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NMP-2007-1.1-5 ERANET Plus in nanosciences [note]
Technical content/scope: New development in nanotechnologies relies heavily on fundamental research in nanosciences. Future applications of nanotechnologies will emerge thanks to the understanding of the “nano-world” that nanosciences are presently developing through extensive exploratory fundamental research. The aim of the ERANET Plus project is to pool the necessary financial resources from the participating national (or regional) research programmes and the Community with a view to launching a joint call for proposals for basic research projects in nanosciences that will be evaluated and managed jointly by the participating programmes. The joint call should be planned with a clear focus on the interdisciplinary nature of nanosciences as well as on the added value deriving from the cooperation at transnational level. The proposals submitted to the joint call shall be evaluated according to a common peer review evaluation mechanism. A fixed set of broader evaluation criteria (including excellence and European added value) shall be included in the set of common criteria to be defined by the participants. Thematic focusing of this joint call should be commensurate with the funds available, so as to ensure a reasonable rate of success in the call. Details on the topics covered by the call will be decided by the participants in due time but shall be selected upon consultation with the Commission services concerned. Topics should be wide enough to allow for interdisciplinary collaborations and, for example, could relate to the fabrication, characterization, study and use of individual nano-objects applied to the study of cellular processes.
Funding scheme: Coordination and support actions. This ERANET Plus action will be supported through Coordination and Support Actions. The Community contribution, that will include a limited and small financial support for the launching and management of the joint call, will essentially provide funding for topping-up the national (or regional) contributions to the joint call budget. The total EC contribution for this ERANET Plus project is limited to a maximum of 1/3 of the total cumulative joint call budget, up to € 8 million.
Specific features: See Annex 4. To be eligible, ERANET Plus proposals have to respond to the following criteria:
- a single joint call should be planned with a clear financial commitment from the participants;
- eligible participants are programme owners or programme managers. A minimum of 5 participants from 5 different Member or Associated States providing funding in the joint call is requested;
- minimum financial budget of the joint call: € 5 million;
- each project to be retained for funding shall be transnational (minimum 2 partners from different countries).
Expected impact: (i) Improve coordination and reduce overlapping in key fields of research; (ii) achieve critical mass and ensure better use of limited resources in fields of mutual interests; (iii) share good practices in implementing research programmes; (iv) promote transnational collaborations and new knowledge generation.

[note] This topic is subject to a joint call for ERA-NETs across the Themes. For further information see Annex 4.