In the Seventh Framework Programme, the 'Marie Curie Actions' have been regrouped and reinforced in the 'People' Specific Programme. Entirely dedicated to human resources in research, this Specific Programme has a significant overall budget of more than € 4.7 billion over a seven year period until 2013, which represents a 50% average annual increase over FP6.
Rationale of the 'People' Programme
Abundant and highly trained qualified researchers are a necessary condition to advance science and to underpin innovation, but also an important factor to attract and sustain investments in research by public and private entities. Against the background of growing competition at world level, the development of an open European labour market for researchers free from all forms of discrimination and the diversification of skills and career paths of researchers are crucial to support a beneficial circulation of researchers and their knowledge, both within Europe and in a global setting. Measures to reduce the 'brain drain' or to reinforce the "brain circulation", such as reintegration grants and grants for international fellowships, will be introduced.
Objectives of the 'People' Programme
The objectives of the 'People' Programme are strengthening, quantitatively and qualitatively, the human potential in research and technology in Europe, by stimulating people to enter into the profession of researcher, encouraging European researchers to stay in Europe, and attracting to Europe researchers from the entire world, making Europe more attractive to the best researchers. Building on the experiences with the 'Marie Curie' actions under previous Framework Programmes, this will be done by putting into place a coherent set of 'Marie Curie' actions, particularly taking into account the European added value in terms of their structuring effect on the European Research Area.
International dimension
International dimension is one of activities of the 'People Programme'to increase the quality of European research by attracting research talent from outside Europe and fostering mutually beneficial research collaboration with researchers from outside Europe.
This activity is addressed to experienced researchers, i.e. researchers who are either in possession of a doctoral degree (independently of the time taken to acquire it) or have at least four years of full-time equivalent research experience.
The following actions are foreseen in particular:
- International Outgoing Fellowships for Career Development (IOF)
This action provides financial support for advanced training and trans-national mobility, for a period of up to 3 years, for individual projects presented by experienced researchers from Member States or Associated Countries[1] in liaison with a host organisation from another Member State or Associated Country. The project includes a coherent research programme for the total duration of the contract, of which an initial outgoing phase, of between 1 and 2 years, is to be spent in a distinct legal entity in a third country ('partner organisation') and a mandatory reintegration phase of 1 year within the contracting organisation ('return host organisation') in a Member State or Associated country.
Researchers must be nationals of a Member State or Associated country other than the country of the premises of the host organisation where they will carry out the project.
- International Incoming Fellowships (IIF)
This action is open to experienced researchers from third countries such as Japan. It provides financial support to individual research projects presented by the incoming experienced researchers in liaison with a legal entity ('host organisation') in a Member State or an Associated country.
The contracts will be concluded with the host organisations of the Member States or Associated countries for a total duration of between one and two years.
- International Reintegration Grants (IRG)
This action provides financial support for a period 2 to 4 years, for individual projects presented by experienced researchers in liaison with a legal entity ('host organisation') in a Member State or an Associated country.
Researchers must be nationals of a Member State or Associated country who have been active in research in a third country for at least three years.
- International Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES)
The Marie Curie International Staff Exchange Scheme is a new action aimed at strengthening research partnerships through staff exchanges and networking activities between European research organisations and organisations from third countries with which the Community has an S&T agreement (or are in the process of negotiating one)[2].
Compared to existing Marie Curie actions, which provide mobility possibilities to individual researchers, this new action will provide support to research organisations to establish or reinforce long-term research co-operation through a coordinated joint programme of exchange of researcher staff for short periods.
Further information
For more information on Marie Curie Actions (general information) please click here.
For more information on IRSES please click here.
To find calls for proposals please click here
