1. WeBBT: information day
for IBBT researchers
Consortium building/networking &
tips for success when applying
- some personal reflections -
Willy Van Puymbroeck
May 2011

2. Overview
• Short update on ICT in FP7
• A competitive process based
on published evaluation criteria
• Golden rules
• Some essential questions
• Getting help with proposals
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3. ICT in FP7 – Some basic numbers
• ICT Call for Propoals under WP 2007-08, WP 2009-10
and WP 2011-12
• >4200 M€ of EU funding committed
• >1200 projects launched or to be launched
• >11700 participations
• >3900 distinct organisations participating
– Calls under two Joint Technology Initiatives (JTI) - Artemis
and Eniac - and the Ambient Assisted Living Joint
Programme (AAL) in 2008, 2009 and 2010
• To come
– ICT WP 2011-12 Calls 8 and 9
• ~1350 M€ funding
– ICT WP 2013
• >1500 M€ funding
– JTIs + AAL WPs 2011, 2012, 2013 ••• 3
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4. FP7/ICT Programme structure
ICT for socio-economic challenges
~10%
260 M€, 11% 280 M€, 12%
~9% 140 M€, 6% 100 M€, 4%
5. ICT for 6. ICT for
7. ICT for 8. ICT for
Health, Lower-
Manufac. & Learning &
Ageing, Carbon
Enterprise Cultural
Inclusion Economy
Resources
1. Network and & Gov.
Service 625 M€, 26% 261 M€, 11%
Infrastructures
Basic ICT technologies &
Technologies (FET)
Future & Emerging
2. Cognitive
infrastructures
Systems and
Robotics 155 M€, 6%
3. Component
and 402 M€, 17%
Systems
4. Digital 165 M€, 7%
Content and
Languages
International cooperation, Cooperation in an enlarged Europe, Pre-commercial Procurement
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5. Overview of process
Submission
• Information for proposers
• Pre-proposal check
Eligible?
• Submission of proposal
• Evaluation process Evaluation
– Eligibility check
– Evaluation proper Negotiation
• Selection decision
• Negotiation of a project Selection
• Launch of a project ••• 5

6. Competitive process
Early feedback
Three main Calls for proposals
(+ FET Open + Joint Call on Security)
in 2007-08
 ~ 2.1 B€ of EU funding
 ~ 3000 proposal received
 ~ 1500 above threshold .. 1:2
 ~ 500 projects launched .. 1:6
 HIGHLY COMPETITIVE !
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7. More: Understanding the
evaluation sub-criteria
1. Soundness of concept & quality of objectives
S&T excellence 2. Progress beyond state-of-art
3/5 3. Methodology and associated workplan
Implementation 1. Management structure and procedures
and 2. Quality/experience of individual participants 10/15
3. Quality of the consortium as a whole
Management
4. Resources
3/5
1. Contribution to the expected impacts listed in
Impact the WP
3/5 2. Measures for Dissemination and/or Exploitation
3. Management of IP
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8. Golden rules
• Start early from an exciting and convincing idea
• Collect information
– Subscribe to newsletters
– Consult with Commission staff
– Study the work programme
– Attend information days
• Consortium engineering
– Right number of partners, expertise, involvement and
commitment
– Plan to use and exploit
• Use the pre-proposal check service to make sure the
proposal is eligible and in scope of the call … and do this
before you prepare the proposal in detail, not afterwards
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9. Golden rules
Use the Instructions* and Forms**
we prepare for our evaluators
1. Give the instructions and your draft proposal to
experienced colleagues
2. Then re-write your proposal following their
recommendations
3. Do not believe gossip as to how to optimise your
chances
* appendix in the Guide for Applicants
** available on the ICT Call page on Cordis
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10. Golden rules
Divide your effort over the evaluation criteria
• many proposers concentrate on the scientific element,
but lose marks on project planning or impact description
Think of the finishing touches which signal quality
work:
• clear language
• well-organised contents, following the Part B structure
• useful and understandable diagrams
• no typos, no inconsistencies, no obvious paste-ins, no
numbers which don’t add up, no missing pages …
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11. Golden rules
Make it easy for the evaluators to give
you high marks. Don’t make it hard for
them!
• Don’t write too little; cover what is requested
• Don’t write too much
• Don’t leave them to figure out why it’s good,
tell them why it’s good
• Leave nothing to the imagination
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12. Golden rules
• Set focused, realistic objectives and
show how they will be achieved
• Make sure your Project Workplan
reflects the promises you made
in the rest of your proposal
For example:
• S&T quality implies an adequate and well-organised
research effort
• Good project management implies clear Workpackage
leadership
• Strong Impact implies an important dissemination effort
and/or strong realistic exploitation plans
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13. Planning for failure
• Address too many objectives
• Set broad, too ambitious,
unachievable objectives
• Include redundant partners
• Impact = a conference each year,
a public website and x published
papers
• Buzzwords, empty statements
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14. Why get involved?
• Prestige
• International nature of research
• Funding opportunities which do not exist
nationally
• Sharing expertise / facilities
• Networking
• Meeting staff/student expectations:
– New IP and curriculum development
– Staff training and development – broaden skill and
competence base
– Career development ••• 14

15. Ask yourself …
• Do I clearly understand the pro’s and
con’s of involvement in FP7?
• Am I willing to co-operate internationally?
• Do my capabilities match the Call
requirements?
• Do I have the resources to invest in time
and money?
• Do I have a supportive team and
organisation?
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16. Getting help with proposals
• http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7
• National Contact
Points:http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ncp_en.html
• Partner search facilities: http://www.ideal-ist.net/
• Information desk: ict@ec.europa.eu
• IPR Helpdesk: http://www.ipr-helpdesk.org/index.html
• Electronic proposal submission helpdesk:
support@epss-fp7.org
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17. Participant Portal - Calls
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18. ICT Proposers’ Day 2011
19 - 20 May 2011, Budapest
Networking for European ICT R&D
• Prepare for Calls 8 and 9
• Networking and partnerships building
– first-hand information from >100 EC officials
• Structure:
– thematic sessions with presentations of
proposal ideas
– information stands & meeting points
• Registration:
free of charge, open from January 2011
http://ec.europa.eu/ictproposersday
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