8. Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities

  1. Introduction
  2. What kind of programme is usually funded?
  3. What kind of participant is usually funded? - Participation rules
  4. What is the procedure for funding? - Financing models
  5. Where can I get consultation?
  6. Where can I find a Bavarian contact person?
  7. Where can I get more information?

1. Introduction

It is the goal of the subject area “Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities“ (SSH) to develop a comprehensive understanding of the complex socio-economic challenges, with which the EU will be confronted during upcoming years and decades.

In this regard, ethical, social, legal and- in a broader sense- cultural contents as well comprise the focal point of research interest.
By means of the planned actions and activities, a substantiated foundation of knowledge and instruments for the adjustment of their respective policies for labour, society, commerce, education, culture, families and foreign relations should be directly provided to the EU and to the governments of the individual member nations.

2. What kind of programme is usually funded?

  1. Growth, employment and competitiveness in the knowledge-based society from the European point-of-view (innovation, competitiveness and labour-market policies, education and life-long learning, economic structures and productivity)
    • Innovation, education and life-long learning
    • The changing roles of knowledge and intangible assets within the economy as a whole (at a global level)
    • Structural changes in the European knowledge-based economy and society
    • Youth and youth policies
    • Adjustment to labour-market policies
    • Strengthening of the political coherence and coordination in Europe
  2. Linking of economic, social and ecological goals into one European perspective: Pathways in the direction of a sustainable development (socio-economic models within Europe and world-wide, extra-regional economic and social coherence, social and economic dimensions of environmental policies):
    • Sustainability and environment protection
    • Regional, territorial and social coherence
    • Socio-economic developments, sequences of movement and repercussions of EU policies and legislation
  3. Important social tendencies and their repercussions (demographic modifications, ability to unify family and work, health and quality of life, youth policies, social exclusion and discrimination):
    • Demographic modifications (ageing society, migration, changes in birth rates etc.)
    • Social trends and lifestyles
    • Cultural changes in relations within an international perspective
  4. The role of Europe in the world (trade, migration, poverty, crime, conflicts and solutions):
    • Inter-relations and inter-dependencies between various regions of the world and their repercussions (especially for Europe)
    • Conflicts, wars, peace and human rights
    • Europe’s changing role in the world during upcoming decades
  5. Citizens in the European Union (political participation, citizen status and rights, democracy and liability, media, cultural diversity and cultural heritage, religions, attitudes and values):
    • Citizen participation and citizen rights in Europe and in the EU
    • Diversity and similarities in Europe
  6. Socio-economic and knowledge indicators (use and value of indicators in policy-making at the macro- and micro-level → statistical point of emphasis as an instrument for EU "self-reflection"):
    • Use of indicators in politics
    • Development of better indicators for politics
    • Compiling of official statistical material
    • Development of methods, indicators and respective approaches for evaluation of research policies and programmes
  7. Future research (the future significance of globalisation of knowledge, migration, ageing society, risks and up-and-coming research branches and knowledge branches):
    • Further development of the European Research Area (ERA) and collaboration between ERA and the rest of the world
    • Research policies and inter-relations with other policy-domains
    • "Blue sky research" regarding up-and-coming topics or issues in cooperation with other research concerns
    • Mutual learning and cooperation
  8. Strategic (accompanying) activities:
    • Future topics of research (emerging needs)
    • Evaluation of the repercussions of socio-economic research upon science and policies (measures to support international cooperation and dissemination of research)

Content particularities:

  • Clear emphasis upon the socio-economic aspects of the individual projects
  • Cross-sectional activities: References to almost all of the other topics within the specific programme “Collaboration” implemented and useable, inter-disciplinary research approaches desired (possibility for participation in “Calls” in other subject areas such as environment)
  • Research partners from industry and SME are explicitly requested to collaborate
  • Forcing of cooperation with third countries
  • Political reference at a European and international level is desired, i.e. the function and utilisation of the projects as guidelines for new and/or fine adjustment of social and economic policies in the EU, partially for foreign relations as well.

3. What kind of participant is usually funded? - Participation rules

Eligible legal entities

  • Universities and universities of applied sciences (formerly known as technical colleges or "Fachhochschulen")
  • Non-university research institutions
  • Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
  • Enterprises with aspirations for innovation (from industry, commerce, etc)
  • Public facilities such as officials
  • Consultation facilities, etc.

Eligible nations

  • EU-27
  • Associated countries (Iceland, Israel, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey)
  • International Cooperation Partner Countries (ICPC-countries)
  • Third countries (USA, Canada etc.) => as a rule, they receive no funding!

Make-up of the consortium

  • Minimum three independent legal entities from three different EU member states (third nations do not count as minimum partners)
  • Possible exceptions and special cases are specified in the respective work programmes

4. What is the procedure for funding? – Financing models

For the total time-period of FP7 (2007–2013), an overall budget of about 623 Mio. € has been planned for Topic 8, i.e. 1.9% of the total programme-budget for "Collaboration".

Funding instruments:

  • Small to medium-sized cooperation projects (0.5–1.5 M. €)
  • Large cooperation projects (up to 5/ 6 M. €)
  • Research for the benefit of special groups, particularly SMEs or Civil Society Organisations/ NGOs (1 M. €)
  • Coordination and support actions (1 M. €)
  • "Calls for Tender"
  • Small excellence networks 2007/ 2008

Particularities:

  • "Single stage evaluation"
  • Benefits for industry and SMEs: competition advantages through the generation of knowledge, for example, as an active member in a research team and as a primary recipient of knowledge, ascertainment of data relevant to the users or market area.

Depending on the type of project, participants and activity, the following quotas are given (not valid for SME-specific projects!):

Research & Technological development:

75% for research institutions and SMEs
50% for all other legal entities

Demonstration activities:

50% for all legal entities

Coordination, audit costs and other activities:

100% for all legal entities

Coordination/ Support Actions:

100% for all legal entities

Costs eligible for funding:

Personnel, travel, material, infrastructure, other costs, external services, common costs

5. Where can I get consultation?

PT-DLR - EU-Office of the BMBF for FP7
National Contact Point "Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities"
(NCP-SSH)
Heinrich-Konen-Str. 1
D-53227 Bonn

Angela Schindler-Daniels
Tel: +49 (0) 228 – 3821 - 641
E-Mail:
Internet: http://www.nks-swg.de

Martina Schenk
Tel: +49 (0) 228 – 3821 - 645
E-Mail:
Internet: http://www.nks-swg.de

6. Where can I find a Bavarian contact person?

Bavarian Research Alliance GmbH
Prinzregentenstr. 52
D-80538 München

Dr. phil. Wolfgang Thiel
Head of Unit Domain Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities
Telephone: +49 (0) 89 - 9901 888 - 160
E-Mail:
Internet: http://www.bayfor.de

7. Where can I get more information?

Additional information can be found in the Internet at the following links:

Newsletter:
If you have concrete interest in current information, a newsletter can be provided (E-Mail with subject line "Newsletter Socio-Economics" to ).

Seite drucken top