Utlysning inom ERA-net CORE Organic

Sista ansökningsdatum: 2010-10-15

Pre-Announcement of call

A call for applications (pre-proposals) for transnational research in organic farming and food systems was launched by CORE Organic II on 1 September 2010.

Closing date for pre-proposals: 15 October 2010

What is CORE Organic?

CORE Organic is the acronym for "Coordination of European Transnational Research in Organic Food and Farming". As an ERA-NET project, it intends to step up cooperation between national research activities. In FP6, CORE Organic was established by 11 European partner countries, and eight transnational projects have been realised between 2007 and 2010. CORE Organic II has now been extended to 22 partner countries.

Why CORE Organic?

The overall objective of CORE Organic is to enhance the quality, relevance and utilisation of resources in European research in organic food and farming and to contribute to the development and integrity of the organic sector by making joint transnational calls, selecting and initiating research projects, and establishing the framework for a strategic research agenda as a basis for long-term collaboration between the partner countries.

Transnational Research Calls

CORE Organic II is launching transnational research calls based on funds from participating countries. It will enable a better utilization of research funding by the agreement of the partners on common prioritised research areas. Research facilities connected with high costs, as well as human resources, can be complementary and more effectively utilised. The funding of the transnational projects will in this call be based on a ‘virtual common pot’ instrument. The funding principle is that each country funds its own research group(s), while it benefits from the research fruits of the multinational team of the Project Consortia. The call involves a 2-step procedure as outlined under application procedure, page 6. The project duration is limited to a maximum of three years.

The following CORE Organic II partner countries participate in this call: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom.

Further information on the CORE Organic II project is available at: www.coreorganic2.org 

CALL INFORMATION

Call topics

Pre-proposals are expected to cover one (or more) of the listed thematic areas. The indicative funding per country is given in table 1 (page 5). The pre-proposals should be structured around the priority research areas (one or more) listed under the thematic areas.

Cropping: Designing robust and productive cropping systems at field, farm and landscape level

Rationale: Successful organic horticultural and arable crop production requires the development of innovative management options to enhance productivity and yield stability by using natural resources (e.g. water, soil, biodiversity) more efficiently through eco-functional intensification (based on biological processes and agrobiodiversity) at the appropriate scales. This needs to be achieved while protecting the environment and valuing ecosystem functions, so that organic agriculture may contribute to improving resource use, efficiency and diversity.

The research area includes:
• Improving pest, weed and disease control in horticultural production and other relevant cropping systems by optimising ecological support functions at field, farm and/or landscape levels. Strategies could include the identification of novel pests and diseases, and consider a range of techniques and their interactions, e.g. management techniques or breeding research for disease resistance.

• Increasing the efficiency and availability of nutrient supply and maintenance in arable farming through functional soil biology, innovative plant nutrient sources, optimised crop rotations and recycling of high quality organic matter sources.

• Reducing the use of problematic off-farm inputs and minimising emissions through efficient and innovative use of natural resources and processes at field, farm and landscape levels.

• Identifying innovative and viable forms of collaboration between farms to increase productivity and resilience within a range of socio-economic and production contexts, and at the appropriate scale at which they should occur for different functions (e.g. nutrient recycling, pest and disease management, weed control, ecosystem services).

Monogastric: Robust and competitive production systems for pigs, poultry and fish

Rationale: Organic pig and poultry production and aquaculture have increased over the last decade but significant challenges hamper widespread conversion to organic management and the further development of these sectors. Research is needed to solve challenges regarding disease management, feeding, welfare and negative impacts on the environment, while complying with EU regulations on outdoor access and organic agriculture, and securing economic competitiveness.

The research area includes innovative monogastric production systems to improve:  
 
• Disease management strategies based on prevention and alternative treatments
• Animal welfare in relation to housing and the use and management of   outdoor areas while considering environmental impacts
• Organic feed (including 100% organic feed) that supplies sufficient levels of essential amino acids without excessive protein for poultry and pigs according to individual species physiology. Improved feed strategies that minimise environmental impacts may consider innovative crops, crop rotations, land use, degree of self-reliance, etc.
• Aquaculture based on robust species and breeds, with effective disease management and minimal environmental impacts, that meets EU regulations on organic aquaculture
• Feed for farmed fish that partially replaces fish meal and oils with innovative plant protein sources while meeting fish requirements for protein and phosphorus. Research should consider levels of omega 3 fatty acids and complex carbohydrates in relation to physiological capacity.

Quality: Ensuring quality and safety of organic food along the whole chain

Rationale: High quality is one of the main objectives of organic production. Consumers also expect processed organic food to be of outstanding quality. However, the specific principles of processing (Article 6 of the Organic Farming Regulation) are not precisely defined and standards have not been elaborated. Tools need to be developed and made available to assess quality characteristics for organic food processing and to align the processing of organic food with the principles of Organic Farming Regulation Article 6 b/c/d, minimising environmental impact and safeguarding food safety.

The research area includes:
• Development of careful processing methods and new technologies limiting the use of additives or non-organic ingredients and ensuring food quality and safety.
• Development of quality criteria, analysis methods and technologies ensuring the quality of organic products during processing and along the production chain.
• Development of analytical methods, markers, and other concepts for documentation of organic production and for the prevention of fraud. 
 

