This type of cooperation is a result of common planning for calls leading to individually funded projects working to-

gether towards a common goal. The European Commission and the other funding agencies involved fund projects

according to the respective rules of the agencies. This follows a common workshop which specifi es the sub-areas

to be covered by each agency. This is appropriate in cases where the size of the undertaking is such that a single

country or region cannot be expected to complete the task on its own. The division into sub-areas or projects

needs to be relatively straightforward. Past examples of such cooperation include the sequencing of genomes,

where each partner could be made responsible for certain chromosomes. The EC currently funds projects on

Mouse Genomics which cooperate with complementary North American initiatives (see example overleaf). Areas

of future research may include metagenomics, proteomics and paediatric medicines. The Commission Services

can play an important role in coordinating the European effort in such international initiatives.

Programme Level Cooperation

with Industrialised Countries

4

The partnership in Health Research projects1 was extended beyond EU Member States and Associated Coun-

tries as early as the start of the Sixth Framework Programme in 2002 and partners from almost any country in

the world could participate in FP projects. The result of this general opening is that in FP6, 214 partners from 51

non-associated third countries are represented in Health projects. The amount devoted to those partners, mostly

those from middle or low income countries is EUR 31 million, or about 1.6% of the total.

In the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) this general opening is continued and a gradual increase in the

participation of third countries can be observed from one call to the next. This expansion of the programme is

underpinned by the fact that the FP7 is by defi nition a multi-country programme and therefore lends itself to wider

collaboration.

General Opening of Health Topics

1

Specifi c International Cooperation Actions - SICA

2

The Specifi c International Cooperation Actions are different from the other topics in the Health theme as they

address distinct issues relevant to cooperation with particular countries or regions and require the participation

of International Cooperation Partners Countries (ICPCs). The minimum requirement is for two participants from

Member States / Associated Countries and two from different ICPCs2. Topics are chosen with a view to special

qualities or requirements of the partner countries. These may be the result of bi- or multilateral dialogues or work-

shops with the target regions.

Cooperation with developing countries seeking solutions to particular problems, such as neglected diseases or

issues of public health, should always ensure the highest standards and quality. Wherever science has a role in

addressing a problem, the Health theme can aid cooperation. The need exists for greater encouragement for both

established and younger researchers to work in the areas of science relevant to the developing world. It is also

important to build on a broad interdisciplinary experience as done in Integrated Projects.

The SICA concept is, in part, a continuation of the FP6 INCO programme for supporting research collaboration

with third countries. By linking the management of ‘European’ projects, an improved synergy and visibility can be

achieved. The fi rst work programme for Health in FP7 had 15 SICA topics in total, of which only one (infl uenza

research) was open in the fi rst call for proposals in 2007. Two projects were selected for funding following the

fi rst call: AsiaFluCap and CATAFLU.OR. From the second call for proposals in 2007 24 research projects and 7

Coordination and Support Actions have been selected and will start in late 2008.

2

For certain big ICPC countries (Russia, Brazil, India, China) it is suffi cient to have two partners from different regions within the country.

1

Life Sciences, Genomics and Biotechnology for Health

International Cooperation in Health Research follows four main routes:

Timeframe for FP7 projects

Connecting the global scientifi c community and underpinning

the role of Europe in international research and technology for Health

The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) on ‘Cooperation’,

funds research activities jointly undertaken by different research

bodies through transnational cooperation. The aim is to support

European leadership in key areas of science and technology.

FP7 allocates EUR 32.4 billion to the Cooperation programme,

of which EUR 6.1 billion will be available for Health Research.

International cooperation via the Framework Programme

involves collaboration between the institutions of EU Member

States and countries associated to FP7 (AC) on the one hand

and non-associated third countries (TC) on the other.

