NMP

A pdf of the all these Attracting Clients FAQ's is available in our Library. The sources of the answers are also listed in the pdf.

These FAQs have been formally approved by the EU Commission.

Q: I can't find an answer to my question in the FAQs. Where can I send my question?
A: You can submit a question to the Enquiries service.

Q: What size of project is expected?
A: In the call text it is specified for each topic what is expected to be in the project. The size of the projects has to be decided by yourself but should be adequate to meet the objectives of the project. The experts will assess the (cost-) efficiency of the projects. Only if the funding scheme is specified it is determined what is the minimum or maximum EC-funding which can be requested. Based on the experience within the FP7 NMP programme the average requested funding for smaller projects is between 3-4 million Euro for the large projects the average is around 8 million Euro.

Q: How many projects will be funded under each PPP?
A: It is not possible to know how large the projects will be. Based on the available funding and the average requested for funding a rough estimate could be made. Based on the experience within the FP7 NMP programme the average requested funding for smaller projects is between 3-4 million Euro for the large projects the average is around 8 million Euro.

Q: How can the SMEs be involved in the PPP calls?
A: In the preparation of the roadmaps and the call topics we asked the industry to address areas which are important for SMEs. Furthermore because it is under FP7 the funding for SMEs can go up to 75% of the costs.

Q: What part of total budget is foreseen for the topic NMP-2007-2.5-2 (in Euro)?
A: In answer to your question regarding the topic NMP 2007-2.5.2, there is no pre-determined budget amount per topic. Indicative budgets are by call. Calls for proposals are run on a competitive basis and the amount of funding in the grant agreement will depend on the objectives of the project, the particular topic and competition from other projects. However, there are upper limits for Large Scale and Small or Medium Scale projects (please see Questions 3 and 4.)

Q: Is there a minimum budget for Large Scale integrating projects under NMP?
A: Yes, for large scale integrating projects the minimum EC funding requested must exceed € 4 million.

Q: Is there a maximum budget for Small or Scale integrating projects under NMP?
A: For the small or medium scale focussed research projects the maximum EC funding requested must not exceed € 4 million.

Q: My question is related to the size of the consortium in a large collaborative project (NMP Theme). In the guide for applicants there is information concerning the minimum number of partners the maximum is never mentioned. Is there any maximum or even optimal number of partners for a large collaborative project?
A: You are right that a minimum participation requirement is mentioned (at least three legal entities established in three Member States or Associated countries) but there is no specified maximum. This is because the maximum may vary according to the critical mass needed for any particular topic. In some IPs in FP6 there were 20 partners and more but the important point is that that the number of partners corresponds well to the topic and the objectives of the project.

Q: Can the same organisation participate in two different topics/projects in the same call?
A: There is nothing to prevent this. Of course, if the organisation were to be retained in both calls, they would need to have the resources to carried out the tasks assigned it in the projects.

Q: Is there a pre-proposal check under NMP?
A: No, there is no pre-proposal check under NMP but if you let us know the particular topic which you wish your topic to address, we can put you in contact with the colleague most qualified to advise, for instance, the moderator of the panel for that topic.

Q: What are the conditions for participation of US partners in NMP? Are they full partners? Can they get EU funding.? If not, does the budget associated with their participation have to be given in the proposal?
A: The US partner should fill in everything and will accede to the contract. The US partners (like partners from other advanced industrialised countries like Canada and Japan, cannot receive EU funding. They muse seek funding from the NSF or other such agency. However, the fact that the US partner gets funding from NSF or other US agency rather than the EU does not mean that they are not a full partner in terms of rights and obligations, IPR and so on. In addition, evaluators have to know the effort (financial and other) involved on the part of the US partner. And finally, it is worth remembering that in exceptional cases, if it is absolutely essential and in the European interest, a US partner can receive some EU funding. So the more information about how essential the US partner is, the better.

Q: Is there a standard procedure for inviting an EC representative for an organised FP7 NMP event?
A: Although there is no standard procedure, NCPs can invite EU Officials for their local FP7 NMP events by contacting the Director of Industrial Technologies (DG Research), giving details of the planned event, target audience, event date and the type of topic on which you would like the EU Official to possibly address if his/her visit is approved.

'Framework programmes' (FPs) have been the main financial tools through which the European Union supports research and development activities covering almost all scientific disciplines. FPs are proposed by the European Commission and adopted by Council and the European Parliament following a co-decision procedure.

In the Commission's amended proposals for FP7, it was proposed that the maximum overall amount for Community financial participation in the EC Seventh Framework Programme should be EUR 50 521 million for the period 2007 - 2013. For nuclear research and training activities carried out under the Euratom treaty EUR 2751 million are foreseen for 2007-2011.

The 6 main areas under FP7 are Cooperation, Ideas, People, Capacities, Euratom and the JRC's. It is in the Cooperation area that funding is provided for collaboration between Industry and Academia in 10 key technology areas. One of these thematic areas is Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials & new production technologies (NMP) and the EU Member States have earmarked a total of € 3.5 billion for funding this theme over the duration of FP7.

Under NMP emphasis will be given to the following activities:

Nanosciences and nanotechnologies - studying phenomena and manipulation of matter at the nanoscale and developing nanotechnologies leading to the manufacturing of new products and services.

Materials - using the knowledge of nanotechnologies and biotechnologies for new products and processes.

New production - creating conditions for continuous innovation and for developing generic production 'assets' (technologies, organisation and production facilities as well as human resources), while meeting safety and environmental requirements.

Integration of technologies for industrial applications - focusing on new technologies, materials and applications to address the needs identified by the different European Technology Platforms.

The European Commission will fund NMP research by selecting project proposals submitted following the publication of a 'Call for proposals'.

Funding mechanisms used by the NMP thematic programme:

LARGE, for large scale integrating projects where one of the eligibility criteria is that the minimum EC funding requested must be greater than €4 million.

SMALL, for small or medium-scale focused research projects, where the maximum EC funding requested must not exceed €4 million.

SME, for SME targeted Collaborative Projects. SME targeted projects have no upper or lower financial limits for EC contribution but projects will be assessed during the evaluation against the real work to be carried out in the project. The main criteria here is that the SME involvement is of the order of 35% or more of the requested EC contribution.

