FP5 for managers - made easy
The new FP5 management site has been launched as a sub-section to the CORDIS FP5 webservice, bringing together all the documents participants need to take part in the European Commission's Fifth Framework Programme. CORDIS and the Research Directorate-General have collaborated to produce the service, which aims to present information to participants as clearly as possible. The site includes information on the legal and financial aspects of the research management process. In most cases, a general approach to FP5 research contracts is sufficient to plan the steps involved in FP5 to participants, advises the Commission. However it warns participants to pay special attention to any exceptions which may apply to some proposals. Users can check exemptions at the specific programme websites - accessible through the FP5 management home page. The site is divided into three sections: - a vade-mecum - designed to help FP5 proposers throughout the process, avoiding contractual problems, particularly of a legal and financial nature. - reference documents - containing the official decisions on which management rules were based for FP5. - a questions area - designed to become an interactive 'experience sharing' area. The Commission will post proposers' questions here, alongside its answers. New queries will be continuously added throughout the programme. Users are guided through these sections each time they chose to find out about any one of the following steps, describing the six 'milestones' of the proposal management process: - participation rules; - calls for proposal; - proposal evaluation; - contract negotiations; - contractual provisions; - contract follow up. Users can also chose how they prefer to navigate around the site to find these documents using an index, a site mapper or a 'process bar', which is similar to a tool bar. There is also a browsing option, allowing users to browse and select the documents available from the site in their preferred language. The FP5 management service is available now from: URL: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp5/management/(opens in new window) and a 'five-minute tour' is available for first-time users at: URL: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp5/management/help/5min-home.html(opens in new window)