EU launches new project agencies

The EU's 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7) €50 billion budget marks a significant increase on the previous programme. To help manage this, the European Commission has created two executive agencies to manage the R&D project proposals and evaluation process. This will lead to increased efficiency of research management as well as liberate the Commission's resources for policy-making.

The agencies are a new option for research support in specific circumstances. Such as areas of the Framework Programme where there are large numbers of relatively small, regular grants. These include Marie Curie fellowships, or grants where there is not likely to be significant policy input, such as support for SMEs, which will be managed by the Research Executive Agency. The European Research Council Executive Agency will be the implementing arm of the European Research Council, applying scientific funding strategies and methodologies defined by the ERC's Scientific Council.

The creation of the two agencies is just one of the ways in which the administrative red tape is being minimised. Other examples include: reducing the reporting requirements on project participants; creating the Risk-Sharing Finance Facility so that FP7 money is used to leverage considerable additional financial resources for research; a unique registration facility for project applicants and a more streamlined computer system.