Call title:EU-US collaboration on NGI

Topic Description

Specific Challenge:

Building upon the EU-US collaboration in previous work programmes in the area of research experimentation, the aim is to reinforce cooperation and strategic partnerships in the area of Next Generation Internet, to establish a continuous dialogue among the key actors in the US and European programmes and to implement focused projects for joint developments. Proposals shall foresee twinning with entities participating in projects funded by the US to exchange knowledge and experience and exploit synergies. This collaboration will be implemented in accordance with the "Implementation arrangement between the European Commission and the government of the United States of America for cooperation between researchers funded separately by the European Union's and the United States framework programmes on research and innovation" signed on 17 October 2016^[1].

Scope:

a) Coordination and Support Actions. Proposals should cover one of the following two areas of this sub-topic:

- Organise workshops and other support activities: to facilitate the coordination of research and innovation initiatives in the EU and US, and to promote collaboration between the research groups. Create a Next Generation Internet open ecosystem engaging relevant initiatives and key actors from the EU and the US.

- Fellowship programme: support 3 to 6 months fellowships for Internet researchers notably from hi-tech startups, SMEs, mid-caps, research centres or academia to broaden the understanding of different approaches, perspectives and values, in view to then contribute to concrete NGI services and products 'Made in Europe'. The project will only provide financial support for travel and subsistence, and only citizens of the EU and associated countries will be eligible for funding. For grants awarded under this topic for the fellowship programme beneficiaries may provide support to third parties as described in part K of the General Annexes of the Work Programme. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The respective options of Article 15.1 and Article 15.3 of the Model Grant Agreement will be applied

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of EUR 1 million for the first area of this sub-topic (Organise workshops and other support activities) and of EUR 1.5 million for the second area of this sub-topic (Fellowship programme) would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts. At least one proposal will be selected in each of the two areas of this sub-topic.

b) Research and Innovation Action.

Common experiments by EU/US teams on emerging topics for the Next Generation Internet / Tomorrow's Internet programmes on top of EU/US experimental platforms.

For grants awarded under this topic for Research and Innovation actions beneficiaries may provide support to third parties as described in part K of the General Annexes of the Work Programme. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The respective options of Article 15.1 and Article 15.3 of the Model Grant Agreement will be applied. Only organisations established in the EU and associated countries will be eligible for European Commission funding.

The Commission considers that proposals for Research and Innovation actions requesting a contribution from the EU of EUR 3.5 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. As a reference, 80% of the EU funding should be allocated to financial support for the third parties. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected Impact:

Proposals should provide appropriate metrics for the claimed impacts.

- Enhanced EU – US cooperation in Next Generation Internet, including policy cooperation.

- Reinforced collaboration and increased synergies between the Next Generation Internet and the Tomorrow's Internet programmes.

- Developing interoperable solutions and joint demonstrators, contributions to standards

- An EU - US ecosystem of top researchers, hi-tech startups / SMEs and Internet-related communities collaborating on the evolution of the Internet.

Cross-cutting Priorities:

International cooperation

[1]http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/policy/eu-usa_implementing_arrangement_2016.pdf