Response to the first call for proposals concerning the Biomedical and Health research programme

The European Commission received a total of 1709 proposals in response to the first call for proposals for the specific programme for biomedical and health research under the Fourth Framework Programme for research and technological development and demonstration (1994-1998). ...

The European Commission received a total of 1709 proposals in response to the first call for proposals for the specific programme for biomedical and health research under the Fourth Framework Programme for research and technological development and demonstration (1994-1998).

The call was published on 17 January 1995 and closed on 31 March 1995. The specific programme covers the entire spectrum of biomedical research which has evolved, on the one hand, through experience acquired from previous programmes, thus ensuring continuity with the past, and, on the other hand, from challenges that rapidly emerging health technologies and new epidemics impose on the European population.

The call received the following response to the first call for proposals:

Budget requests as percentage of implementation:

- Concerted actions: ECU 147,059;
- Reinforced Concerted Actions: ECU 170,727;
- Shared cost Actions: ECU 1,277,583;
- Demonstration: ECU 56,678;
- Preparatory award: ECU 20,619;
- Centralized facility: ECU 24,353.

Proposed mode of implementation:

- Concerted actions: 389;
- Reinforced Concerted Actions: 294;
- Shared cost Actions: 956;
- Demonstration: 46;
- Preparatory award: 6;
- Centralized facility: 17.

The number of proposals received by areas and budget requests is as follows:

1. Pharmaceutical research: ECU 184,280;
2. Research on biomedical technology and engineering: ECU 322,910;
3. Brain research: ECU 350,830;
4. Research on diseases with major socio-economic impact:
4.1. Cancer research: ECU 185,570;
4.2. Research on AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases: ECU 105,410;
4.3. Cardiovascular diseases: ECU 101,700;
4.4. Research on chronic diseases, ageing and age related problems: ECU 80,578;
4.5. Research on occupational and environmental health: ECU 28,306;
4.6. Research on rare diseases: ECU 17,618;
5. Human genome research: ECU 184,990;
6. Research on occupational and environmental health, public health research, including health services research, research on biomedical technology and engineering: ECU 55,011;
7. Research on biomedical ethics: ECU 9,160;
8. Horizontal activities:
8.1. Legal, social and ethical aspects of biomedical research: ECU 9,865;
8.2. Demonstration projects: ECU 60,761.

The total number of proposals received, by area, are as follows:

(The number of proposals received of a suitable standard is in brackets)

1. Pharmaceutical research: 129 (51);
2. Research on biomedical technology and engineering: 237 (64);
3. Brain research: 283 (90);
4. Research on diseases with major socio-economic impact:
4.1. Cancer research: 221 (67);
4.2. Research on AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases: 117 (65);
4.3. Cardiovascular diseases: 151 (52);
4.4. Research on chronic diseases, ageing and age-related problems: 109 (4.2)
4.5. Research on occupational and environmental health: 51 (10);
4.6. Research on rare diseases: 52 (25);
5. Human genome research: 150 (76);
6. Research on occupational and environmental health, public health research, including health services research, research on biomedical technology and engineering: 118 (25);
7. Research on biomedical ethics: 22 (6);
8. Horizontal activities;
8.1 Legal, social and ethical aspects of biomedical research: 23 (7);
8.2 Demonstration projects: 46 (6).