Environment and Climate programme - Call for proposals

The European Commission, DG XII, has launched a call for proposals for advanced study courses and technology stimulation actions under the specific RTD programme in the field of Environment and Climate. The Commission is inviting proposals for advanced study courses and techn...

The European Commission, DG XII, has launched a call for proposals for advanced study courses and technology stimulation actions under the specific RTD programme in the field of Environment and Climate.

The Commission is inviting proposals for advanced study courses and technology stimulation actions in the following areas:

- Theme 1: Research into the natural environment, environmental quality and global change;
- Theme 2: Environmental technologies;
- Theme 3: Space techniques applied to environmental monitoring and research;
- Theme 4: Human dimensions of environmental change.

The Commission intends to support (as a supporting initiative) advanced study courses for young scientists and graduate students. The specific topics of the courses must fall into one of the following disciplines, which are those of main interest to the Environment and Climate programme:

- Holocene climate reconstruction;
- Climate - clouds - chemistry - aerosol interactions;
- Seasonal and inter-annual variations of climate;
- Improvement of European underground water resources;
- Climate change impacts and land use change;
- UV fluxes and their impacts on health and eco-systems;
- Chemical compounds and their effect on stratospheric ozone;
- Functional analysis of wetlands;
- Biogeochemical cycles at the land - ocean interface;
- Biosensors for environmental monitoring;
- Remediation of contaminated industrial sites;
- Technologies for the protection of monuments;
- Natural risks, in particular, floods, volcanic risks and earthquakes;
- Space techniques applied to coastal zone management, monitoring of land use, surface waters, fisheries, major risks, atmosphere and ocean;
- Human dimensions of environmental change with particular emphasis on valuation, economic instruments, sustainability indicators, environmental governance, sustainable production and consumption.

The main objectives of the courses are:
- To further advance education on specific topics at the forefront of scientific and technological development in Europe;
- To exploit the wide-ranging teaching capacities of European institutions for transnational education;
- To improve communication between students and scientists on a European level.

Courses linked to research projects funded under the Environment and Climate programme will be given priority. The courses should be residential, of a duration of 1-3 weeks, and should be organized by an entity established in the European Union or in a state associated to the programme, or by an international research organization.

Under the Technology Stimulation Measures to encourage and facilitate participation of SMEs in the Fourth Framework Programme, Exploratory Awards may be granted for preparation of a full proposal for research under the Environment and Climate programme. Such an award will cover up to 75% of the costs of the exploratory phase, without exceeding ECU 45,000.
All correspondence relating to this call should be sent to:

European Commission
DG XII - Science, research and development
Directorate D
200 rue de la Loi (SDME)
B-1049 Brussels
Fax [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]