Health

Welcome to the UK National Contact Point service offered to applicants to the Health Theme. The service offered by the NCPs is free and confidential and includes the following:

• Telephone and e-mail helpline to answer your queries regarding the Health Theme.
• Proposal appraisal and ‘fit to topic’
• Guidance on the application process
• Information on calls for proposals –current and future.
• Participation in seminars and workshops on a national and regional basis.

Queries can be addressed to either Industrial or Academic specialists.

Overview of the Health Research Programme

The Health Theme is part of the FP7 Cooperation Programme and has a budget of over €6bn to support world-class collaborative research in FP7.

The objectives of the Health theme are to:

• improve the health of EU citizens
• increase the competitiveness of European health - related industries and businesses while
• address global health issues, including emerging epidemics

The emphasis will be on translational research, the development and validation of new technologies, methods for health promotion and disease prevention, diagnostic tools and technologies.

Collaborative research will constitute the bulk of the Health Research Programme in the following key areas.

1. Biotechnology, generic tools and technologies for human health

Development and validation of tools and technologies that will enable the production of new knowledge.

High throughput research – new research tools for modern biology, sequencing, gene expression, systems biology, structural genomics and other “omics” technologies

Detection, diagnosis and monitoring – development of visualisation, imaging, detection and analytical tools and technologies to predict, diagnose and monitor the progression of diseases.

Predicting suitability, safety and efficacy of therapies – development and validation of tools, methods and standards to bring the patient safe new biomedicines.

Innovative therapeutic approaches and intervention – focus on gene and cell therapy, regenerative medicine, transplantation, immunotherapy and vaccines. Advanced delivery systems, implants and prosthetics.

Increase the knowledge of biological processes in normal health and specific diseases, translation of knowledge into clinical applications.

• Data gathering and systems biology – high throughput technologies for elucidating the function of gene and gene products and developing systems for understanding and modelling biological processes.
• Brain research, human development and ageing – to study brain diseases and search for new therapies.
• Translational research in infectious diseases - anti-microbial drug resistance, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and emerging epidemics neglected infectious diseases.
• Translational research in other major diseases - cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, rare diseases and chronic diseases:

3. Optimising the delivery of healthcare to the European citizen

Policy decisions on healthcare systems and strategies for health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis and therapy including:

• Translating the results of clinical research into clinical practice.
• Quality, solidarity and sustainability of health systems.
• Enhanced health promotion and disease prevention
• Support actions to optimise the delivery of health care to EU citizens
• Specific International Cooperation actions for health system research

Who Can Take Part?

Any legal entity in the 27 member states of Europe, plus Associated Countries, can take part. Consortiums for Health research proposals may include industry (large and small), research organisations, universities, NHS Trusts, policy makers, regulatory authorities, ethical experts etc. Collaboration with International Cooperation Partner Countries (ICPC) is also encouraged in all areas. See Annex 1 of the Health workprogramme for a list of ICPC.

Health Theme home page:

The Health Theme home page on CORDIS is here: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/cooperation/health_en.html