Call for proposals for RTD actions under the ESPRIT programme The European Commission has published a call for proposals for its specific programme for research and technological development, including demonstration, in the field of information technologies (ESPRIT). Organizations eligible to participate in the programme are invited to ... The European Commission has published a call for proposals for its specific programme for research and technological development, including demonstration, in the field of information technologies (ESPRIT). Organizations eligible to participate in the programme are invited to submit proposals for the areas and topics covered by those parts of the ESPRIT work programme set out below. Each task is identified by the number assigned to it in the work programme: - Technologies for components and subsystems (TCS): . 2.21 - Peripherals; . *2.26 - Basic services and first users' action; - Long-term research (LTR): . 4.2 - Reactiveness to industrial needs; . 4.3 *4.4 - Proactiveness (opto-electronic interconnects for integrated circuits and intelligent information interfaces); - High-performance computing and networking (HPCN): . *6.13 *6.14 - High-performance networking best practice and experiments; - Integration in manufacturing (IiM): . 8.2 - Information technology for product and process data modelling (co-ordinated with the IMT programme); . 8.6 8.10 - Logistics in the virtual enterprise (co-ordinated with the IMT programme); . 8.11 - Intelligent production systems and equipment (co-ordinated with the IMT programme). The work programme task numbers marked with an asterisk, with the exception of task 4.4 are being called as technology transfer and support actions (please see Part II C of the information package). Task 4.4 is being called as a specific preparatory measure (please see the relevant addendum to Part II B of the information package). The indicative budgetary allocation for this call is as follows: - TCS: ECU 10 million; - LTR: ECU 12 million; - HPCN: ECU 8 million; - IiM: ECU 13 million. Evaluation of proposals submitted in the domains of technologies for components and subsystems, long-term research (under 4.3 4.4 - Proactiveness), and integration in manufacturing and will be carried out in one step. This requires the submission of a full proposal as described in the information package. The proposal must arrive at the Commission not later than 15 December 1995 (17.00). Proposers may, on a purely voluntary basis, submit pre-proposals for task 4.3 of long-term research for consultation with the Commission services. Please see the relevant addendum to Part II B of the information package for details. Pre-proposals must arrive at the Commission not later than 16 October 1995 (17.00. Full proposals will be evaluated independently of any comments given on any pre-proposal. In addition, the Commission is not bound, in the evaluation of full proposals, by any comments given on any pre-proposal. Evaluation of proposals submitted to the domain long-term research (under 4.2 - Reactiveness to industrial needs) and high-performance computing and networking will be carried out in two steps. For the first step a short proposal, as described in the information package, must arrive at the Commission not later than 15 November 1995 (17.00). Following evaluation and selection, successful proposers will be invited to submit a full proposal with a deadline that will be two months after the invitation is issued. Continuous submissions: In the call published on 15 December 1994 (OJ No C 357 of 15.12.1994 p. 9), invitations for continuous submissions for certain actions were announced. Proposals for open LTR projects (task 4.1) technology transfer and support measures, and SME exploratory awards may continue to be submitted at any time up to 15 February 1996 (see parts II B, II C and II D of the information package for details). In the call published on 15 June 1995 (OJ No C 148 of 15.6.1995 p. 39), an invitation for continuous submissions of proposals for IT project traineeships was announced (see part II C of the information package for details). Proposals for these actions may continue to be submitted at any time up to 15 February 1996. All proposals must arrive before the abovementioned deadlines at either of the addresses given in the information package. The final date for schemes under which proposals may continuously be submitted may change in future calls. A guide to future calls is included with the information package. This guide is indicative and helps proposers plan ahead and Commission services co-ordinate with other related Fourth Framework Programmes. Detailed information about procedures, eligibility, submission of proposals, the contract established with successful proposers, the work programme, and about background material to the work programme is given in the information package available from the Commission services. The information package contains an information request form through which specific documentation, if needed, may be obtained. Description of work undertaken in earlier and related programmes can also be obtained on request. All correspondence concerning this call should be sent to: Commission of the European Communities Directorate-General III - Industry IT Information Desk 200 rue de la Loi B-1049 Brussels E-mail: esprit@dg3.cec.be. The work programme and information package are also available via the World Wide Web on the following servers: http://www.ecrc.de/eu/esprit/home.html http://cordis.europa.eu/esprit/home.html or, via FTP, from: ftp://ftp.ecrc.de/pub/ec/esprit.
