Support for Research and Development

Framework Six marked the introduction of new types of contracts for research and support activities. The following diagram may help you interpret the EC's own advice about these new "instruments". There are instruments for both strategic and more tactical (or focused) research - typically with two-thirds of the budget allocated to the more strategic lines. There are instruments about doing research, but also about enabling research to be done. And underpinning it all, there are contracts for specific support activities.

• Integrated Projects (IPs): concerned with the "doing" (and subsequent technology transfer) of "strategic" research - typically bigger, longer-term applied research projects.
• Specific Targeted Research Projects (STREPS): typically shorter-term and therefore more "focused" applied research to find specific solutions to specific problems.
• Networks of Excellence: a "strategic" approach to the restructuring of European research - "enabling" a more efficient and effective research infrastructure for the future.
• Co-ordination Actions: a "focused" vehicle to "enable" better co-ordination of and between areas of research.
• Specific Support Actions: as the name suggests, support for the EC research programmes, not research per se. Typically, this instrument is used to commission studies, events, etc. Think of it as being primarily for the benefit of the Commission programme, not just for the research community.