The NMP thematic area also funds topics under The PPP Initiatives of Factories of the Future, Energy Efficient Buildings and the Green Car. The available funding varies depending on the topic.

A number of other small schemes include Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs) and ERANETs. The NMP Thematic area is also involved in the Public Private Partnership Initiatives for “Factories of the Future”, “Energy Efficient Buildings” and “Green Car”.

For the LARGE, SMALL and SME funding schemes the evaluation follows a Two Stage Procedure. The first stage evaluates the Science and Technology (S/T) proposed and the Impact. This requires a proposal of 12 pages. 10 pages for S/T and Impact and 2 for Admin purposes. The proposal Coordinator usually does all the application work at stage 1.

If successful the applicants are invited to submit for stage 2 which evaluates S/T, Impact and Implementation (management). Typically this is 60 pages.

The PPP Initiatives under NMP includes topics under Factories of the Future, Energy Efficient Buildings and the Green Car. These are Single Stage applications.

CSAs and ERANET proposals use a single stage procedure.

Proposals must be submitted electronically, using the Commission's Electronic Proposal Submission Service (EPSS). The system requires an applicant to input the administration data and upload a PDF of the main body of the proposal.

For Collaborative LARGE, SMALL and SME projects one of the main criteria is that there must be at least 3 independent legal entities involved in each proposal each of which is established in a Member State (MS) or Associated Country (AC), and no 2 of which are established in the same MS or AC. Associated Countries are Non-EU countries which are party to an international agreement with the Community such as Norway. A full list is available.

There has been some realignment with the release of calls across the various FP7 thematic areas (NMP, Health, Energy etc). The NMP call now gets published in July with a Stage 1 closing date for the main funding schemes of November. Evaluation of the Stage 1 proposals will be the following December / January with the successful proposals invited to submit the second stage proposal by early May.

NMP2012 Workprogramme Timeline:

For the current Call, launched on July 20th, the dates for the LARGE, SMALL and SME Funding schemes are:

• Publication of call. 20 July 2011
• Deadline for submission of stage one Proposals. November 8th 2011
• Evaluation of stage one proposals. December / January
• Coordinators informed of results of first stage evaluation. February 2011
• Deadline for submission of stage two proposals. 3 May 2012
• Evaluation of stage two proposals. May 2012
• Coordinators informed of results of stage two proposals. June 2012
• Signature of first grant agreements. From December 2012

For the current Call, launched on July 20th, the dates for the single stage PPP funding schemes (FoF, EeB. GC) are:

• Publication of call. 20 July 2011
• Deadline for submission of full Proposals. December 1st 2011
• Evaluation of proposals. January 2012.
• Coordinators informed of results of evaluation. February 2011
• Grant agreement negotiations will start March 2012

The EU Commission provide a large range of documents relating to FP7.

For financial issues the most appropriate is "Guide to Financial Issues relating to FP7 Indirect Actions" and can be downloaded from here.

Summarising the Reimbursement rates:

RTD. Research and Technological Development activities.

HES. Higher Education Establishments.

RES. Research Organisations.

SME. Small and medium size enterprises. (<250 employees, with an annual turnover not exceeding €50million and /or has an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43million).

Coordinatopn and Support Actions (CSA) may reach a maximum of 100%the total direct eligible costs. For indirect costs and it may reach a maximum of 7% of the direct eligible costs.

A full description on the Indirect costs used for FP7 can be downloaded here.

Following is a summary of the main points.

The reimbursement of beneficiaries shall be based on their eligible direct and indirect costs.

Indirect costs are all those eligible costs which cannot be identified by the beneficiary as being directly attributed to the project, but which can be identified and justified by its accounting system as being incurred in direct relationship with the eligible direct costs attributed to the project.

Indirect costs (overheads) can be calculated using Real Indirect costs or using a Flat rate of indirect costs.

Real Indirect costs are where an organisation has a certifiable method of calculating overheads.

Large Enterprises must report their Real indirect costs or choose the 20% flat rate option.

SMEs, Non profit public bodies, HES and RES organisations can use the Real Indirect method or the flat rate method.

Flat rate of 20%. This flat rate is open to any beneficiary whatever the accounting system it uses. Accordingly, when this option is chosen, there is no need for certification of the indirect costs, only of the direct ones.

Transitional flat rate of 60%. For SMEs, Non profit public bodies, HES and RES organisations. This flat rate is called a "transitional flat rate" because it will apply to grants awarded under calls for proposals closing before 1^st January 2010. The objective is to help the organisations during the transition from a flat rate calculation of their overheads to an actual cost calculation.

The following FAQ was put together from the NMPTeam brokerage event. See details of the event here.

• Disclaimer: The FAQs concerning the China-Call is yet not authorized by the NSFC. In case of uncertainty, please refer to the official documents of the NSFC or contact the project officer.

General

Q: How should the proposal be submitted?

A: The Chinese applicants and their European partners must jointly complete an English proposal and submit the proposal through the European Submission Service. The evaluation will be based on the English proposal. Also the Chinese applicants should write a Chinese proposal and submit to NSFC's ISIS system (Internet-based Science Information System: Link here) with the English proposal uploaded as an annex to the Chinese proposal.

Q: How can I access the European Submission Service?

A: First enter the participant portal, Link here. There you will have the opportunity to select the call of proposals and also to access the Electronic Submission System. Please select the funding scheme or objective corresponding to the work programme topic that is most relevant to your proposal from a list which is shown in a field. You will then be linked to the correct entry point. To access existing draft proposals for this call, please login to the Participant Portal and select the "My Proposals" tab. There you will also find a user guide of the European Submission Service as a download.

EU-Call

Q: Where can I find the EU-China-Call?

A: The Call can be found on the website of the participant portal. The link is here. Besides the call fiche, further information like a guide for applicants, the NMP Work Programme as well as the link to the Electronic Submission Service can be found.

Q: What is the limit of the EU funding?

A: The requested EU contribution must not exceed 1 800 000 € per project.

Q: What is the deadline for the submission of the European proposal?

A: The deadline for submission of proposals is the 23 October 2012, 17:00:00 (Brussels local time).

Q: Are there additional conditions to be regarded?

