1. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology 6CP - October 2003 New and Emerging Science and Technology ….. possible implications for excellence and convergence www.cordis.lu/nest

2. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Outline ERA and FP6 – brief review NEST – what is it and how does it fit into FP6? Excellence and convergence - the NEST implementation perspective

3. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology ERA – Policy objectives Organisation of research facilities Coherent public policies Private investment Scientific reference Human capital and mobility Europe and regions attractive to investment Shared values

4. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology FP6 as a means to promote the ERA Structuring: resources (human, infrastructure) large instruments (social capital) Focused EU funding Self-organisation (ERA-net) Flexibility

5. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology FP6: context and organisation ERA/FP6 – distinction between policy and programme Overall architecture which allows: More specific objectives for individual activities within the programme Less need for intra-programme co-ordination Stronger scientific content

6. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Outline ERA and FP6 – brief review NEST – what is it and how does it fit into FP6? Excellence and convergence - the NEST implementation perspective

7. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology NEST objectives Stimulate visionary long term research at the frontiers of knowledge and at the interface between disciplines Give researchers freedom to develop and prove their ideas within the broadest possible limits Respond rapidly to new problems and opportunities

8. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology What NEST may achieve New science, new principles in emerging fields, new techniques and basic technologies Enhanced creative potential in European science and technology New communities of knowledge in emerging areas An increased responsiveness to possible problems arising from new discoveries Strategic inputs for the development of future European research initiatives

9. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Focusing and Integrating Community research Strengthening the foundations of the ERA Structuring the ERA GenomicsIST Citizens Nanotechnologies. Aeronautics Food Sustainable dev. Thematic priorities FP6 Where does NEST fit in? Wider field of Research SMEs International co-operation JRC c NEST Support to policies

10. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Two modes Open domain: Focused actions: 215 M Overall Budget, (to be topped up) ADVENTURE INSIGHT NEST SUPPORT PATHFINDER

11. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Implementation Through standard FP6 instruments STREP: Specific Targeted Research Project. To provides funding for research activity. CA: Co-ordination Activity. To provides funding for networking and co-ordination. SSA: Specific Support Action. To provide funding for activities in direct support of NEST

12. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Evaluation Peer review, following EC Guidelines on quality and fairness 1-stage or 2-stage submission scheme A panel of high-level scientists with a broad perspective and a good appreciation of multi- disciplinary issues With inputs from specialised remote referees Open and transparent feedback to proposers

13. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Key characteristics of NEST projects May fall in any area of research Research not falling within the Thematic Priorities Novel, possibly multi-disciplinary, possibly unconventional Well focused objectives, which are ambitious but clear, possibly risky, and consistent with the scale of the project

14. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Look ahead Second Call Call reference: FP6-2003-NEST-B Call date: expected December 2003 Budget 30M (ADVENTURE, INSIGHT, NEST SUPPORT) No major changes w.r.t. 2003, (except enable CA for ADVENTURE) Closure dates: 14 April, mid-September OPEN DOMAIN

15. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Look ahead Second Call Call reference: FP6-2003-NEST-B Call date: expected December 2003 Budget 35M Actions: Synthetic biology; Tackling complexity in science; What it means to be human Closure date: 14 April 2004 PATHFINDER

16. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology INSIGHT: The mandate research to assess rapidly new discoveries or newly-observed phenomena, which may indicate emerging risks or problems of high importance to European society, and identify appropriate responses to them.

17. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology NEST Support: The specific areas 1Promotion of interaction with the research community and the identification of opportunities for research under NEST 2Analysing the conduct of highly advanced science and technology in the European context, and on a comparative basis, and the specific socio-cultural and economic factors affecting its performance 3Analysing the dynamics of scientific and technological change, and management issues specific to high risk and interdisciplinary research 4Improving the methodological basis for addressing systemic and societal vulnerabilities to science-based hazards

18. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology PATHFINDER: The mandate Build and consolidate European capabilities in promising emerging (interdisciplinary) areas, for the long term. Actions of up to EUR 10m or more; several STREPS, one or more CAs Annual calls for proposals; several topics per call First call autumn 2003, closure April 2004

19. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Build and consolidate European capabilities in promising emerging (interdisciplinary) areas, for the long term. Actions of up to EUR 10m or more; research projects (STREPs) + co-ordination action NEST should provide early stage funding - as ideas mature they should be translated into more conventional funding modes Approach must be inter-disciplinary and ambitious, even if initial funding is limited PATHFINDER initiatives

20. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Identifying PATHFINDER topics Ideas must come bottom-up from the science base Structured dialogue with the research community: –information from research literature, foresight and other strategic analysis, plus open invitations for ideas –definition of strategic orientations: areas where radical opportunities arise from cross-disciplinary application of new methods and techniques. –Progressive rounds of consultation with external experts and internally (thematic priorities) to explore candidate areas and to refine and focus in areas selected

21. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology PATHFINDER TOPICS FOR 2004 Tackling complexity in science: focus on complex problems and generalisable methods for simplifying and solving them. Synthetic biology: engineering new proteins, genes and (ultimately) organisms from scratch, to improve understanding of biological processes and to develop the knowledge and skill base for a true engineering discipline in biology What it means to be human : interdisciplinary research with focus on the unique characteristics of human cognitive capacities, their origins and differences from other organisms

22. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Outline ERA and FP6 – brief review NEST – what is it and how does it fit into FP6? Excellence and convergence - the NEST implementation perspective

23. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology NEST - impacts on convergence? Divergence? Instabilities due to positive feedback from competitive funding Uneven starting points Convergence? Transnational collaborative research Few pre-conditions, limited inertia

24. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Uneven starting points

25. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Suggestions for management Dont consider activities like NEST as zero-sum games Dont dilute or confuse specific objectives Dont ask researchers to carry policy responsibilities Do improve equality of opportunity Do establish the right policy mix including complementary measures (eg capacity building) Do ensure joint ownership between Community and member states

26. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Improving equality of opportunity Access Awareness of NEST Transparency of resources/ expertise (partner search, advice…) Peer review Avoidance of implicit bias

27. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Peer review: avoiding bias due to conservatism Potential problems for NEST: Avoiding conservatism in assessing ambition/novelty Avoiding gender bias Avoiding reputation bias Possible solutions: Multi-disciplinary approach Two stage proposals - anonymous first stage

28. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Country distribution of participants (all proposals)

29. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Country distribution of participants (retained proposals)

30. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Changing context Enlargement + Developing reality of the ERA Institutional diversity: new players, new forms of competition Greater emphasis on basic research new dynamics for negotiation/decision in the EU

31. Specific Activities Covering a Wider Field of Research New and Emerging Science and Technology Final observations Excellence and inclusiveness must be pursued together ERA provides a broader and more flexible basis to create appropriate policies and programmes Diversity and experimentation are needed to create self-organised coherence Programme objectives, implementation modalities and management, matter as well as the policy mix Joint effort is required at Community and national level (policy, NCPs, others…)