Call for Expressions of Interest-Researcher Support Package Page | 1

Call for Expressions of Interest for Researcher Support Package

EU 7th Framework Programme: Research for the Benefit of SMEs[1]

2010 Call

1.0Introduction

1.1Background

The European 7th Framework Programme is a €50billion European R&D programme that will run from 2007 to 2013. FP7 is intended to strengthen the scientific and technological base of European Industry and encourage its international competitiveness, while promoting research that supports EU policies. FP7 supports collaborative research under a number of different themes and funding schemes. These include two themes under the Capacities programme:

  • Research for the benefit of SMEs1:This is a cooperative endeavour, requiring an international consortium. Its primary aim is to link SME needs with Research Performers and supports small groups of innovative SMEs in solving medium to long-term technological problems and acquiring technological know-how. The programme is industry/SME driven and provides a mechanism for addressing clearly defined SME business and innovation needs which can demonstrate significant economic impact on the SMEs concerned.
  • Research for the benefit of SME Associations[2]:This programme provides support to Associations of SMEs that act on behalf of members. It aims to identify and address common technical problems across their field of interest and to promote the effective dissemination and uptake of results. Projects could, for example, aim to develop or conform to European norms and standards and to meet regulatory requirements in areas such as health & safety, environment protection etc[3].

Enterprise Ireland (EI) provides Coordination Grants to assist in the preparation of Irish- led FP7 proposals. In 2010, the maximum grant for academic coordinators under this support is €12,500. Although, this is a non- competitive source of funding, proposals must be sufficiently developed to secure an EI Coordination Grant (See Appendix 3 for further information about the Coordination Grant Support that is available from Enterprise Ireland).

1.2Rationale for supporting companies and IOT researchers who wish to participate in the Research for the Benefit of SMEs/ SMES Associations Programme

Research and innovation are core aspects of the mission and statutory functions of the Institutes of Technology (IOTs). This is reflected in the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation (SSTI), which identified a role for the IOTs in assisting industry in addressing technology challenges and accessing new knowledge. The Institutes are particularly interested in providing useful support to indigenous Irish companies who wish to engage in research and become more innovative.

Therefore, thereasons of the IOT Research Support Office for promoting this programmeare as follows:

  • The structure and objectives of the ‘Research for the Benefit of SMEs/SME Associations ‘programmes are consistent with the strengths and objectives of IOT research.
  • Irish SME’s have had strong participation in Research for the Benefit of SMEs,but there remains significant room for expansion.
  • Irish academic institutions have been under-represented. Many Irish SMEs have therefore partnered with academic partners outside Ireland to deliver R&D projects under this programme.
  • Research for the Benefit of SMEs is open to research in all disciplines.

There are, however, a number of challenges which IOT researchers must address in targeting FP7 programmes:

  • The identification of “industry” and “research” consortium partners from other participating countries can be difficult, especially for researchers and participants that are engaging with FP7 for the first time.
  • Academic and SME partners must work together early on to develop the outline of a credible industry-led, research proposal which would meet EI’s criteria for award of a Coordination Grant. There is a cost associated with this in terms of time or expertise, and often research groups may not have sufficient resources to meet these costs.
  • For first-time participants, the early stage development of a proposal can be highly challenging. Significant value can be gained from some expert support at this stage of the proposal.

1.3The IOT Researcher Support Package for the ‘Research for the Benefit of SMEs’ programme, 2009

In 2009, the IOTI Research Support Office ran a small but very successful support programme for IOT researchers interested in leading the development of a proposal to ‘Research for the Benefit of SMEs’and acting as lead co-ordinator in the proposal. The main objectives of this support package were to support the further development of industry-led research within Institutes of Technology and to assist researchers in developing competitive submissions to this programme

The initiative was highly successful and resulted in the highest-scoring Irish-led proposals in the 2009 call of Research for the Benefit of SMEs programme. It also resulted inthe only Irish-led proposal to reach the negotiation stage of the 2009 call. Thus, a very high return on investment was achieved for the IOT Research Support Office.

1.4The 2010 Researcher Support Programme

Due to the success of the 2009 programme, the IOT Research Support Office wishes to offer a support package for the 2010 ‘Research for the Benefit of SMEs’ call and “Research for the Benefit of SME Associations”.

This offer of support is open to the following groups:

  • Institute of Technology Researcherswho wish to lead the coordination of a proposal to the Research for the Benefit of SMEs / SME Associations Call.
  • Irish SMEs who wish to lead the coordination of a proposal to the Research for the Benefit of SMEs/SME Associations. (Qualifying SMEs will be required to include a minimum of one Institute of Technology research team in their consortium).