A: Yes. First: Final drafts of a Consortium Agreement and a Coordination Agreement have to be included with the Part B of the proposal. Second: The exchange of researchers from EU to China and vice versa will be funded in a reciprocal way i.e. the exchange expenses of a researcher from China to EU will be funded from the EU-Project and vice versa.

China-Call

Q: Is the Chinese Call text in English?

A: The Chinese Call can be found on the website link here. The call text is not in English, but only in Chinese.

Q: How are the Chinese projects funded?

A: The NSFC budget provides 3 million RMB for each funded project. Only 10% of the NSFC fund can be used for personnel costs.

Q: What is the deadline for the submission of the Chinese proposal?

A: The deadline is 23 October at 24:00 (Bejing Time).

Q: What are the eligibility criteria concerning the Chinese applicants?

A: The Chinese applicants must have the experience of undertaking NSFC research programs (i.e. the project with duration of 3 years or above). Scientists recruited in the Thousand Talents Program (The recruitment program of global experts) are also allowed to apply.

Q: How many partners can be included in the Chinese consortium?

A: The maximum number of partners in the Chinese project consortium is 3. At most 3 partners from different Chinese research institutes or universities can participate.

Q: Is it possible, that the partners in the Chinese Consortium are from different institutes, but from the same institution?

A: Yes, this is allowed.

Q: Is Industry (SME or Multinationals) eligible for funding on the Chinese side?

A: Principally yes, they are allowed to participate, but they must fulfil the eligibility criteria concerning the applicants (i.e. experience of undertaking NSFC research programs). Many enterprises have their own research institutes. If the research institute has registered at NSFC as a host institution, then it is allowed to apply for NSFC programs.

Q: Is it possible, that European partners are included in the Chinese project part?

A: Generally, the foreign researcher in a Chinese institution is not a employee of the institution, but has other financial support. Therefore: no.

Q: Is the 3 years duration for the Chinese project the maximum or the minimum?

A: The 3 year duration is not strict. Depending on the project, the duration can be more than 3 years but the NSFC funding will continue for three years (i.e. the NSFC funding is limited for 3 years).

Q: What are the requirements concerning the reporting?

A: During the three years of NSFC funding, a progress report at the end of each year is required. A final report at the end of the third year must be prepared.

Q; What happens after the three years of funding by the NSFC?

A: Generally, there is no pressure for researchers. If there is a significant progress after the three years, you can apply to NSFC for further funding.

The matching of both parts

Q: Is there a template for the Cooperation Agreement between the Chinese and European Consortium?

A: No. Please remember: The draft Coordination Agreement has to be included in the Part B of the proposal.

Q: Which are the financial terms for the exchange of researchers?

A: The exchange of researchers from EU to China and vice versa will be funded in a reciprocal way i.e. the exchange expenses of a researcher from China to EU will be funded from the EU-Project and vice versa.

NMP.2013.1.2-1. Nanotechnology-based sensors for environmental monitoring.

Q: On Page 8 of the NMP workprogramme 2013 its lists this topic under the priority of Water. Can the sensors can be deployed in other applications other than WATER related?

A: The topic is not confined to water. It covers sensors for any element in our environment that may require monitoring. Water is certainly part of this but not the only element. Important to note that sensors for monitoring of the marine environment, including seawater, is excluded due to a similar call on this particular area in the Ocean2013 workprogramme.

This question relates to NMP 2013.1.4-2 "Metrology research for the development and validation of design rules for engineering of nanostructured and nano-enabled materials and devices"

Q: For this topic, does "nanostructured and nano-enabled materials" refer to:

- materials with internal nanostructure or features (for example CNTs embedded in a polymer matrix), or

- materials with nanostructure at the surface (for example surfaces with patterned features at the nanoscale), or

- nanoparticles,

or to all three?

A: For this topic, it refers to all three.

This question relates to the topic NMP.2013.4.0-2 "Innovative materials for efficient, stable and cheap organic photovoltaic cells"?

Q: Are proposals on Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) eligible for submission to the call topic:

A: In the "Strategic Research Agenda for Photovoltaic Solar Energy Technology, EDITION 2 (2011)" published by the European Photovoltaic Technology Platform, organic solar cells are defined as "(...) photovoltaic devices in which at least part of the active layer consists of an organic compound."

Proposals on such devices and in line with the call topic are eligible for submission.

Q: FP7_NMP- 2.2.4 'Materials solutions for durable energy-harvesters'
Do we have to address both the development of energy harvesting and of storage materials?

A: Correct: both the development of energy harvesting and of storage materials need to be addressed.

FP7-NMP-2013-EU-Japan call:

Q: regarding "critical metals", the proposer is aware of a 2010 EU report indicating 14 "critical metals": "Report of the Ad-hoc Working Group on defining critical raw materials". Are you able to comment on any other key guiding source documents publicly available?

A: We recommend close consultation with the Japanese team in order to define which metals are considered to be critical by both the EU consortium and the Japanese Team.

Q: Is there any steer on what is desirable by way of industrial participation? The call states only new knowledge is required, the annexes talk about describing the industrial contribution. (I'm aware the industrial participation may be more limited in such topics)

A: All FP7 calls allow for industrial participation. In this call, we recommend close consultation with the Japanese team in order to be able to timely conclude the coordination agreement.

Q: Is it possible to clarify what "well-defined technology" means in practice; does it restrict the project to existing applications?

A: The proposal should convincingly demonstrate that its results will lead to an improved performance of industrial products in the longer term.

Q: the call asks for participation of "early stage" researchers. Is it possible to clarify what is meant by this - is there a preference for PDRAs (Post Doctoral Research Assistants), or for students?

A: Early stage researchers are researchers that have earned recently their highest degree in a field relevant to the topic.

The question is related to the topic NMP.2013.2.2-1 Biomaterials for Advanced Therapies and Medical Devices in the neurological/neuromuscular or cardiovascular fields

Q: Taking into account that it can be impossible to insert an implant in the cerebrum, is it possible to present a project to this topic that does not develop an implant itself. The neurons obtained by using the biomaterial will be introduced but not the biomaterial. In the topic is stated that an expected deliverable will consist of at least one implant or components thereof.

A: The purpose of the topic is to develop and/or validate specific biomaterials (including peptides/proteins) or a novel combination thereof, for use in an eventual Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product or Medical Device.

