements), as they are "fixed". ICPC participants when participating in an FP7 grant agreement (GA) have got the option between being reimbursed on the basis of eligible costs or on the basis of lump-sums. This option can be made (and changed) up to the moment of the signature of the GA. Once made, it will apply during the whole duration of the GA without the possibility of changing it. ICPC participants may opt for a lump sum in a given project and for reimbursement of costs in another. Whatever the final option chosen, the maximum EC contribution for the project will remain.
M
Milestones
Control points where decisions are needed with regard to the next stage of the project.
N
National Contact Points (NCP)
Official representatives nominated by the national authorities to provide tailored information and advice on each theme of FP7, in the national language(s).
Negotiation
The process of establishing a grant agreement between the Commission and an applicant whose proposal has been favourably evaluated, and when funds are available.
NIGHT
Marie Curie Researchers' Night.
Non-profit
A legal entity is qualified as "non-profit" when considered as such by national or international law.
O
P
Part A
The part of a proposal dealing with administrative data. This part is completed using the web-based EPSS.
Part B
The part of a proposal explaining the work to be carried out, and the roles and aptitudes of the participants in the consortium. This part is uploaded to the EPSS as a pdf file.
Part B template
A document in PDF format supplied by the EPSS, consisting of a template of all chapter headings, forms and tables required to prepare a proposal Part B. The template format is given in Annex 4 to this Guide.
Participants
The single organisation or members of a consortium in a proposal or project. These are legal entities, and have rights and obligations with regard to the Community.
Participant Indentification Code (PIC)
Organisations participating in FP7 will progressively be assigned Participant Identification Codes (PIC). Possession of a PIC will enable organisations to take advantage of the Unique Registration Facility.
Personal Career Development Plan
A plan established by the researcher, together with the scientist in charge of supervising his/her research training activities indicating his/her training needs (including complementary skills) and scientific objectives as well as the foreseen measures to meet these objectives and a description of his/her research training activities.
Programme committee
A group of official national representatives who assist the Commission in implementing the Framework Programme.
Proposal
A description of the planned research and training activities, information on who will carry them out, how much EU support is requested.
Public body
Public body means any legal entity established as such by national law, and international organisations.
Q
R
Redress procedure
The initial information letter will indicate an address if an applicant wishes to submit a request for redress, if he or she believes that there have been shortcomings in the handling of the proposal in question, and that these shortcomings would jeopardise the outcome of the evaluation process. An internal evaluation review committee ("redress committee") will examine all such complaints. This committee does not itself evaluate the proposal. It is possible that the committee will recommend a re-evaluation of all or part of the proposal.
Reserve list
Due to budgetary constraints it may not be possible to support all proposals that have been evaluated positively. In such conditions, proposals on a reserve list may only be financed if funds become available following the negotiation of projects on the main list.
Returning Researchers
are researchers from Member States or Associated countries who can provide evidence that they have legally resided and have had their principal activity (work, studies, etc) in a Third Country for at least three out of the last four years immediately prior to the relevant deadline for submission or selection by the host institution, depending on the action.
Risk-Sharing Finance Facility (RSFF)
A new mechanism to foster private sector investment in research, by increasing the capacity of the EIB and its financial partners to provide loans for European RTD projects.
RTD
Research and Technological Development.
S
SME
'SMEs' are micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. SMEs are defined in Recommendation 2003/361/EC of 6 May 2003.
T
Third Countries
are countries which are neither EU Member States nor countries associated to FP7 (Associated countries).
Thresholds
For a proposal to be considered for funding, the evaluation scores for individual criteria must exceed certain thresholds. There is also an overall threshold for the sum of the scores.
U
Unique Registration Facility (URF)
A system that will allow organisations to register their details and status once and for all, obviating the need to provide the same information with each submission.
V
Visiting scientist
Experienced researchers with outstanding past achievements in international training and collaborative research, originating from either the public or private sector, with a specific role in training and supervising researchers within an Initial Training Network.
W
Weightings
The scores for certain evaluation criteria may be multiplied by a weighting factor before the total score is calculated. Applicants should check the work programme and the relevant Guide for Applicants.
Work Package
A work package is a major sub-division of the proposed project with a verifiable end-point – normally a deliverable or a milestone in the overall project.
Work Programme
A formal document of the Commission for the implementation of a specific programme, that sets out the research objectives and topics to be addressed. It also contains information that is set out further in the Guide for Applicants, including the schedule and details of the calls for proposals, indicative budgets, and the evaluation procedure.
X
Y
Z