Confirming the international role of Community research
The European Commission has announced a call for proposals for indirect RTD actions under the specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration on 'confirming the international role of Community research' (1998 to 2002). The call will operate under the fixed deadline procedure. Those eligible to participate in indirect RTD actions under the specific programme are invited to submit proposals that address the following parts of the work programme: COPERNICUS 2 - Balkan reintegration COPERNICUS 2 involves new independent states (NIS) and Central and East European countries (CEECs) not in the pre-accession phase: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Unless otherwise indicated, research will be undertaken mainly by means of shared cost actions. - Environment and industry: specific regional problems: RTD leading to management systems and technologies aimed at the prevention and remediation of environmental problems specific to these countries and their regions, and at the improvement of the environmental standards of industrial activities and their usage of resources. Also, RTD leading to improved quality and reduced cost of process for services and products within regional industry. Particular attention will be paid to the closer involvement of local industry within research activity. Environmental management for industrial metropolitan areas and areas adversely affected by the extraction of natural resources; aimed at the remediation/mitigation of pollution, the treatment of industrial and municipal waste and the use of recycled materials resulting from depuration sludge, biodepuration and (bio-) composting. Development of environmentally benign and sustainable industrial technologies applicable to existing regional industry: minimisation of emissions, effective and secure use of raw materials and energy. Innovative product development leading to better use of existing industrial capacity and ultimately contributing to increased employment in the region. - Health: specific regional problems RTD concerned with the specific diseases and health problems resulting from war and migration of refugees in the region. Increased understanding of the post-conflict and post-trauma health problems, leading to development of more effective rehabilitation procedures and treatments. Budget: 4.3 million euro Deadline 15.06.2001 INCO MED Mediterranean partner countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Palestine Authority, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey. The objectives are those of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and target long range sustainable development around the Mediterranean Sea in the context of transboundary economic, environmental and socio-political problems. The approach is to concentrate on a set of five strategic areas: socio-economic modernisation, managing scarce regional water resources, preserving and using cultural heritage, promoting healthy societies and regional environmental sustainability. These areas of specific relevance to the region are not addressed under the thematic programmes of the fifth framework programme or under the research for development part of this programme and were selected through an extensive process of Euro-Mediterranean dialogue. Synergy and complementarity between this programme the thematic programmes and MEDA cooperation activities will be ensured. - socio-economic modernisation This theme targets the development of socio-economic and transport policy reference in which the options for the economic development, the different transport policies, and the network of transport systems can be enhanced. A special attention can also be given to the role of transport in the economic sustainable integration of the Mediterranean region. Specific objectives: Research on interoperability between the Mediterranean countries and between this region and the European countries, in view of identifying the regulatory obstacles and proposals for solutions Decision support systems for the planning of infrastructures and traffic and introduction of methods and models for evaluating the impact of transport systems on socioeconomic activity and environment, enhancing the safety and efficiency of transport systems, targeting the cohesion of the various national transport systems and their management at regional level. Methods and criteria for identifying and for evaluating the development of transport corridors and networks in the Mediterranean within the context of the extension of the Trans-European transport networks. Thematic networks dedicated to the above topics will include transport research institutions, operators and authorities at the local and national levels. - Preserving and using cultural heritage Language diversity in the Mediterranean area is and will remain in the foreseeable future a major challenge for information and communication systems. The renewal of the Euro-Mediterranean dialogue implies a better understanding of each other throughout the age groups from early school to higher education level and research institutes, thus the development of cost effective and user friendly methods and tools for cross-lingual information access, knowledge sharing and interpersonal communication. The overall objective is to turn 'language diversity' into a priority subject for Euro-Med multidisciplinary research. This research conducted in close cooperation with the IST specific programme can only target specific Mediterranean aspects that could not be undertaken under this programme. This research should combine and integrate from a multilingual and cross-cultural perspective continuing efforts in areas such as basic and value-added communications, business processes and electronic commerce, education and training, cultural heritage and electronic publishing. These objectives will target the promotion and application of new approaches, standards and tools and may include where appropriate the adaptation of existing methods and techniques to Euro-Med languages. Specific objectives: The understanding of users' requirements from systems for multilingual information handling and the development of cross-lingual systems for digital information access, delivery and management over global networks. The improvement of multimedia linguistic interoperability between European and Semitic languages; cross-lingual/cross-cultural authoring and localisation of multimedia content. Annotated repositories of written and spoken language data, including recording, preservation, conservation and archival work on materials relevant to the study of dialects and oral culture. - Promoting healthy societies Research will address the new epidemiological and socio-economic reality, which is emerging in the Mediterranean area. It will target strategies to alleviate the burden of disease on society and support economic activity. Specific objectives: Research on epidemiological transition and its consequences on health planning and sector development and on health of migrants and health of vulnerable groups. Research on regionally specific preventative, biological and clinical aspects of important metabolic and genetic congenital disorders and research on trauma rehabilitation. Research in support of regional infectious disease surveillance and control in line with EU-Mediterranean collaboration activities in these domains. - Regional environmental sustainability The aim is to develop a participatory strategic approach to planning and management of coastal areas in order to maximise their long term contribution to socio-economic diversification and sustainable regional development. Coastal areas are subject to an increasing diversity of demands for new opportunities to diversify local and national economies: coastal fisheries, aquaculture, windforms, tourism, seizure etc. The economic imbalance between coastal and inside regions should be taken into account. Specific objectives: Development of early warning tools and decision support systems on the equilibrium between the coastal areas' resources and inland regions Research activities on coastal typology, monitoring and dynamics of Mediterranean countries with particular interest for estuaries and marine ecosystem protection. Scientific research on hydromorphology, models and data collection, identifying indicators and technologies for coastal dynamics in