Quality of Life initiates first calls for proposals under FP5

The European Commission has launched the first calls for proposals under its Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) for Research, Technological Development and demonstration (RTD) activities for the period 1998 to 2002. The calls invite proposals for indirect RTD Actions relating to...

The European Commission has launched the first calls for proposals under its Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) for Research, Technological Development and demonstration (RTD) activities for the period 1998 to 2002.

The calls invite proposals for indirect RTD Actions relating to the specific programme for "Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources" (1998-2002).

The call texts, together with all the documentation necessary to make a proposal, are accessible from:

URL: http://cordis.europa.eu/life/calls/calls.htm

Two calls have been announced, one relating to calls with fixed deadlines and the other to calls with open ended deadlines.

For both calls, the objectives, priorities, indicative budgets and types of indirect Actions referred to in the call notices correspond to those described in the work programme drawn up by the European Commission for implementation of the specific programme. For both calls, proposals should be submitted in one step.

For the call relating to proposals with a fixed deadline, proposals must be submitted before the deadlines specified for each Key Action; no other proposals will be considered under the call notice.

The fixed deadlines under this call vary according to the research areas of each Key Action of the programme. These are set out in annex to the call. The areas covered by the fixed deadline call are as follows:

- Key Action: Food, nutrition and health:
- - Food raw materials, processing and traceability;
- - Food safety;
- - - Control of contamination;
- - - Detection tests for contaminants;
- - - Safer food production methods;
- - - Risk assessment;
- - Role of food in promoting and sustaining health;
- Key Action: Control of infectious diseases:
- - Development of vaccines;
- - New strategies for treatment and prevention;
- - Public health issues;
- Key Action: The "cell factory":
- - Health-related products and processes;
- - - New diagnostics and therapeutics;
- - - Biological productions;
- - - Alternatives to animal testing;
- - Bioremediation and waste treatment;
- - - Preventing industrial pollution;
- - - Bioassays and biosensors;
- - - Biodegradation;
- - - Biodiversity;
- - - Identifying recombinant organisms;
- - Bioprocesses and products combining ecological, industrial and consumer advantages;
- - - Cellular and molecular characteristics;
- - - Products and processes involving / derived from microbes, plants and animals;
- - - Functional biomolecules;
- - - Metabolic and genetic diversity;
- Key Action: Environment and health:
- - Diseases and allergies related to the environment; assessment and reduction of environment health hazards;
- Key Action: Sustainable agriculture, fisheries and forestry, and integrated development of rural areas, including mountain areas:
- - New and / or improved systems of production;
- - - Agriculture: New and improved production and farming systems; The diversification of agricultural production including on farm uses and supply to rural communities; Plant health; Animal health and welfare; Quality policy. Agricultural products and farm processed products;
- - - Fisheries and aquaculture: Interactions between environment, fisheries and aquaculture; Scientific basis of fisheries management; Improvement of aquatic production;
- - - Integrated production of biological materials;
- - - Forest resources / forestry wood chain: Multifunctional management of forests; Forestry policy and socio-economic aspects; The functioning sustainable multifunctional...; Support to Community forestry measures; The protection and conservation of the forest ecosystem; Agroforestry, cork, energy production...; Sustainable and multipurpose utilisation of forest resources; The forestry wood chain;
- - - Support for common policies;
- - - New tools and models for the integrated and sustainable development of rural and other areas;
- Key Action: The ageing population and disabilities:
- - - Age-related illness and health problems; Determinants of healthy ageing; Demography and epidemiology of ageing; Coping with functional limitations in old age; Health and social care services to older people.

For research and technological development activities of a generic nature, the research areas are categorized as follows:

- Chronic, degenerative and rare diseases:
- - Research on molecular, genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors;
- - Evaluation of therapies; databases; registries; sample banks;
- Genomes and diseases of genetic origin;
- - Meaning of the genome information; Structural studies;
- - Novel expression system; biophysics, statistics and computation;
- Neurosciences;
- - Cell communication; brain theories;
- - Brain development; behaviour; cognition and functional mapping;
- Public health and health services research;
- - Improving of health systems;
- - Fighting drug related problems;
- Research relating to the disabled;
- Biomedical ethics and bioethics;
- Socio-economic aspects.

The second call relates to proposals called under a continuous submission scheme, under which proposals will be evaluated at fixed intervals (these are associated with deadlines for receipt). The type of indirect Actions and, where applicable, their associated deadlines for receipt, are given in annex to the official text of the call.

The types of Action covered by the call are:

- Training fellowships;
- - Marie Curie individual fellowship;
- - Marie Curie host fellowship;
- Technology stimulation to encourage and facilitate SME participation in RTD activities;
- - SME exploratory awards;
- Cooperative research;
- Accompanying measures;
- - Studies in support of the specific programme, the exchange of information, conferences, seminars, workshops and scientific and technical meetings, dissemination, information and communication activities.

The call also covers the Activity "Support for research infrastructures".

Information on the rules for participation in the Programme and how to prepare and submit proposals is given in the European Commission's Guide for Proposers, which can be obtained, along with the work programme and other information relating to the call, from the address below.
For more information, please contact:

European Commission
Life Info-desk
SDME 9/34
Rue de la Loi, 200
B-1049 Brussels
E-mail: [e-mail]
Fax [phone]
URL: http://cordis.europa.eu/life/home.html