International cooperation is one of the key aspects of FP7 and

an integral part of the Health theme. Project consortia in all

areas of Health are encouraged to include research entities

from third countries, including International Cooperation

Partner Countries (ICPC) and countries with Scientifi c and

Technological cooperation agreements with the EU. The

participation of non-associated third countries is possible

under all topics of the theme and is mandatory for Special

International Cooperation Actions (SICA). This represents

an expansion of the EU framework programmes, which aim

to remove barriers between countries and different types of

organisations and disciplines.

General opening of all topics to any country in the world

Specifi c International Cooperation Actions

Coordinated topics with certain third countries

Programme level cooperation with industrialised countries

Last projects endFirst projects start Last projects startFirst calls

Official duration of FP7 2007-2013

Projects resulting from FP7 calls operating

Results from FP7 projects in use

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

A new feature in FP7 is the opening of coordinated topics for co-fi nancing between the EC and the target coun-

tries. In this case the topics are defi ned in close collaboration with research and funding agencies of the target

country. The intention is to support those projects which have an approximately equal number of partners from the

EU (including AC) and from the participating third country, which will fi nance the expenses of its own partners.

This type of cooperation is ideal for large nations containing many regions and which have the capacity to col-

laborate on an equal basis with several EU / AC partners.

In the third call for proposals in FP7 (2008) Russia participates in this coordinated call. Two topics were selected

at a workshop in St. Petersburg in September 2007. Those topics are issued as SICA topics in order to guarantee

the inclusion of a target country’s institutions. It is expected that this model will lead to a close integration of the

projects’ partners and may pave the way for a wider co-funded cooperation in the future. Other large nations such

as China, Brazil and India will be invited to join in later calls.

The unity of the funded projects will be guaranteed through a combination of management and scientifi c reporting,

although in principle they are two separate initiatives.

Coordinated Topics with Certain Countries

3International Cooperation in Health Research

HEALTH_leaflet NEW3.indd 1-3 3/11/08 9:40:10 AM

Get support with preparing

proposals under the Health Theme

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/cooperation/health_en.html

National Contact Points in EU Member States and Associated

Countries provide guidance, practical information and assistance

on all aspects of participation in the Framework Programmes:

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ncp_en.html

FP7 contacts in third countries

Some third countries have established Contact Points (CPs)

for cooperation with the EU in FP7. The CPs undertake a wide

range of activities aimed at providing information, training

and networking, thereby facilitating cooperation among the

respective scientifi c communities:

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/third-countries_en.html

Eligibility criteria: While FP7 participants can in principle be

based anywhere, the eligibility criteria may be different for

certain third countries:

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/who_en.html#countries

List of the International Cooperation Partner Countries

(ICPC):

http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/icpc_countries_

en.pdf

Find FP7 calls and relevant documents

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/cooperation/health_en.html

Rules on submission and evaluation

Guide for applicants

Thematic Work Programme

FP7 Specifi c Programme on ‘Cooperation’

Contact

International Cooperation: Dr Indridi Benediktsson

Tel. +32 2 299 3137 – Email: severine.romain@ec.europa.eu

© European Communities, 2008

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Printed in Belgium.

International Mouse Knockout Consortium (IMKC) Genome Canada, the European Commission, and the National Insti-

tutes of Health (NIH) from within the US Department of Health and Hu-

man Services (HHS) agreed to a collaborative effort to functionally an-

notate the genome, using the powerful tools of mouse genetics. This

mouse-gene knockout resource has now been accelerated through

three large-scale programmes: The North American Conditional Mouse

Mutagenesis Project (NORCOMM), The European Conditional Mouse

Mutagenesis Project (EUCOMM fi nanced by the European Commission)

and the US Knockout Mouse Project (KOMP).

