Commission calls for research in environment and sustainable development

The European Commission has announced a call for proposals under the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration (RTD) activities for the period 1998 to 2002. The call invites proposals for indirect RTD actions under the specific ...

The European Commission has announced a call for proposals under the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration (RTD) activities for the period 1998 to 2002.

The call invites proposals for indirect RTD actions under the specific programme for RTD on "Energy, environment and sustainable development (1998 to 2002)" and opens Part A of the Programme, calling for work related to environment and sustainable development.

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

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

The call relates to proposals called by a fixed deadline and under a continuous submission scheme. Late proposals will not be evaluated for submissions related to the fixed deadline part of this call. For work called under the continuous submission scheme, proposals will be evaluated at fixed intervals, depending on the type of indirect RTD action submitted. Full details of the types of indirect actions, and where applicable their respective deadlines, are given in the official call notice.

Those eligible to participate in indirect RTD actions under the specific programme are invited to submit proposals that address the parts of the work programme outlined below.

Part 1 of the call relates to proposals called by a fixed deadline (Shared Cost-Actions, Thematic Networks and Concerted Actions.). The areas opened by the call are:

- Key Action 1:"Sustainable Management and Quality of Water":
- - Integrated management and sustainable use of water resources at catchment scale:
- - - Strategic planning and integrated management methodologies and tools at catchment scale;
- - - Socio-economic aspects of sustainable use of water;
- - - Operational management schemes and decision support systems;
- - Ecological quality of freshwater ecosystems and wetlands:
- - - Ecosystem functioning;
- - - Ecological quality targets
- - Pollution prevention:
- - - Abatement of water pollution from contaminated land, landfills and sediments;
- - - Combating diffuse pollution;
- Key Action 2: "Global Change, Climate and Biodiversity":
- - To understand, detect, assess and predict global change processes:
- - - Atmospheric composition change;
- - - Stratospheric ozone depletion;
- - - Climate change prediction and scenarios;
- - - To foster better understanding of terrestrial (including freshwater) and marine ecosystems and their interactions;
- - - Interactions between ecosystems and the carbon and nitrogen cycles;
- - - Assessing and conserving biodiversity;
- - Scenarios and strategies for responding to global issues:
- - - Mitigation and adaptation to global change;
- - European component of the global observing systems:
- - - Better exploitation of existing data and adaptation of existing observing systems;
- Key Action 3:"Sustainable Marine Ecosystems":
- - Improved knowledge of marine processes, ecosystems and interactions;
- - - Better assessment of naturally occurring mechanisms of ecosystem functioning;
- - - Assessment of sedimentary systems for the sustainable management and use of the shelf, slope and deep-sea floor;
- - Reducing the anthropogenic impact on biodiversity and the sustainable functioning of marine ecosystems, and facilitating the development of safe, economic and sustainable exploitation technologies:
- - - Reversing the trend in loss of marine biodiversity;
- - - Reducing the effects of anthropogenic activities on the marine environment and recovering degraded marine systems;
- - Monitoring and managing coastal processes and the coastal zone:
- - -Integrated studies on land-ocean interaction;
- Key Action 4: "City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage":
- - Sustainable city planning and rational resource management:
- - - Improving urban governance and decision making;
- - Protection, conservation and enhancement of European cultural heritage:
- - - Development of innovative conservation strategies (Networks and concerted actions only);
- - Development and demonstration of technologies for safe, economic, clean, effective and sustainable preservation, recovery, renovation, construction, dismantling and demolition of the built environment, in particular for large groups of buildings:
- - - Revitalisation of city centres and neighbourhoods;
- - Comparative assessment and cost effective implementation of strategies for sustainable transport systems in an urban environment:
- - - Strategic approaches and methodologies in urban planning towards sustainable urban transport.

Part 1 of this call also covers support for research infrastructures. This includes:

- Global change, climate and biodiversity research facilities;
- Marine research facilities;
- Natural hazards research facilities.

Part 2 of this call opens up calls for proposals called by a continuous submission scheme, up to fixed dates indicated in the official call text. The types of activity included in this call are as follows:

- RTD activities of a generic nature;
- SME measures:
- - Exploratory awards;
- - Cooperative research;
- Training:
- - Individual fellowships;
- - Host fellowships;
- Accompanying measures:
- - Studies;
- - Exchange of information and data;
- - Scientific and technical meetings;
- - Dissemination;
- - Exploitation and communication activities;
- - Schemes to provide information and assistance for research players.

The SME-specific measures will be implemented through the continuous submission scheme of the call. More information on this can be obtained through the SME Helpdesk at the address below.

For RTD activities of a generic nature, preference will be given in 1999 to proposals relating to:

- The fight against major natural and technological hazards:
- - Natural hazards:
- - - Seismic risks;
- - - Floods and hydrological risks;
- - Technological hazards:
- - - Understanding of processes;
- Development of generic Earth observation technologies;
- -Introduce scientific results into new or existing application;
- - Create favourable conditions to develop the market;
- Socio-economic aspects of environmental change in the perspective of sustainable development:
- - Determining the critical relationships: assessing the environmental implications of socio-economic drivers;
- - Tools and methodologies: for socio-economic and environmental impact assessment of policies, technological options, economic instruments, regulations; integrated environmental assessments.

The indicative budget available for Key Action 1, in Part 1 of this call for 1999 is 62.5 to 66.7 million euro.
The indicative budget available for Key Action 2 in Part 1 of this call for 1999 is 70.8 to 75 million euro.
The indicative budget available for Key Action 3 of Part 1 of this call for 199 is 27.1 to 31.3 million euro.
The indicative budget available for Key Action 4 of Part 1 of this call for 1999 is 16.7 to 18.8 million euro.
The indicative budget available for support for research infrastructures under Part 1 of this call for 1999 is 8.3 to 10.4 million euro. (The 1999 call will cover the budget for 1999 and 2000 (20.0 to 22.0 million euro in 2000)).

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
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
URL: http://cordis.europa.eu/home.html

For information about SME-specific measures, please contact:

Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
URL: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp5/src/t-4.htm