The 2010 call for Research for the Benefit of SMEs is expected to open in July 2010. Coordination Grants are available to be accessed through FP7 Ireland Coordination Office and interested parties are encouraged to act as soon as possible in the development of their consortia and pursuit of Coordination Grants (see Appendix 3 of this document for further information on Coordinator and Travel Grants). For the 2010 Call, the IOT Research Support Office wishes to offer the following supports:

  1. Stage 1: Qualitative assistance in clarifying the objectives and proposed impact of the proposed research. Also, assistance (if required) in identifying suitable academic and industrial partners for the proposed project. The Fraunhofer Institute (Germany) and Ireland’s National Contact Point for the SME programme (Sean Burke)will be actively involved during this stage of the support programme.
  1. Stage 2: The IOT Research Support Office would like to provide financial support to IOT research consortia who wish to bring forward proposals for the Research for the Benefit of SMEs. This will be subject to confirmation of budget for the IOT Research Support Office. Researchers will be informed on the availability of financial supports as soon as the available budget has been clarified.

Call for Expressions of Interest-Researcher Support Package Page | 1

2.0Call for expressions of interest

Expressions of interest are invited from IOT researchers or Irish SMEs for who wish to lead the development of a submission to the 2010 call of Research for the Benefit of SMEs/SME Associations, and are willing to act as co-ordinator for the proposal.

2.1Eligibility for receipt of this support package:

Eligibility Criteria for Stage I /
  • IOT Researcherswho wish to participate in this support package will be required to meet the following eligibility criteria:
  • Provide a description of the proposed research, its relevance to industry and desired outcomes.
  • Submission of a completed Expression of Interest form (Appendix 4) before 5pm, Friday 28th May.
  • Identify a minimum of one industry partner to participate in the proposed research consortium.
  • SMEs who wish to participate in this support package will be required to meet the following eligibility criteria:
  • Provide a description of the proposed research, its relevance to industry and desired outcomes.
  • Submission of a completed Expression of Interest form (Appendix 4) before 5pm, Friday 28th May.
  • Identify a minimum of one Institute of Technology Research Group as a partner (or if a research partner cannot be identified, agreement to work with the IOT Research Support Office to identify a suitable IOT Research Partner).

Eligibility Criteria for Stage 2 /
  • Participation in Stage 1 of the process.
  • Agreement of the IOT Research Support Office that the proposed research is viable.
  • Commitment by the research consortium to the full submission of a research proposal to the 2010 Call for Research for the Benefit of SMEs/SME Associations.
  • Submission of an application for the Coordination Grant support to Enterprise Ireland (see Appendix 3).

2.2Application Process

An Expression of Interest form isprovided in Appendix 4 of this document. Interested parties are asked to complete the form and return it to the IOTI Research Support Office before 5pm on Friday, 28th May. It should be noted that a detailed description of the proposed project is not required at this stage. Nor is it expected that a full suite of SME or academic partners will have been identified. All expressions of interest must meet the minimum conditions as set out in section 2.1 of this document.

Expressions of Interest should be returned to IOTI offices for the attention of:

Orna Duggan
IOTI Research Support Office,
Institutes of Technology, Ireland,
1st Floor Fumbally Square,
Fumbally Lane,
Dublin 8. / Tel: 01-7082953
Fax: 01-4736068
Email:

Note:

  • Closing date for receipt of Expressions of Interest will be 5pm on Friday May 28th.
  • Both paper and electronic versions of your expression of interest will be accepted.

Appendices Page| 1

Appendices

Appendix 1: Description of the Research for the Benefit of SMEs/SME Associations Programme

Appendix 2: Sample project descriptions from 6FP programme

Appendix 3: Information on EI Co-ordination and Travel Grant Info.

Appendix 4: Call for Expression of Interest

Appendix 1: Sample projects from the 6FP Programme Page| 1

Appendix 1.

Description of the research for the benefit of SMEs / SME Associations

Key features of Research for the Support of SMEs / SME Associations

Projects may address any research topic across the entire field of science and technology. Key features of projects supported by this programme include:

  • SME participants are the direct beneficiaries of the project

SME’s subcontract research to research performers (universities, IOTs, research institutions) in order to acquire the necessary technological knowledge. The relationship between the SMEs and the research performers under this programme is therefore a ‘customer-seller’ relationship.

  • Projects must be clearly focused on and driven by SME needs

The strategic fit with the business and innovation needs of the participating SMEs is critical to the success of the projects. Project must demonstrate a clear impact on the SMEs concerned and the intended impact must be made explicitly clear in project submissions.

  • Intellectual Property Rights & Exploitation

Projects must have clear exploitation potential and economic benefits for the SMEs involved. The consortium must determine how participants will organise IPR ownership and user rights. Intellectual Property will typically reside with the SME participants. However, it is acceptable for the research institution and SME to come to a co-ownership arrangement in which the research institution has invested in IP emerging from the project.

Minimum Requirements for a Project Consortium

Research for the Benefit of SMEs / Research for the Benefit of SME Associations
  • SME participants: At least three independent SMEs established in three different Member States or associated countries.
  • Academic participants (RTD Performers): At least two research performers which must be independent from any other participant and which can come from any country except North Korea.
  • Other enterprises and end-users may participate by making a particular contribution to the project. They must also be independent from any other participant.
  • A project consortium typically involves 5-10 participants.
/
  • SME Association Participants: At least three independent SME association/groupings (SME-AGs)established in three different Member States or associated countries, or one European SME association/grouping[4].
  • Academic participants (RTD Performers): At least two research performers which must be independent from any other participant and which can come from any country.
  • Other enterprises and end-users (including SMEs) may participate by making a particular contribution to the project. They must also be independent from any other participant.
  • A limited number of individual SMEs (2-5) must participate to ensure that the results of the project address SME needs and can be used by a large number of SMEs. A project consortium typically involves 10-15 participants.