particular for flooding, erosion or sand stabilisation. Long-term research measuring the sustainable development in coastal areas, the impact of human activities, in particular on water quality and availability, and identifying potential users and beneficiaries. Deadline: 17.09.2001 Budget: 29.5 million euro INCO-DEV Africa, Caribbean, Pacific, Asia, Latin America, Gulf countries; Mediterranean partner countries and Balkan countries. The objectives of the programme are to undertake research to tackle the challenges posed to developing countries; to mobilise the strengths, expertise and resources of the European scientific community jointly with developing country research teams and to use RTD cooperation to support Community development cooperation policy in line with current strategy. For research on these issues to be successful, the nature of the research intervention needs to be correctly matched to the nature of the problem to be tackled. Therefore, the programme favours inter and multidisciplinary approaches in research proposals. In order to achieve this, the programme envisages an integrated scheme consisting of the levels of research: policy research to determine the conditions for sustainable development, including gender issues, involving the State, market forces and civil society; systems research on complex issues involving many interacting components, such as rehabilitation and management of renewable natural resources or health care; and research on specific scientific and technological problems to generate tools for sustainable development, which can be used in a particular context of system management or policy development. This three-level scheme creates unity in the programme since it can be applied to research independently of the thematic areas and also to cross-sectoral subjects. In the design of the programme, due importance is given to research on individual scientific or technological problems on a sectoral basis. However, it is recognised that the policy and systems backgrounds to these problems need to be examined on a broader front. The approach thus also includes a process of thematic concentration, with policy research covering strategic sectors and representing the broadest thematic range, systems research narrowing to natural capital and the human environment, including health and tools research focussing on specific key items. In order to guarantee quality, the programme will employ the same practical methods of operation as adopted by the FP5 thematic programmes. Developing country partnerships will be constructed on a regional basis. The programme will thus extend the scope of Community RTD to other geographical regions. Moreover, the programme will strengthen and add value to ongoing research, reduce isolation of developing country scientists, enable these to work at an international level while based in their own institutions and provide training opportunities. The programme will complement Community development cooperation policy and therefore will not include technical assistance or other methods of operation characteristic of development aid. The priorities are continuously focused, on a regional basis, following dialogue with developing countries. Research proposals should give a high profile to training and information dissemination activities and address the coordination needs with existing North-South partnerships and investments committed by Member States and associated countries. - Policy research on the conditions for sustainable development All regions except Mediterranean and Balkan partner countries. Priority to concerted actions and thematic networks. Research will aim to identify the socio-economic and policy conditions and the corresponding implementation measures that favour progress in sustainable development. It will apply to public policy issues and will involve the State, market forces and civil society. Some issues will be of broad application whilst other will be specific to a particular geographical region, ecosystem or technology application. The direct outcome will be policy options, which may be used by decision-makers to direct and influence policies. Research proposals should lead to a set of options which, without being prescriptive, will provide clear indications for decision-makers about the likely consequences of pursuing different courses of action in terms of societal objectives, such as economic growth, equitability, environmental sustainability etc. It is highly desirable that proposals should integrate partnerships of researchers with decision-makers in order to capitalise on each other's competence and viewpoint, as well as to facilitate the adoption of research results. Priorities for 2001 are: Making the most of research: RTD in the global knowledge society Promoting sustainable settlement patterns: planning, organisation, employment and rural-urban interactions. - Systems research on natural capital and the human environment, including health All regions except Mediterranean and Balkan partner countries. Following from the broader analysis of policy options, this activity deals with a practical approach to systems, emphasising the relationship between human activity and the environment. Priorities for 2001 are limited to: Health systems Rural urban interface sustainability in water management, land use and sanitary risk. - Tools for sustainable development Mediterranean partner countries and Balkan countries, although proposals should check eligibility as not all countries are eligible for all areas. Research activities at this level focus on individual technological steps, which might be of direct application or which might need combining into more complex technological packages for their exploitation. In either case research should be targeted directly at significant problems, which have been identified in the context of policy or of potential application in a particular system. Proposals which involve a multidisciplinary approach are strongly encouraged. Tools for health improvement: proposals should aim at control and case management of the major diseases linked to poverty. While the focus of the call is on malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, other major gastro-intestinal, respiratory and victor-borne infections will be considered if their causative links to poverty in the region of research are clearly demonstrated. Priorities for 2001 are: Evaluation of new vaccines and drugs for treatment and prevention Evaluation of new drug combinations and immuno-therapy Evaluation of other interventions based on new understandings of vector biology and disease physiopathology. Projects should address those issues in the fields of biological, epidemiological, clinical and social sciences as well as ethics with a view to enable researchers and research institutions in developing countries to organise and conduct population trials. Operational research projects addressing ways to improve delivery of interventions are eligible for funding under thematic network schemes. Market-oriented products and services in agro-food: The theme concentrates on the following issues, which should be tackled on a processing chain basis, including information systems on markets: Processing technologies mainly targeting SMEs for adding value, increasing transportability to markets, lengthening shelf-life, total quality assurance or labelling. Development of risk assessment methods for new technologies considering consumer health and environment. Developing appropriate quality standards, hygienic and aesthetic, according to the handling and processing methods used. Safe and efficient water management. Priorities are the development of: Viable technologies for treatment of waste water from urban and rural settlements and from processing agricultural products to promote hygiene and to permit adequate reuse. Techniques for monitoring, analysing dynamics and assessing impact on watersheds of water pollutants of urban, agricultural, geological or mining origin. Deadline: 17.09.2001 Budget: 68.5 million euro When submitting a proposal for an RTD project or a concerted action, proposers may include an application for a 'Bursary for young researcher from developing countries'. For further information, please contact: European Commission Directorate-General Research - Unit 6 rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200 B-1049 Brussels E-mail: inco@ec.europa.eu