Fifth Framework Programme - External Advisory Groups

EXTERNAL ADVISORY GROUP - Non Nuclear Energy Research in the ENERGIE Programme

Opinion on the Mid-Point Revision of the Work Programme

This advice was produced by the External Advisory Group-Non Nuclear Energy Research in the ENERGIE Programme for the Research Directorate General and represents the Group's views on this matter. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission's or the Research DG's views. The European Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this advice, nor does it accept responsibility for any use made thereof.

Introduction

The Energie Programme External Advisory Group (EAG) met to discuss and make recommendations regarding the mid-point revision of the FP5 Energie work programme.

Following discussions during the meeting, the group made recommendations regarding the following issues:

1. Clarification in the work programme between short-term and medium- to long- term research 

2. The need for increased focussing and concentration. 

3. The need to revise the structure to the work programme, with the introduction of a certain number "targeted actions". 

4. The proposal of a certain number of topics which could be chosen as future "targeted actions" 

5. The revision of the weighting of selection criteria for the evaluation of projects.

EAG Recommendations:

1) Clearer differentiation between Short and Medium to Long term Research

In order to facilitate the correct assignment and evaluation of research proposals, the EAG considered that a clearer breakdown in the WP between short term and medium to long term research for the various priorities of the work programme should be made, allocating ~50% of the budget for each type of research. The EAG recommends that each topic and sub topic within the current WP should be systematically broken into two parts. Proposers would then be asked to clearly identify and address the type of objective (ST or LT) being addressed in a proposal. The split should be made sufficiently clear to proposers in the work programme and other supporting documentation

2) Need for increased focussing and concentration within the work programme:

The EAG considers that in view of the wide spread distribution of proposals received to date by the Programme, and the resulting "thin" distribution of research funds over an extremely large number of topics, an effort should be made towards focussing part of the resources toward a series of more important priority topics, in order to achieve "critical mass" and increase the impact in these areas. The EAG recommends therefore to focus a certain fraction of the research funds on a reduced number of topics considered to be of higher priority, with respect to the main policy drivers of environment, security of supply and competitiveness/employment.

3) Revised structure of the work programme, introducing a certain number of "Targeted Actions" as priority topics:

In order to achieve the above mentioned "focussing", the EAG recommends that the structure of the work programme be modified with the introduction of a small number (max. 5-6) "Targeted Actions". These Targeted Actions would absorb a substantial proportion (~60%) of the funds of the work programme, and would be chosen with the goal of concentrating efforts on research considered to have the highest possible interest / impact for the Programme. In order to ensure that particularly good ideas on any topic would be eligible to continue to receive support remaining (~40%) of the funds, should continue to be allocated throughout the work programme in a bottom up manner, with special consideration to strategic and policy objectives such as those expressed on the Commission Communication for an European Research Area (ERA).

4) Proposal of a topics which could be chosen as future "targeted actions"

Following the previous meeting of the EAG, a summary table gathering the impact of research on a given topic/are towards achieving the key Policy Objectives of the Commission related this area of research (Mastering Climate Change, Security of Energy Supply, Employment and Competitiveness) was circulated to all members. An analysis of the results of this informal survey were presented to the EAG during the present meeting and discussed in detail. As a result, The EAG proposes that the topics for the "Targeted Actions" be chosen amongst the following topics, which take in to consideration the outcome of the survey. In the selected topics, attention should be paid to further focusing prioritising on fields showing the highest potential, and minimising overlaps between technologies relevant for more than one of the chosen targets:

 

Short term

Medium- Long- Term

Rational Use of Energy (6.1.3, 6.1.4 concentrating further on alternative fuels, 6.1.5 + 6.1.6 combined) Integration of Renewable and Small Energy Sources (5.3.1, 6.2.1, 6.2.2) Biomass (5.2.1, 5.1.1, 5.1.2, 6.5.3) Decentralised Production (5.1.3 limited to small size gas turbines, 5.1.4) Energy Storage (All 6.3)

Decentralised Production (5.1.3 limited to small size gas turbines, 5.1.4)  Photovoltaic (5.2.3, 6.5.2)  Biomass  (5.2.1, 5.1.1, 5.1.2, 6.5.3) Integration of Renewable and Small Energy Sources (5.3.1, 6.2.1, 6.2.2) Fuel Cells and hydrogen Technologies (5.2.6, 6.1.4 + 6.3.4 as applied to hydrogen only) Energy Storage (All 6.3)  Rational Use of Energy (6.1.3, 6.1.4 concentrating further on alternative fuels, 6.1.5 + 6.1.6 combined)

(In brackets further focussing is achieved by indicating the main paragraphs of the existing work programme where the topic is addressed).

5) Horizontal priorites within the gereral part of the work programme

The general part of the work programme (comprising ~40% of the budget) will be kept to fund the outstanding projects related to any part of the work programme submitted following a "bottom up approach". In order to ensure that these projects are of a truly of EU strategic interest, a series of horizontal priorities are defined. Proposals addressing one or more of the following "horizontal priorities" should be strongly encouraged:

1. Management of CO2 emissions and climate change.

2. Proposals exploiting the interrelation and synergies between IT technologies and the electricity grid.

3. Socio-economic research related to energy technologies and their impact.

4. International co-operation, co-ordination with member state research programmes, and EU wide research networks.

5. Pre-normative research of interest at EU level.

6) Selection criteria for the evaluation of projects

Previous meetings of the EAG have addressed the selection criteria. Major items discussed include the following: 

• Difficulties for Evaluators to interpret/assess proposals on the 3 strategic criteria regarding "Community Added Value", "Contribution to Social Objectives", and "Economic Development and S&T Prospects".

• The EU added value/dimension of some selected proposals has been put into question. 

• The need to consider the specificities of demonstration projects Following discussions, the EAG recommends to revise weightings and thresholds for the evaluation of proposals, mainly by splitting the criteria of the short/demo type of actions and medium/long term research type of actions, and having a minimum threshold on the Community Added Value.

Furthermore, the importance for economic development and scientific and technical prospects of co-ordination activities and accompanying measures should be recognised by increasing the weight on this criterion. The EAG also recommend to consider further clarification for a more efficient use of the 3 "strategic" criteria in documentation for proposers and for evaluators.

External Advisory Groups | Fifth Framework Programme | 15.11.2000