Funding and duration of projects supported by Research for the benefit of SME

Research for the Benefit of SMEs / Research for the Benefit of SME Associations
  • Project budget: € 0.5m - € 1.5m
  • Project duration:1 -2 years
/
  • Project budget: € 1.5m - € 4.0m
  • Project duration:2 - 3 years

Appendix 1: Sample projects from the 6FP Programme Page| 1

Appendix 2

Sample project descriptions from 6FP programme

FOOD PRO

Ohmic Heating for Food Processing

In most cases, the production of safe food products requires heat treatment. In the usual heating methods, heat is generated outside the food and transmitted to it by conduction and/or convection. For products containing particles, like fruit or vegetable pieces, these methods often cause overheating of the liquid, if sufficient heating of the solids is to be achieved. A loss of nutritional as well as organoleptic characteristics is often the result.

The aim of this project is to develop an alternative heating process through the use of ohmic heating, where the heat is generated by passing an electric current through the food, heating it as a result of electric resistance. Thus overheating can be avoided, and food with improved taste and nutritional content, and with maintained and in some cases improved microbial safety, may be produced.

This project will offer food producers a new technology to provide healthier and safer food in line with consumer demands. This will be achieved not using chemical additives but using an alternative processing technology. The companies can expect to sell products with higher market value and improved consumer acceptability. This will improve their competitiveness both on the European and the global market, with special relevance for markets such as those in Australia, Japan and North America, where consumers have a significant concern for quality and safety aspects.

1 C-Tech Innovation LTD (UK)

2 BlatandAktiebolag (SE)

3 Liko Bratislava A.S. (SK)

4 Quinta dos MoinhosNovos - LacticiniosLda (PT)

5 Naturediet Pet Foods LTD (UK)

6 ComhlachtAnraithBiaMhara an DaingeanTeoranta (IE)

7 Universidade do Minho (PT)

8 University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork (IE)

9 Institutet f örLivsmedelochBioteknik AB (SE)

10 Consejo Superior de InvestigacionesCientíficas (ES)

11 SLOVENSKA TECHNIČKA UNIVERZITA V BRATISLAVE (SK)

12 Nature ’s Best Ltd (IE)

AquaDeGas

Development of a Cost-Effective, Reliable, Robust, Flexible and Efficient Degassing and Aeration Method for Intensive Aquaculture

Land-based fish farming is the critical success factor in intensive aquaculture since land-based fish farms are the start of a very complicated value chain, representing a prerequisite to having competitive sea farms, as well as being an important “tool” needed in order to develop and commercialise fish farming of new species.

The aquaculture tank represents a production unit with the primary objective of creating a managed volume where the fish in the spawn and growth phase can be fed in optimal water-quality for cost efficient production of fish. Water quality is one of the most critical factors in aquaculture. Optimum water-quality is essential for survival rate, as well as for the growth rate of fish in the different phases of the lifecycle, and hence for the productivity per cubic metre of effective tank-volume. The fish in the production units consume oxygen from the water.

In addition there is a considerable discharge of food spill, faeces and gases in water, all of which represent harmful effects on the biomass. With increasing reuse and recirculation of water, degassing of water becomes a prerequisite.

The project idea is to develop a cost-effective, reliable, robust, flexible, compact and efficient degassing method, which meets the needs of the aquaculture sector for removing oversaturated harmful gases, i.e. carbon dioxide, nitrogen and argon, through development and application of ejector and nozzle techniques for formation of micro-bubbles for effective gas exchange in water integrated with sensor-and control technology.

The European aquaculture sector has increased substantially over the past decades. However, overall production growth in Europe over the period spanning 1994 to 2003 was 5.5 % less than the global trend over the same period. The overall price trend was negative

(-0.5 % APR) vs. positive global development and this sector has experienced increasing competition from non-EU countries, making it imperative to increase research and development in the sector.

1 Artec Aqua AS (NO)

2 Oxymat A/S (DK)

3 Pollution Control Systems Ltd (IE)

4 Transvac Ltd (UK)

5 Aswega Ltd (EE)

6 Bluewater Flatfish Farms Ltd (UK)

7 Selonda Aquaculture S.A. (GR)

8 Mainstream AS (NO)

9 TeknologiskInstituttAs (NO)

10 PeraInnovation LTD (UK)

11 University of Wales Swansea (UK)

Appendix 2: Information on EI Coordination and Travel Grants Page| 1

Appendix 3

Information on EI Co-ordination and Travel Grants.

Application for Travel Support

Aim

The aim of the Travel Support is to facilitate participation in the Seventh EU Framework Programme (FP7). It is in addition to and complements existing international collaboration and exchange schemes.

Eligibility

Applications can be made by researchers in higher education or publicly funded institutions. The scheme covers all fields eligible for funding in FP7.

Eligible costs include least-cost travel expenses and subsistence rates up to €150 per day. Visits will be typically up to three days duration.