Applications should address diseases or conditions in the neurological/neuromuscular or cardiovascular fields.

An expected output should consist of at least one implant or components thereof, together with a proof of concept and preclinical validation.

It is of course not specified in the Call text that the biomaterial has to be implanted after development. Furthermore, according to the text, applicants are not necessarily required to develop the implant, it also covers the "...components thereof." Whatever is implanted must be the direct result of successful research into the appropriate biomaterials (which can be defined as "....the smart matrices that mimic the CNS microenvironment and improve survival, maturation and connectivity of human neurons in vitro,") and furthermore, that implant must fulfil the definition of an Advanced Therapy or a Medical Device, as defined by the relevant and current Regulations and Directives. The neurons that are intended to be developed would be defined as "Cell Therapy", which is recognised as an Advanced Therapy.

Q: The call clearly mentions "muscular dystrophy" as a disease. However it is not clear why muscular dystrophy may be appropriate for biomaterials research.

Regenerative medicine is well applicable to muscle dystrophy (stem cell therapy) but if this is the clue, biomaterial is intended to be stem cell therapy.

Can nanoconstructs (nanomaterials, nanoparticles, nanotubules) engineered with drugs such as antisense oligonucleotides or viral vector (gene therapy),or peptides, or cell, or combinations of these, be considered appropriate as "biomaterial" usable for muscular dystrophy new therapies?

A: The Call for Proposals clearly mentions muscular dystrophy as a disease, which could be the focus for this topic in New Materials. Indeed, this condition is cited as just one example of many that are suitable for this type of research in either the neurological or cardiovascular fields in general, the short list given in the text not being exhaustive or exclusive in nature.

As stated, regenerative medicine is applicable to muscular dystrophy, in its capacity as an Advanced Therapy as defined by the relevant Regulation 1394/2007. The purpose of this topic is to develop appropriate biomaterials (and only biomaterials) that will form a part of an eventual Advanced Therapy or a Medical Device. There is no restriction on what form the biomaterial might take. A Biomaterial is any substance (other than a drug), synthetic or natural, that can be used as a system or part of a system that treats, augments, or replaces any tissue, organ, or function of the body, especially, material suitable for use in prostheses that will be in contact with living tissue. Nanomaterials are defined (by Commission Recommendation 2011/696/EU) as natural, incidental or manufactured materials containing particles, in an unbound state or as an aggregate or as an agglomerate and where, for 50 % or more of the particles in the number size distribution, one or more external dimensions is in the size range 1 nm-100 nm. It is of course therefore possible to have overlap between the two, hence the terms nanobiotechnology and bionanotechnology.

For the purposes of this topic, the extent of that overlap would be the determining factor in whether the proposed research is within the scope of the Call. There would need to be a primary focus on the development of the biomaterial per se as opposed to the nano-form (tubules, spheres, impregnated with drugs, etc.) that it might eventually assume. The various nanoconstructs referred to above would have to be of biological origin (natural or synthetic) and be the biological adjuncts that facilitate the operation of the eventual Advanced Therapy(ies) for the treatment of Muscular Dystrophy. Items such as ligands (based on RNA, DNA, peptides etc) appear to fulfil this definition. Issues such as structure, functionalisation etc. would be expected to be characterised as part of the research so as to determine their ultimate usefulness in the intended applications.

Q: Can Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) undertake special tasks in this project?

A: Since a significant share of economic operators involved in this field are small and medium-sized enterprises, the active participation of these groups represents an added value to the activities. Scientific services available from the European Medicines' Agency and/or national competent authorities to the SME community are provided at highly competitive discounted rates and, as part of this project, these expenses will be eligible for reimbursement.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2049/2005 of 15 December 2005 laying down, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, rules regarding the payment of fees to, and the receipt of administrative assistance from, the European Medicines Agency by Micro, Small and Medium sized enterprises, L 329/4 Official Journal of the European Union 16.12.2005.

A pdf of the Project Negotiations & Execution FAQ's is available in our Library. The sources of the answers are also listed in the pdf.

These FAQs have been formally approved by the EU Commission.

Q: Is it possible to attribute the cost relating to audit certificate to other activity once the 7% ceiling is reached?
A: The FP6 contract does provide the possibility (see Article II.25) to attribute certain costs that might have been allocated to the management activity to other activities if the 7% ceiling reached (for example writing technical reports might be allocated to RTD activity rather than management). It should be added that, this would not be the case for audit certificates costs which clearly fall only under the management activity. The 7% threshold for costs of management activities is determined not on the basis of the EC contribution initially foreseen in the contract but on the basis of the contribution actually received by the consortium (that is on the basis of the actual costs incurred and the actual EC financial contribution).

Q: The guide for applicants states the possibility to include additional partners ("if there are as-yet-unidentified participants in the project, the expected competences, the role of the potential participants and their integration into the running project should be described."). We will meet the problem by writing scientific description of work, within work packages, but moreover by filling in form A. Can we fill in a form A2 with an X partner and how do we handle the budget and forms A3 ? We do not understand how to implement this in the proposal and in the EPSS.
A: You can add unknown partners to the consortium, as long as the minimum conditions for participation are met (for a CP: at least 3 independent legal entities, each of which is established in a MS or AC, and no two of which are established in the same MS or AC). In part B you should clearly write the scientific description of work for all work packages and for all partners (including the work of the partners to be determined). In case you would like to add an additional partner at a later stage, you should clearly outline the expected competences, the role of the potential participants and their integration into the running project. Please explain, why you still have to find an unknown partner and when and how you are going to identify the partner. For the A-Forms I recommend to add a partner called "unknown". You should clearly indicate the sum to be allocated to the unknown partner.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?lg=en&pg=faq&sub=details&idfaq=27015

A pdf of the Project Negotiations & Execution FAQ's is available in our Library. The sources of the answers are also listed in the pdf.

These FAQs have been formally approved by the EU Commission.

Q: What size of project is expected?
A: In the call text it is specified for each topic what is expected to be in the project. The size of the projects has to be decided by yourself but should be adequate to meet the objectives of the project. The experts will assess the (cost-) efficiency of the projects. Only if the funding scheme is specified it is determined what is the minimum or maximum EC-funding which can be requested. Based on the experience within the FP7 NMP programme the average requested funding for smaller projects is between 3-4 million Euro for the large projects the average is around 8 million Euro.

