Travel Grant - Preparation for Participation in the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme

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The significant business opportunities to be gained through introducing new applications and services are driving the world's telecommunications engineers to develop and introduce innovative, cutting edge solutions at a rapid pace. To maintain Europe's leading position in the highly competitive telecommunications market requires significant strategic investment in research and development (R&D) in support of co-operative, inter-disciplinary partnerships between industry, public authorities, small-medium enterprises, research centres and academia. This is underlined by the European Union's (EU's) launch of FP7, under which in the region of 12.67 billion (about 8.5 billion) of public money will be invested in R&D into Information and Communication Technology (ICT) over the period 2007-2013. The total budget for all activities under FP7 is 72.726 billion (in the region of 49 billion), underlining the EU's commitment to construct a world-leading knowledge society. Prior to FP7, the European Commission's (EC's) Framework Programmes, which began in 1984, have lasted for five-year periods, with the start of a new framework overlapping the end of its predecessor by one year. FP7 is organised into four programmes, corresponding to: Cooperation; Ideas; People; and Capacities. The Cooperation programme provides the focus for pan-European collaborative research projects and networks. A new approach under FP7 is the European Technology Platform initiative, which is intended to engage all stakeholders within an area of technology that is of particular relevance to European growth and competitiveness. Technology Platforms are intended to be industry-led and have the objectives of defining the medium to long-term direction of research policy to meet the needs of industry and to mobilise the required human and financial resources. To date, 30 European Technology Platforms are under development including: The Mobile and Wireless Communications Technology Platform (eMobility), Networked and Electronic Media (NEM) and The Integral Satcom Initiative (ISI). The investigators have already attended preliminary meetings of these two platform initiatives, facilitated through limited internal funding, and have ambitions to become involved in the writing of proposals associated with them, as well as in other areas covered by the Calls for Proposals.The investigators are leading members of the Mobile and Satellite Communications Research Centre (MSCRC), which provides a research base for ten academic staff and in the region of 50 researchers. Many members of the Centre have been involved in European collaborative research for more than a decade, spanning four frameworks. During this time, European funding has been the lifeblood of the investigators. For the investigators and fellow members of the MSCRC to continue to develop and work at an international level, it is essential that the foundations laid by the investigators during the previous Frameworks are built upon through participation in FP7 Calls for Proposals. The enlargement of the EU, together with EC policy initiatives aimed at establishing a European Research Area, have resulted in a significant growth in the number of organisations that are able to participate in EC Framework Programmes. Consequently, European collaborative research now often brings together organisations that have not previously collaborated and, in this respect, the need to participate at information events and meet with potential partners is more important than ever. The purpose of this proposal is to request travel support for the investigators and fellow MSCRC members to facilitate participation in the FP7 Calls, spanning the period 1 April 2007- 31 March 2008. The research areas will include mobile, broadband, satellite and e- technologies, in agreement with the FP7 work programme.