Calls for FP7 Research Grants now published: Patient groups can participate in Health Research

23 July 2010

Dear ECPC Members,

the EU Commission has published the new calls for the FP7 Research Programme 2011. Research and Innovation in the EU will be given a EUR 6.4 billion budget under plans unveiled by the European commission. The package, the biggest ever, covers a wide range of scientific disciplines, public policy areas and commercial sectors. Health researchers can expect more than EUR 600 million budget for projects funded within the 2011 work programme, with a third of that (EUR 203 million) going into investigator-driven clinical trials to get new medicines on the market quicker. Research organisations, universities, industry and NGOs will receive grants awarded through "calls for proposals" (invitations to bid) and evaluations over the next 14 months.

Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn said: "Investment in research and innovation is the only smart and lasting way out of crisis and towards sustainable and socially equitable growth. This European package will contribute to new and better products and services, a more competitive and greener Europe, and a better society with a higher quality of life. We are offering researchers and innovators ¤6.4 billion for cutting-edge projects focusing on big economic and societal challenges: climate change, energy and food security, health and an ageing population. This is a huge and efficient economic stimulus and an investment in our future."

There will be opportunities for patient groups too, by participating in consortia of research projects that will be applying for the research grants.

For your information we are attaching the 2011 Work Programme on Health; the most relevant section on Cancer is on pages 32-34, 45 and 49. From ECPC's perspective, some highlights are this time - just a selection:

• Clinical trials in solid or hematological cancers (benefit patient survival, integrate investigator-driven, clinical research networks on rare cancers as well as structure European scientific excellence and competitiveness on rare cancers), 6 Million EUR
• Translational research in stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, brain cancer or multiple myeloma (reducing patient mortality for a number of difficult-to-treat cancers with low survival rates and integrate basic-clinical European scientific excellence), 3 Million EUR
• New methodologies for clinical trials in personalized medicine, 3 Million EUR
• Networking of major research institutions to coordinate communication actions aimed at the media and the general public, 2 Million EUR
• Investigator-driven clinical trials on off-patent medicines for children (with one focus on oncology in infants), 6 Million EUR

We are very happy that the principle of patient group involvement has been explicitly acknowledged in this Work Programme for 2011 - for the first time, e.g. in the context of of grants for clinical trials:

• "The early involvement of patients and their advocacy groups in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of a clinical trial is considered important so that patients' needs are appropriately considered. This may also increase the rate of enrollment of trial participants and can have a positive effect on the performance of the clinical trial."
• Patient advocacy groups, which can contribute to the quality, feasibility and impact of clinical trials, should be involved where appropriate."

This is the first time ever that the Commission's Work Programme reflects a growing recognition that patient groups can contribute to research.

To effectively ensure the involvement of patients in future health research projects, it is now important that more patient organizations are included in upcoming project consortia. The deadlines for submission of proposals are 13 Oct or 10 Nov 2010, depending on the area covered within the Work Programme. If you have any multi-national research group that you know well that would be willing to include you - or ECPC - as a patient partner in the consortium (e.g. in work packages on dissemination of results, or coordination), please try to get in touch with them now and suggest patient participation in the proposals.

Best regards,
Jan Geissler, ECPC Director
Denis Horgan, ECPC Political Affairs Manager

Additional reading:

• EU Commission News Alert: http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?lg=en&pg=newsalert&year=2010&na=na-190710
• All FP7 Calls in WP2011 for download: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.FP7CallsPage#Health
• Call for Health projects within the WP2011 (PDF): http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.FP7DetailsCallPage&call_id=324
• EU-funded "PatientPartner" project evaluating how European patient organisations can successfully participate in clinical trials: http://www.patientpartner-europe.eu/en/about-patientpartner
• The EU Commission's website on Research: http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm
• The EU Commission's 'Innovation Union' Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/innovation.union

--
European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC)
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