SIP Call 1, 2 and 3

SIP Call 2 submissions Summary of Intended Participation in FP7 Call 2 submitted in the following themes: Energy Environment (including climate change) Food, agriculture and biotechnology Health Information and communication technologies Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies Nuclear Energy (Euratom) Socio-economic sciences and the humanities Security and Space Transport (including aeronautics)

SIP Call 1 submissions Summary of Intended Participation in FP7 Call 1 submitted in the following themes: Energy Environment (including climate change) Food, agriculture and biotechnology Health Information and communication technologies Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies Nuclear Energy (Euratom) No submissions received for this theme Socio-economic sciences and the humanities Security and Space Transport (including aeronautics)

Thank you to the research community for your response to the third SIPs call which has officially closed on the 31 May 2007.

Please note the following:

• You can view all SIPs Call 1 and 2 information in the information block on the right-hand side of this page. Some information has not been made available as yet and we encourage you to contact the NCP of the specific Framework Programme Theme to obtain the necessary feedback.
  
  
• Furthermore, this information will be sent to the DST representative in Brussels, Mr Daan du Toit, to distribute strategically at specific events and also to individuals / organisations with the aim of marketing the S&T offerings of the South African scientific community.
  
  
• NCPs will be encouraged to send this information to organisations within their network, which are well known and previously successful in FP calls.
  
  
• The workpackage descriptions for the first 7th Framework Programme (FP7) call have been published. Please use these to identify a call appropriate to your project concept.
  
  
• Seed funding is available to facilitate the process of preparing a proposal for FP7 but specific criteria must be met in order to qualify for this financial assistance. Please note that all applications are to be submitted to Mr Mmboneni Muofhe at the following email address: Mmboneni.Muofhe@dst.gov.za. All applications will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and must have specific relevance to the existing calls. Furthermore, should the funding be granted, a specific administrative process is required in order to obtain the requested funds. Note that the process of releasing these funds can take a minimum of four weeks.
  
  
• Please remember that SIPs that have been submitted through the ESASTAP website do not constitute an application for funding nor a proposal to the European Commission (EC). This information is still particularly valuable and will be used by the ESASTAP team, NCPs and other involved parties to assist with the process of finding appropriate partners for future FP7 projects by communicating the scientific offerings of the South African research community and in doing so encourage increased partnering with South Africa.

In terms of the way forward from the researcher perspective, the next step is the search for potential partners in order to become part of a new consortium that will prepare an FP7 proposal. Remember that only a European country can be the overall project co-ordinator, specifically in research orientated projects. South Africans therefore need to join a consortium and negotiate a specific role / contribution with respect to the proposed research with specific benefit to Europe. The European co-ordinator will be responsible for consolidating and then submitting the complete proposal to the EC.

The ESASTAP team recommend the following approaches, which can be initiated by the researcher directly, in order to find the appropriate partners:

1. Use the idea /concept outlined in your SIPs submission and start by contacting your network of colleagues and /or your existing collaborators on EU projects to gather interest and so also potential consortium members.
   
   
2. Contact the South African NCP linked to your specific FP7 theme. Our NCPs have established networks with various institutions and organisations as well as to their international counterparts in all of the countries eligible for EU funding. Note that several new South African NCPs have been appointed in line with the new thematic areas highlighted by the FP7 Programme. View our NCP booklet to find out their names and contact details.
   
   
3. You are also encouraged to initiate direct contact with the EU and Third Country NCPs in your specific thematic area. View their contact details.
   
   
4. Use the wealth of information available on the Cordis website by searching through previous FP projects, i.e. FP6 and FP5 primarily. This will assist you to find those organisations which are leaders in their scientific field and have an excellent track record in terms of successful FP project proposals. View information on FP6 and FP5 projects. Some projects can also be found on the top-up calls published last year.
   
   
5. Alternatively, you can also search the Cordis partner database directly and add your own details. You will have to register as a Cordis user, this is very simple and there are no costs.