WRITTEN QUESTION P-1422/03

by Brian Crowley (UEN) to the Commission

(15 April 2003)

Subject: Research and young people

According to the Commission's 2002 annual report on technological research and development in 2001, a significant improvement in the success rate of project proposals has been recorded but SMEs accounted for less than a quarter of participants in the four thematic programmes.

Will the Commission advise how many of these project proposals are likely to lead to new products actually reaching the market place, what are the related job prospects of this research and the representation of women in this research, and does the Commission consider that the programme has a role to play in attracting the interest of young researchers and potential researchers in schools and third level colleges and will it make a statement on the matter?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(19 May 2003)

Most of the research actions as referred to in the question are ongoing and a comprehensive evaluation of their impacts, including new products and job prospects, will be undertaken when the projects are completed. An impact survey of research projects under the 4th Framework Programme (1994-1998) is in progress.

At the outset, Community research proposals are rigorously evaluated by peer review against predefined criteria which for the 5th Framework Programme (1998-2002) include inter alia the development of applications markets, and contribution to improving employment prospects (http://www.cordis.lu/FP5/src/evalman.htm). Furthermore, the impact of the research projects under the 5th Framework Programme is promoted through the mandatory Technological Implementation Plans (TIP), which provide ex ante and ex post information on inter alia product and process innovations and improved employment. The CORDIS databases include information on TIPs (http://etip.cordis.lu) and on research results (http://www.cordis.lu/en/src/d_012_en.htm). For research under the 6th Framework Programme (2002-2006), even more emphasis has been given to impact through the new instruments, promoting larger projects, focusing on carefully selected research areas and technologies of relevance to industry and society. Particular efforts are made to involve small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Gender issues are fully taken into account under the 6th Framework Programme, including in the evaluation process. Collection of statistics on women's participation will be made under this programme although such data is not available systematically for all 5th Framework Programme research projects. In 1999, the Commission set the target of 40 % female participation in proposal evaluation panels, advisory groups and monitoring panels as well as in Marie Curie Fellowships. A wide range of activities promoting female participation are supported under the Science and Society action line of the 6th Framework Programme, including promotion of women researchers in the private sector.

Under both the Research and Education policy areas, the Commission is pursuing a range of activities aiming at attracting young researchers, including: steps towards the establishment of a pan-European initiative for enhancing science education in schools as part of the Science and Society action line; work with Member States on co-ordinating actions in the area of science education and on benchmarking skills requirements; and the preparation of a Communication on researchers careers in the European Research Area.