Q: If I miss the application deadline, will my application still be eligible?
A: No. You are strongly advised not to leave application until the last moment.

Q: Is it possible to charge the salary of a PI, who already holds a permanent position in the host institution, to the ERC project? Also, is it possible to cover the costs for a substitute of the PI to do his/her teaching or other duties?
A: Costs are reimbursed based on the time spent on the ERC project. Thus, the salary of a PI can be charged to the project to the extend he/she has worked on the project. However, if the PI's host institution hires a substitute to do some of the PI's duties, it has to be done according to their internal rules and cannot be charged to the ERC project.

Q: What will happen if I do not submit the commitment letter of the host institution?
A: As long as no document is uploaded in EPSS, it will not be possible to validate/submit the proposal. A warning message will inform the applicant accordingly. If another document is uploaded instead and the commitment letter is finally missing in the proposal, the proposal is not eligible and will not be evaluated.

Q: Can the proposal coordinator differ from the project coordinator, i.e. can the coordinator be changed at the stage of the contract negotiation?
A: With regard to your specific question, there is nothing in the rules preventing a change in coordinator after the submission stage. However, this should be duly justified and formally agreed by both the original and replacement coordinator.

Q: A new partner wants to join a project during the negotiation process. How can he contact the coordinator?
A: New partners cannot join during negotiation process.

Q: What happens if a partner goes bankrupt and I cannot replace him with the same budget?
A: The total budget of a project cannot be increased after signing the contract. However this problem may be solved by either distributing tasks of this bankrupt partner to other partners or by introducing a new partner of equivalent expertise, with these changes always subject to approval by the EU Commission.

Q: Will my traveling cost be reimbursed if I go for a negotiation meeting?
A: No, this is not within the project time-frame and should be seen as an investment put in the project by the applicant entity.

Q: If we miss a partner in stage 1 - can he be included in stage 2?
A: If stage 1 evaluation has highlighted that certain expertise is lacking but you have been invited to go ahead with preparing a stage 2 proposal, given that in stage 2, additional criteria are used for the evaluation process, it is possible to improve your partnership by introducing additional partners. Care should however be taken not to drastically change the project scope from which it was positively evaluated in Stage 1.

Q: Can I change the partners during execution?
A: If after exhausting all options in line with the project's contingency plans, it becomes necessary to have a partner change, the Project Officer should be immediately informed in writing by the Project Coordinator. The Coordinator is to clearly inform the Project Officer of steps taken to avoid this situation and also the impact this will have on the agreed project objectives if at this stage, such a partner change is not accommodated. Whether such a change is accepted or not, will need thorough investigation on a case-by-case basis.

Q: Where can I know about joining a running project?
A: When a project is already running, the number of partners cannot be increased. However, it may be possible, for new organisations to contribute to the goals of running project but as Associated Partners i.e. without receiving any funding from the project. In any case, the Project Officer should be always briefed before such Associated Partners are given a role in the project.

Q: Where can I find the call for a new partner for running projects? (Advertisement?)
A: Many FP7 NMP projects due to their need to disseminate information will have their own web page. However as outlined above, there are normally no calls for new partners to join a running project.

Q: Can I shift budget from 1 partner to another?
A: In principle, some budget allocations can be shifted from one partner to the other. However one must ensure that the expertise of the consortium is being well utilized for the right roles and that there is a balanced commitment of all partners. Also one key condition for such a transfer is that the work be carried out by the consortium is as foreseen in Annex I. In any case, the FP7 Financial Guidelines should be referred to and the Project Officer should be contacted to determine if this change will have an unacceptable impact on the "Description of Work".

Q: Can I shift budget from 1 budget line to another?
A: In correlation with FP7 Financial Guidelines, some budget allocations can be shifted from one activity to another. However, one key condition for such a transfer is that the activities to be carried out by the consortium are as foreseen in Annex I. In any case, the Project Officer should be contacted to determine if this change in budget lines will have an unacceptable impact on the "Description of Work".

Q: If a very large consortium goes through to negotiation, could some partners be asked to leave?
A: The EC will not ask some of the partners to leave a consortium of a project that reached the negotiation stage.

Q: How will the evaluation process be influenced for large projects during 2nd stage evaluation if there are unidentified participants?
A: Only the role and expertise of identified participants can be taken into consideration.

A pdf of the all these proposal writing FAQ's is available in our Library. The sources of the answers are also listed in the pdf.

These FAQs have been formally approved by the EU Commission.

Q: I can't find an answer to my question in the FAQs. Where can I send my question?
A: You can submit a question to the Enquiries Service.

Q: What size of project is expected?
A: In the call text it is specified for each topic what is expected to be in the project. The size of the projects has to be decided by yourself but should be adequate to meet the objectives of the project. The experts will assess the (cost-) efficiency of the projects. Only if the funding scheme is specified is it determined what is the minimum or maximum EC-funding which can be requested. Based on the experience within the FP7 NMP programme the average requested funding for smaller projects is between 3-4 million Euro for the large projects the average is around 8 million Euro.

Q: Is there a minimum budget for Large Scale integrating projects under NMP?
A: Yes, for large scale integrating projects the minimum EC funding requested must exceed €4 million.

Q: Is there a maximum budget for Small or medium scale integrating projects under NMP?
A: For the small or medium scale focussed research projects the maximum EC funding requested must not exceed €4 million

Q: My question is related to the size of the consortium in a large collaborative project (NMP Theme). In the guide for applicants there is information concerning the minimum number of partners the maximum is never mentioned. Is there any maximum or even optimal number of partners for a large collaborative project?
A: You are right that a minimum participation requirement is mentioned (at least three legal entities established in three Member States or Associated countries) but there is no specified maximum. This is because the maximum may vary according to the critical mass needed for any particular topic. In some IPs in FP6 there were 20 partners and more but the important point is that that the number of partners corresponds well to the topic and the objectives of the project.

Q: Can the same organisation participate in two different topics/projects in the same call?
A: There is nothing to prevent this. Of course, if the organisation were to be retained in both calls, they would need to have the resources to carried out the tasks assigned it in the projects.