KOMP, EUCOMM, and NorCOMM have agreed to share gene lists and

data to help coordinate these international efforts. Development of the

vectors, mutant embryonic stem (ES) cells, mice and distribution net-

works for producing a knockout mutation for every gene in the mouse

genome will provide valuable research tools in the short-term. It will re-

duce overall costs to the research community by shortening the time

needed to produce experimental data. It will also provide a base for

future research in a wide range of areas for many years to come.

www.eucomm.org

www.knockoutmouse.org

http://norcomm.phenogenomics.ca/index.htm

Examples of Projects

The role of Europe

GE

NE

RA

L I

NF

OR

MA

TIO

N

International Cooperation

in Health Research -

Pharma-PlantaThe ‘Recombinant Pharmaceuticals from Plants for Human Health’ (Pharma-

Planta) project is a consortium of 39 leading scientists from academic and

industrial institutions in Europe and South Africa. Pharma-Planta is a fi ve-

year project in the fi eld of ‘Plant platforms for immunotherapeutic biomolecule

production’. The project will develop robust risk-assessment and risk-

management practices based upon its environmental and health impacts.

Researchers are also working closely with EU regulatory authorities to ensure

safety and acceptance.

Pharmaceuticals derived from plants have the potential to benefi t human health

everywhere in the world. The use of Germinated Molecule pharmaceuticals

has precedents, such as human insulin and the hepatitis B vaccine. There

is an undoubted need to develop new vaccines to counter major diseases,

such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. No other production system can

match plants in terms of economy and scale of production. This pioneering

technology will allow the large-scale production of modern medicines in a way

that will benefi t poor populations in developing countries.

Partners from: the United Kingdom, Austria, Ireland, Italy, France,

Greece, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Sweden and

South Africa

www.pharma-planta.org

AsiaFluCap The project ‘Health system analysis to support capacity development to re-

spond to pandemic infl uenza in Asia’ (AsiaFluCap) will last three years and use

operational planning in order to implement strategic pandemic infl uenza plans.

It will provide a framework for evaluating the operational capacity of health sys-

tems in Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan. The project will systematically

identify gaps in the operational capacity of the different countries in order to best

support the containment and mitigation of pandemic infl uenza.

Partners from: the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Thai-

land, Indonesia, Taiwan and Vietnam

AlloStemThe ‘Development of Immunotherapeutic Strategies to Treat Haematologi-

cal and Neoplastic diseases on the Basis of Optimised Allogeneic Stem Cell

Transplantation’ (AlloStem) project brings together clinical and research groups

from the fi eld of immunotherapy to coordinate and complement their efforts

into a unifi ed and directed programme. The partners are developing new pro-

tocols for the treatment of patients with haematological disease and for the

effective delivery of immunogenomics-based therapies. The project delivers

improvements in health care for EU citizens’ new genome-based pharma-

ceuticals that can be exploited worldwide. Partners in the AlloStem project

include SMEs with expertise in the area of immunohaematology therapy.

Partners from: the United Kingdom, Russia, the Czech Republic, Spain,

France, Argentina, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Brazil,

Sweden. Associate Members both from Europe (e.g. Austria, Ireland, the

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) and non-European countries

(e.g. Mexico, USA, Israel, Chile)

www.allostem.org

CATAFLU.OR‘Organocatalytic approaches towards easily synthesised, economical and

high-yielding Oseltamivir derivatives’ (CATAFLU.OR) is a three-year project

that addresses a new ‘domino’ reaction based on an organocatalytic ap-

proach to the synthesis of new Oseltamivir derivatives.

Neuraminidase is an essential enzyme for viral replication in infl uenza virus-

es. Inhibitors of neuraminidase such as oseltamivir phosphate (Tamifl u®) or

zanamivir (Relenza®) are essential for defence against infl uenza and for the

possible mitigation of a pandemic. Public demand for the stockpiling of Osel-

tamivir derivatives has greatly increased recently. However, natural sources of

the drug are scarce and the ways known for synthesizing it are complex and

expensive. Therefore, new pathways are required for chemical synthesis, in

order to identify new drug candidates, cut the costs and improve upon avail-

ability and effi ciency.

Partners from: Italy, Slovakia, Germany, Finland and China

KI-3

0-0

8-2

82-E

N-D

HEALTH_leaflet NEW3.indd 4-6 3/11/08 9:40:54 AM