College of Science, Engineering and Food Science

EU innovation inducement prize - €2 million prize for a world class idea to change the way we deal with vaccines

The race to overcome weaknesses in the cold-chain for vaccine transport and storage is on! Many people in tropical and developing countries cannot benefit from life-saving vaccines because these vaccines are damaged during transport and storage. Many vaccines need to be kept at a cool and stable temperature to remain effective and this is difficult to ensure in these regions.

The European Commission is offering a EUR 2 million prize for innovations which can solve this global health problem.

No particular approach is prescribed. Solutions may include alternative ways of formulating, preserving or transporting vaccines. Whichever solution responds best to the competition criteria will win.

Take part in the competition and win this prestigious prize – the first of its kind!

The winner of the prize will be announced in the last quarter of 2013. Inducement prizes refer to a funding scheme where first a technological, social or scientific challenge is defined and an award promised for the delivered breakthrough solution. Compared with traditional funding tools, prizes reduce the entry barriers and help to mobilise new talents. The use of prizes to encourage scientific breakthroughs, which has a long history, could be expanded under Horizon 2020, the EU's funding programme for research and innovation after 2014.

"Future Internet"-2012

Topics called

Challenge 1: Pervasive and Trusted Network and Service Infrastructures

Challenge 1 covers tools and platforms for novel Internet application development and deployment through the launch of a Public-Private Partnership on Future Internet. At the same time, key technological developments in networking, digital media and service infrastructures of the future are addressed.

Objectives

FI.ICT-2011.1.8 Use Case scenarios and early trials (Phase 2)

FI.ICT-2011.1.9 Capacity Building and Infrastructure Support (Phase 2)

Target Outcomes

The target is the development of energy-efficient future network infrastructures that support the convergence and interoperability of heterogeneous mobile, wired and wireless broadband network technologies as enablers of the future Internet. This includes ubiquitous fast broadband access and ultra-high speed end-to-end connectivity, with optimised protocols, addressing and routing capabilities, supporting open generic services and applications.

"Clean-slate" and evolutionary approaches to network architecture are equally valid. User driven research is a priority.

COST

COST was the first and is the widest European network for the coordination of nationally funded research activities.

COST brings together researchers and experts in different countries working on specific topics. COST does NOT fund research itself, but supports networking activities such as meetings, conferences, short term scientific exchanges and outreach activities. COST Actions are networks centred around nationally funded research projects in a particular field. Approximately 250 Actions are currently supported by COST. These are a good starting point for the development of consortia for FP7 projects, for instance.

The programme is divided into 9 Scientific Domains:

   • Biomedicine and molecular biosciences

   • Chemistry and molecular sciences and technologies

   • Earth system science and environmental management

   • Food and agriculture

   • Forest, their products and services

   • Individuals, societies, cultures and health

   • Information and communication technologies

   • Materials, physical and nanosciences

   • Transport and urban development

Proposals should include researchers from a minimum of five COST countries. On average, grants are worth around €100,000 annually over four years.

Proposals are submitted on-line and are assessed in two stages. Preliminary Proposals (maximum 1 500 words/3 pages), should provide a brief overview of the proposal and its intended impact (for template go to http://www.cost.eu/opencall). Eligible Proposals will be assessed by the relevant Domain Committees and applicants of selected Preliminary Proposals will be invited to submit a Full Proposal. Full Proposals will be peer reviewed (for assessment criteria go to, http://www.cost.eu/opencall). The decision will normally be taken within six months of the collection date and the Actions should expect to start within three months thereafter. 

Collection dates for Preliminary Proposals are usually the last Friday in March and September. Up to 80 applicants will be invited to submit Full Proposals, of these up to 30 new Actions will be selected, subject to available budget.

European Science Foundation Call for Conference Proposals

The European Science Foundation invites researchers to submit proposals for high-level research conferences within the framework of its Research Conferences Scheme in the following scientific domains:

• Molecular Biology
• Physics/Biophysics and Environmental Sciences

Further scientific domains are to be added in the coming months

Eco-Innovation Call for Proposals 

The Call CIP-EIP-ECO-INNOVATION-2012 will close on 06 September 2012 at 17:00, Brussels local time. Proposals received after this deadline will not be evaluated.

Got a great business project that could make Europe greener but don't know how to get it off the ground?

The 2012 Eco-innovation call for proposals may be for you!

The European Commission grants up to 50% co-funding to finance green ideas: the total budget available for the 2012 Call is 34.8 Million Euros.

This call is open to all legal persons that are based in eligible countries but the priority will be given to Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Clusters of applicants and projects which demonstrate a European added value and have a high potential for market replication are strongly encouraged.

Calls support Eco-innovative projects in different sectors which aim at the prevention or reduction of environmental impacts or which contribute to the optimal use of resources. However, more specific priorities are being set up considering their important environmental impact and policy priorities of the European Union:

• Materials Recycling
• Sustainable Building Products
• Food and Drink Sector
• Water
• Greening businesses

Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)

Marie Curie International Incoming (IIF)

Incoming Fellowships aim to reinforce the research excellence of the Member States and the associated countries through knowledge sharing with incoming top-class researchers active in a third country to work on research projects in Europe, with the view to developing mutually beneficial research co-operation between Europe and the third country.

Note: third countries are countries which are neither EU Member States nor third countries associated to FP7

Marie Curie Outgoing (IOF) Fellowships

Outgoing Fellowships aim to reinforce the international dimension of the career of European researchers by giving them the opportunity to be trained and acquire new knowledge in a high-level organisation active in research, established in a third country (outgoing phase). Subsequently, these researchers will return with the acquired knowledge and experience to an organisation in a Member State or associated country

Note: third countries are countries which are neither EU Member States nor third countries associated to FP7

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology Centre
The Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology Centre is currently being set up by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland to provide world-leading, industry-led research to the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland. Researchers are now invited to submit proposals for the Initial Research Programme of the Centre, around process analytical technologies (PAT) and continuous manufacturing. The call is subdivided into six Research Themes. The call is open to all researchers in third-level institutions and non-profit research organisation. 

For full background information on the development of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology Centre, read PMTC Detailed Description of Needs Document.

Please note that the call closes at 12 noon on the 29th of June 2012. Applications received after this time will not be eligible. An Information meeting will be held at the Moran’s Red Cow Hotel, Naas Road on 18th May from 11.00 to 1.00pm. Company representatives and funding agencies will be present to discuss the projects with interested Researchers.

All enquiries about this call should be directed to:
Una Moran
Enterprise Ireland
Tel: + 353 87 7591572
una.moran@enterprise-ireland.com

ENIAC Launches 7th Call for Proposals

The European Nanoelectronics Initiative Advisory Council (ENIAC) has launched its 7th call for proposals with a budget of EUR 228 million.

Call Focus

This call focuses on projects targeting Pilot Line activities.

A valorisation and deployment plan must be included in the Project Proposal

Evaluation procedure

There will be a two-stage evaluation procedure: applicants must submit Project Outlines (PO), followed by Full Project Proposals (FPP).  The submission of an eligible Project outline is mandatory for the submission of a Full Project Proposal.

The evaluation criteria and sub-criteria, including weights and thresholds, and the selection and award criteria are set out in the ENIAC JU Guide for Applicants and Annual Work Programme 2012. The submission of proposals is done through the EPSS system

Deadline for submission of Project outlines

14 Jun 2012 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)

Deadline for submission of Full Project Proposals

13 Sep 2012 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)