Q: Is there a pre-proposal check under NMP?
A: No, there is no pre-proposal check under NMP but if you let us know the particular topic which you wish your topic to address, we can put youin contact with the colleague most qualified to advise, for instance, the moderator of the panel for that topic.

Q: What are the conditions for participation of US partners in NMP? Are they full partners? Can they get EU funding.? If not, does the budget associated with their participation have to be given in the proposal?
A: The US partner should fill in everything and will accede to the contract. The US partners (like partners from other advanced industrialised countries like Canada and Japan) cannot receive EU funding. They must seek funding from the NSF or other such agency. However, the fact that the US partner gets funding from NSF or another US agency rather than the EU does not mean that they are not a full partner in terms of rights and obligations, IPR and so on. In addition, evaluators have to know the effort (financial and other) involved on the part of the US partner. And finally, it is worth remembering that in exceptional cases, if it is absolutely essential and in the European interest, a US partner can receive some EU funding. So the more information about how essential the US partner is, the better.

A pdf of the all these proposal writing FAQ's is available in our Library. The sources of the answers are also listed in the pdf.

These FAQs have been formally approved by the EU Commission.

Q: Should the page limit for a section of the proposal correspond to the weighting of the relevant evaluation criterion? For example if 'Implementation' accounts for 20% of the overall score, should 20% of the pages be spent on 'implementation'?
A: Not necessarily. The maximum length of the proposal is 30 pages (excluding table of contents, section B7-ethical issues -, letter of commitment from industrial partners where applicable and start & end pages). It is up to each applicant to decide how these 30 pages shall be used, whilst ensuring that the proposal addresses all evaluation criteria outlined in the Guide for Applicants in a clear and concise manner and the
maximum number of pages is not exceeded.

Q: (2nd stage): Due to the guide for applicants, the page number for section 1 of the proposal is restricted to 20 pages plus tables. What about the required Gantt charts and Pert diagrams ? Are they included in the 20 pages or can they be counted separately as tables?
A: You may consider the various tables foreseen in the guide on work packages and deliverables lists (including Gantt charts and Pert diagrams etc) as additional to the 20 page limit. But please avoid duplication and keep to an efficient use of space as possible as this will be much appreciated by the evaluators.

Q: We are writing a proposal for the call and we need more information about deliverables. How many deliverables should be in a WP? Is one deliverable for each task in the WP fine, or do we need to have more deliverables (maybe related to sub-task)?
A: A work package can have one or more deliverables, but there are no rules or guidelines on this. It entirely depends on the nature of the work and the way the project has been organised. If the proposal is successful in the evaluation you can always request adjustments to the schedule of deliverables during the negotiation stage.

Q: We have submitted a STREP proposal in which the coordinator that has been assigned is the one writing the proposal. If the project is approved the company coordinating the project will be a different one. In the proposal we have put as coordinator, partner number 1, the proposal writing coordinator. Within the Part B, we clearly address that the eventual coordinator will be partner number 5. Is this correct?
A: It's fine as it is. Just be aware that the Acknowledgement of receipt and also the Evaluation Summary Report will be sent to the email address of partner no. 1 in the proposal. If the proposal is successful in the evaluation, the partner who finally manages the project can be decided during the negotiation of the grant agreement.

A pdf of the all these proposal writing FAQ's is available in our Library. The sources of the answers are also listed in the pdf.

These FAQs have been formally approved by the EU Commission.

Q: Do I need to provide an English translation of my proposal?
A: Applicants may submit their proposal in any official language of the European Union, and it is recommended to include a full translation in English. In any case, an English translation of the abstract must be included in the proposal.

Q: Does the 10 page maximum limit for stage 1 proposals include the cover page?
A: No the 10 page limit at stage 1 does not include the cover page.

Q: Does the 10 page maximum limit for stage 1 proposals include the tables on partnership and budget mentioned in annex 4, part 6 of the Guide for applicants? A: No, the partnership and budget table are additional to the 10 page stage 1 proposal length.

Q: Is it necessary to present the details of the various work packages, milestones and deliveries at Stage 1 in NMP?
A: No, At Stage 1 for NMP calls, as specified in Annex 4 of the Guide for Applicants, in part B 1.3 it is only necessary to present an overview of the work plan to be adopted. You do not need to present details of the various Work packages until stage 2.

Q: Is it necessary to fill in the table on ethical issues at stage 1?
A: No, this is only required at Stage 2 but if there are ethical issues regarding the project, these can be briefly described at stage 1.

Q: May we use diagrams such as Gantt charts and Pert diagrams in Stage 1 proposals?
A: Yes, charts and diagrams, such as those mentioned for Stage 2 proposals may be used if desired also in part B of stage 1 proposals but they will be counted as part of the 10 page limit.

Q: In the first stage submission proposal, do SMEs have to submit the model declaration about their headcount, annual turnover and total balance sheet?
A: No, this information is not required at stage 1. Please see annex 4 of the Guide for applicants for what is required for stage 1.

Q: Concerning the A Forms for the 1st call in the NMP priority (Small project), at Stage 1, the coordinator is the only formal partner that should be included in the proposal set-up on EPSS. "Additionalpartners should not be added at this stage. Part A should be completed for the coordinator only." But it is also necessary to fill in the financial forms (Forms A3.1 and A3.2). If we do not enter the partners in the form A2, we only have the line of the Coordinator in the forms A3.1 and A3.2. Thus, how can we give an estimation of the consortium budget, and not only the coordinator budget?
A: At stage 1 of a two-stage process, only a single set of budget figures and the corresponding requested EU funding is required for the whole project. These figures should represent the total project budget for all partners and should be submitted against the coordinator. The figures should match the totals presented in the budget table in Part B of the stage 1 proposal.

Q: Can the proposal coordinator differ from the project coordinator, i.e. can the coordinator be changed at the stage of the contract negotiation?
A: With regard to your specific question, there is nothing in the rules preventing a change in coordinator after the submission stage. However, this should be duly justified and formally agreed by both the original and replacement coordinator.

