7th Framework Programme

The 7th Framework Programme on Research and Technological Development (FP7) bundles all research-related EU initiatives together under one common roof. Collaborative research projects and individual researchers are funded.

The EU’s 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP7) will run until December 2013. Switzerland has been an associate member since 2004. Since that date, Swiss participants have had the same rights and obligations as participants from EU member states.

The four pillars of the 7th Research Framework Programme

COOPERATION
Research in collaborative projects on defined topics in ten core areas: 

• Health 
• Food, agriculture, fisheries and biotechnology 
• Information and communications technologies 
• Nano sciences, nano technologies, materials and new production technologies 
• Energy 
• Environment (including climate change) 
• Transport (include aviation) 
• Socio-economic sciences and the humanities 
• Space 
• Security

IDEAS (European Research Council)
Scholarships for established researchers and junior researchers wanting to set up their first research teams.

PEOPLE (Marie Curie)
To foster mobility and career development of researchers in and outside the European Union.

CAPACITIES
To foster research infrastructures, research to the benefit of SMEs etc.