The European Commission has today launched a public consultation on the achievements of FP7, the EU's 7th Framework Programme for research and innovation worth €53 billion of funding for the period 2007-2013. The results of the consultation will feed into the ex-post evaluation of FP7 carried out by an independent external High Level Expert Group.
The evaluation is an important instrument for assessing the achievements and wider impact of FP7. In addition the aim is to improve both the implementation of Horizon 2020, the current EU's funding programme for research and innovation, and the design of future framework programmes. The consultation collects views on the overall management of FP7, the impact of the simplification measures, and the achievements of the supported activities. Individuals, groups or organisations who have had a direct experience with FP7 or just wish to give their opinion are invited to contribute until 22 May 2015.
The consultation as well as background information can be found on the Research & Innovation consultations site as well as the European Commission website Your voice in Europe.
Background
FP7 was the EU's 7th Framework Programme for research and innovation for the period 2007-2013. Currently around 50% of the FP7 projects are still running.
The ex-post evaluation covers research programme activities under FP7, involving almost 25 000 research projects and signed grant agreements in these four specific programmes:
Cooperation: representing two thirds of FP7 overall budget, the objective of the Cooperation programme was to foster collaborative research across Europe and other partner countries through projects by transnational consortia of industry and academia.
Capacities: the objective of the Capacities programme was to strengthen the research capacities in Europe (e.g. research infrastructures, support to SMEs etc.)
Ideas: the objective of the Ideas programme was to support “frontier research” solely on the basis of scientific excellence. It has been implemented by the European Research Council (ERC), one of the novelties introduced by FP7.
People: the objective of the People programme was to provide support for researcher mobility and career development, both for researchers inside the European Union and internationally.
The decision setting up FP7 stipulates that an external evaluation should be carried out two years following the completion of the programme, i.e. in 2015. The ex-post evaluation of the independent High Level Expert Group will be completed by the end of 2015
Since 1984, the European Commission has funded research and innovation through Framework Programmes. Until now, there have been eight Framework programmes, covering five to seven-year periods, the latest one being Horizon 2020 for the period 2014-2020.
For more information
The consultation and background information: Research & Innovation consultations site
Press contacts:
RTD-RESEARCH-PRESS@ec.europa.eu
http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=newsalert&year=2015&na=na-230215