Q: The guide for applicants states the possibility to include additional partners ("if there are as yet unidentified participants in the project, the expected competences, the role of the potential participants and their integration into the running project should be described."). We will meet the problem by writing scientific description of work, within work packages, but moreover by filling in form A. Can we fill in a form A2 with an X partner and how do we handle the budget and forms A3 ? We do not understand how to implement this in the proposal and in the EPSS.
A: You can add unknown partners to the consortium, as long as the minimum conditions for participation are met (for a CP: at least 3 independent legal entities, each of which is established in a MS or AC, and no two of which are established in the same MS or AC). In part B you should clearly write the scientific description of work for all work packages and for all partners (including the work of the partners to be determined). In case you would like to add an additional partner at a later stage, you should clearly outline the expected competences, the role of the potential participants and their integration into the running project. Please explain, why you still have to find an unknown partner and when and how you are going to identify the partner. For the A-Forms I recommend to add a partner called "unknown". You should clearly indicate the sum to be allocated to the unknown partner.

A pdf of the all these proposal writing FAQ's is available in our Library. The sources of the answers are also listed in the pdf.

These FAQs have been formally approved by the EU Commission.

Q: If I miss the application deadline, will my application still be eligible?
A: No. You are strongly advised not to leave application until the last moment.

Q: Should the page limit for a section of the proposal correspond to the weighting of the relevant evaluation criterion? For example if 'Implementation' accounts for 20% of the overall score, should 20% of the pages be spent on 'implementation'?
A: Not necessarily. The maximum length of the proposal is 30 pages (excluding table of contents, section B7 -ethical issues -, letter of commitment from industrial partners where applicable and start & end pages). It is up to each applicant to decide how these 30 pages shall be used, whilst ensuring that the proposal addresses all evaluation criteria outlined in the Guide for Applicants in a clear and concise manner and the maximum number of pages is not exceeded.

Q: NMP2007: 1.2.1 (Large) call. As this is a 2 stage submission I understand I am limited to a maximum of 10 pages (plus tables). However I am unclear if this limit includes the obligatory cover page and table of contents pages specified in the template (i.e. restricting the actual text to 8 pages).
A: The cover page is not included in the 10 pages. The table of contents, if desired at stage 1 but more for stage 2 could perhaps be squeezed onto the cover page.

Q: (2nd stage): Due to the guide for applicants, the page number for section 1 of the proposal is restricted to 20 pages plus tables. What about the required Gantt charts and Pert diagrams ? Are they included in the 20 pages or can they be counted separately as tables ?
A: You may consider the various tables foreseen in the guide on work packages and deliverables lists (including Gantt charts and Pert diagrams etc) as additional to the 20 page limit. But please avoid duplication and keep to an efficient use of space as possible as this will be much appreciated by the evaluators.

Q: We are writing a proposal for call and we need more information about deliverables. How many deliverables should be in WP? Is one deliverable for each task in the WP is fine, or do we need have more deliverables (maybe related to sub-task)?
A: A work package can have one or more deliverables, but there are no rules or guidelines on this. It entirelydepends on the nature of the work and the way the project has been organised. If the proposal is successful in the evaluation you can always request adjustments to the schedule of deliverables during the negotiation stage.

Q: We have submitted a STREP proposal in which the coordinator that has been assigned is the proposal coordinator writing, since the company coordinating the project if approved is a different one. In the proposal we have put as coordinator, partner number 1, the proposal writing coordinator. Within the Part B, we clearly address that the coordinator is partner number 5. Is this correct?
A: It's fine as it is. Just be aware that the Acknowledgement of receipt and also the Evaluation Summary Report will be sent to the email address of partner no. 1 in the proposal. If the proposal is successful in the evaluation, the partner who finally manages the project can be decided during the negotiation of the grant agreement.

Q: FP7-NMP-2007-SMALL-1 (2nd stage): what type of activity (RTD or OTHER) should be assigned to a work package that contains the following tasks: 1. Dissemination of project results - writing articles - participation in conferences 2. Exploitation of project results - patent applications - other IPR issues ?
A: The tasks that you are asking about should be referred to as RTD. Please see the footnote in annex 4 of the Guide for applicants on work package descriptions (below). Please indicate one activity per work package: RTD = Research and technological development (including any activities to prepare for the dissemination and/or exploitation of project results, and coordination activities); DEM = Demonstration; MGT = Management of the consortium; OTHER = Other specific activities, if applicable.

Q: Do I need to provide an English translation of my proposal?
A: Applicants may submit their proposal in any official language of the European Union, and it is recommended to include a full translation in English. In any case, an English translation of the abstract must be included in the proposal.

Q: Does the 10 page maximum limit for stage 1 proposals include the cover page?
A: No the 10 page limit at stage 1 does not include the cover page.

Q: Does the 10 page maximum limit for stage 1 proposals include the tables on partnership and budget mentioned in annex 4, part 6 of the Guide for applicants?
A: No, the partnership and budget table are additional to the 10 page stage 1 proposal length.

A pdf of the all these proposal writing FAQ's is available in our Library. The sources of the answers are also listed in the pdf.

These FAQs have been formally approved by the EU Commission.

Q: Is it necessary to present the details of the various work packages, milestones and deliveries at Stage 1 in NMP?
A: No, At Stage 1 for NMP calls, as specified in Annex 4 of the Guide for Applicants, in part B 1.3 it is only necessary to present an overview of the work plan to be adopted. You do not need to present details of the various Work packages until stage 2.

Q: Is it necessary to fill in the table on ethical issues at stage 1?
A: No, this is only required at Stage 2 but if there are ethical issues regarding the project, these can be briefly described at stage 1.

Q: May we use diagrams such as Gantt charts and Pert diagrams in Stage 1 proposals?
A: Yes, charts and diagrams, such as those mentioned for Stage 2 proposals may be used if desired also in part B of stage 1 proposals but they will be counted as part of the 10 page limit.

Q: In the first stage submission proposal, do SMEs have to submit the model declaration about their headcount, annual turnover and total balance sheet?
A: No, this information is not required at stage 1. Please see annex 4 of the Guide for applicants for what is required for stage 1.

Q: Concerning the A Forms for the 1st call in the NMP priority (Small project), at Stage 1, the coordinator is the only formal partner that should be included in the proposal set-up on EPSS. "Additional partners should not be added at this stage. Part A should be completed for the coordinator only." But it is also necessary to fill in the financial forms (Forms A3.1 and A3.2). If we do not enter the partners in the form A2, we only have the line of the Coordinator in the forms A3.1 and A3.2. Thus, how can we give an estimation of the consortium budget, and not only the coordinator budget?
A: At stage 1 of a two-stage process, only a single set of budget figures and the corresponding requested EU funding is required for the whole project. These figures should represent the total project budget for all partners and should be submitted against the coordinator. The figures should match the totals presented in the budget table in Part B of the stage 1 proposal.

Q: Where can I organise the project meeting, in a partner country or in anywhere in Europe?
A: FP7 Project meetings are normally carried out in the consortium partner countries. The organisation of meetings in non-partner countries, unless already included in the proposal's Annex 1, requires strong justification and prior approval from the Project Officer.

Q: In which language should I describe my organisation?
A: The organisation should be described with the legal name by which it is registered in its country of registration. However, providing an English translation of the organisation's name is also encouraged.

Q: Can I write and submit the proposal in my own language?
A: Yes, proposals can be submitted in your own language as long as this is one of the EU Official languages. However, one should note that the proposal will be evaluated by its English version translated by the EU Commission.

Q: Is it recommended to have many task leaders based on national or geographical distribution?
A: One of the aims of FP7 programmes is to create a 'Competitive European Region'. So although task leaders from different countries are not compulsory, such practice is however encouraged as it contributes to the European research area. Task leaders from different types of institutions such as industrial and academia are also encouraged.

Q: What is the Max EU requested contribution for a large project?
A: Max contribution is dependent on the specific call and may be found in the call budget details.

pdf's of the all these proposal writing FAQ's are available in our Library. The sources of the answers are also listed in the pdf.

These FAQs are being currently vetted by the EU Commission. Therefore until formal approval is given, users are to use these answers for guidance only.

Q: How many partners should be involved in a project?
A: The minimum number of partners in a project depends on the funding scheme associated with a call as detailed in the formal documents associated with the published call.  In principle, it is normal to have a mix of different organization type (e.g. academic, end users, SMEs etc.) and with the right mix of competencies.   As the minimum number of participants depends on the funding scheme, it is advisable that you check both the published specific call text and/or consult your NCP for advice.

Q: Can an NCP recommend a potential coordinator?
A: A coordinator is established before a project is finally submitted.  The choice of coordinator by the consortium always has to be approved by the Commission, if the project is successful. This means that the Commission examines the financial viability of the partner intending to become coordinator, as well as its capacity to carry out the intended tasks.   At proposal writing stage, an NCP can therefore provide general guidelines of the administrative/financial capacity the EC expects from a partner interested to act as coordinator, but an NCP will not recommend a potential coordinator. Selection of the coordinator is the responsibility of the consortium itself.

Q: Can you involve non-European partners in NMP? Is there are a maximum limit to the Nº of these type of participants?
A: In general, FP7 projects allow the participation of partners from non-EU countries but subject to their own funding.  The participation of non-EU partners needs to be strongly justified i.e. it needs to be demonstrated that they are indeed adding value to the project's objectives.    In some specific calls (e.g. NMP joint calls with India, Latin America), non-EU partners will be also funded, normally through their National funding agency.   One should note that the funding supported and associated with a specific call is always detailed in the formal documents the published call.  

Q: Should all the requests of a topic description be met/ addressed in the proposal? Is it ORs rather than ANDs.
A: It is frequent that a topic in the call text is published with a number of points e.g. research on a material that should exhibit a set of properties.   Whether the proposal being prepared needs to address all points (ANDs) or not (ORs), needs to be inferred from the specific call text.  In principle, the more points addressed the better but in practice, this may not be possible. Consortia should use their scientific competence to make such as assessment.  In some cases (eg. NMP.2011.1.2-1), the call text is clear because although there may be a number of goals to be achieved, it will be clearly stated that an individual proposal should address one of the goals and not all.

Q: What is the maximum budget of a large scale project?
A: Although such specific information will be clearly made available in the call text published by the EC, normally, for a large scale project the minimum EC funding requested must exceed 4 million.   The maximum will of course depend on the budget available for that call.

Q: What should be the balance between research partners, industry and end-users?
A: It is normal to have a mix of different organization type (e.g. academic, end users, SMEs etc.) and with the right mix of competencies.   However, the actual balance required between different types of partners is not dictated by the EC as this strongly depends on the project's overall goals.   In principle, the consortium should ensure that there are the correct and complementary expertise/resources to ensure successful execution and completion of the project.

Q: What’s the own financial commitment versus the EC financing?
A: The ratio of self funding to EC funding varies with type of organisation (e.g. academic partner versus industrial partner) and also the type of funding scheme (e.g. CSA is 100% funded).  More information is normally available as part of the formal information package published with the call or on websites such as CORDIS.

Q: What are the typical characteristics of a coordinator of the NMP LARGE Scale project?
A: The FP7 Rules for Participation do not provide for a list of requirements that have to be fulfilled in order that a potential participant can act as a consortium coordinator. In FP7 projects the coordinator is an entity which is responsible for carrying out the tasks set out in Annex II, Article II.2 of the General Conditions of the model grant agreement. The (potential) coordinator must have the capacity to carry out these tasks and in view of the importance of these tasks; the choice of coordinator by the consortium always has to be approved by the Commission. This means that the Commission examines the financial viability of the partner intending to become coordinator, as well as its capacity to carry out the intended tasks

Q: Should the consortium involve multiple end-users?
A: The actual number of end-users strongly depends on the project's overall goals.   In principle, the consortium should ensure that there is the correct number of end-users with the relevant resources to ensure successful execution and completion of the project.

Q: What should be the project deliverable: Product, Process? Is it more of a demonstration, Innovation or RTD component?
A: It is common for projects to result in more than one deliverable.  Whether the main deliverable is a product of process really depends on how the project is being setup to address the call text.    One should note that if the proposal is successful in the evaluation, one can always request some adjustments to the schedule of deliverables during the negotiation stage.

Q: What is the percentage of the demonstration related activities in comparison with the project´s total budget?
A: The percentage of budget dedicated to for example research activities or demonstration activities will depend on both the overall project goals and the funding scheme (e.g. CSA, NOE etc.)   indicated in the official call text.