Who can apply?

Project consortia are eligible if they consist of at least three research institutions from at least three CORE Organic II partner countries proving funding for the call. Applications with more than three participating countries will be given higher priority, if the projects hold equal scientific quality.

Research teams and institutions must be eligible for funding by their national funding bodies. Applicants are encouraged to contact their National Contact Points, if they have questions in relation to national aspects. Please see page 7 for contact details of your National Contact Point.

Budget

Each country funds its own research group(s). The indicative figures for funding per country and research area for the first call are given in table 1. These figures may change depending on the quality of the pre-proposals, however, pre-proposals should not include costs that exceed the listed amounts.

Table 1. Indicative funding per country and research area (million Euros).

Country	Cropping	Monogastric	Quality	Total per country
Austria	0.1	0.1	-	0.2
Belgium	0.1	0.1	-	0.2
Czech Republic	0.03	0.03	-	0.06
Denmark	0.4	0.4	0.4	1.2
Estonia	0.09	-	-	0.09
Finland	0.075	0.05	0.075	0.2
France	0.15	0.075	0.075	0.3
Germany	0.5	0.3	0.2	1.0
Ireland	0.03	-	-	0.03
Italy	0.55	0.3	0.35	1.2
Latvia	0.02	-	-	0.02
Lithuania	-	-	0.1	0.1
Luxembourg	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.4
Netherlands	0.15	0.2	-	0.35
Norway	0.4	-	0.2	0.6
Slovenia	0.1	-	0.05	0.15
Spain	0.2	-	-	0.2
Sweden	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.75
Switzerland	0.15	0.125	0.125	0.4
Turkey	0.07	-	0.03	0.1
UK	0.239	0.119	-	0.358
Total million euros	3.704	1.780	1.805	7.908

 

Researchers from countries that are not partners in CORE Organic II may participate in Project Consortia if they fund their own participation.

Application procedure

The call involves a 2-step procedure with a pre-proposal selection of applications followed by a review of full proposals

LAUNCH FIRST CALL 1 SEPTEMBER 2010

Stage 1:

Closing date for pre-proposals

15 October 2010

Review and avaluation of pre-proposals

Approved pre-proposals  (Not approved pre-proposals)

Invitation for full-proposals

30 November 2010

STAGE 2

Closing date for full-proposals

15 January 2011

Scientific review and prioritisation of proposals

February - April 2011

Selection of projects to be funded

May 2011

Notification and contract negotiation with project consortia

Contracts

Star of project

September 2011

Timeframe

Submission of pre-proposals via www.coreorganic2.org with the closing date of 15 October 2010. 
 
Evaluation of pre-proposals

Guideline_for_applicants_050710.pdf

Pre-proposals will be checked against the following criteria: relevance compared with topics of the call (which are the common policy needs and priorities of the countries of the funding agencies participating in the call), quality of Research Consortia, added value by transnational collaboration, and feasibility of the project. 
Moreover, a first evaluation of innovativeness of the approach and the scientific quality compared with budget will also be made, but full scientific assessment will be based on full applications for the short-listed proposals. 
Project Consortia whose Pre-Proposals meet the criteria and are assessed to be of high quality will be invited to submit a Full Proposals.

More Information

Enquiries will be answered by the National Contact Points of the respective national funding bodies, listed in table 2. 

Table 2. National Contact Points

Country	Name and Organisation	Telephone	Email
Austria	Gottfried Führer, BMLFUW (contact) Thomas Rech (content)	+43-71100-6776 +43-71100-6764
Belgium (Flanders)	Malgorzata Szulc, DLV	+32 2 552 79 71
Czech Republic	Ladislav Jerabek, MZe	+420221812252
Denmark	Ulla Bertelsen, ICROFS	+45 89991804
Estonia	Külli Kaare, PMin	+37 26256554
Finland	Suvi Ryynänen Arja Nykänen	+358 400869385 +358 40 7739169
France	Eric Dufour, MAAP Stéphane Bellon, INRA	+33-1-49558553 +33-4-32722583
Germany	Elke Saggau, BLE Elke Baranek, BLE	+49-228 6845-3930 +49-228 6845-3366
Ireland	Richard Howell, DAFF	+ 353 1 607 2572
Italy	Serenella Puliga, MIPAFF Annamaria Marzetti, MIPAFF	+39 055 249 1248 +39 0646655085
Latvia	Ligita Melece , LSIAE	+371-67553546; +371-67552909
Lithuania	Jurgita Liaugminė, ZUM	+370 5 2398474
Luxembourg	Carlo Duprel, FNR	+ 352 26192537
Norway	Siri Anzjøn, RCN	+47 2203 70 98
Netherlands	Suzanne van der Meulen, MinLNV	+31 318 822930;
Slovenia	Jana Erjavec, MAFF	+386 1 478 9123
Spain	Joan Calvera, INIA	+34 913476801
Sweden	Susanne Johansson, Formas	+46 8 775 40 20
Switzerland	Urs Gantner, BLW	+41 (0)31 322 25 74
Turkey	Sahin ANIL, GDAR	+90 3123159787
UK	Georgianne Griffiths	+44 (0) 207 2384559

 

CORE Organic I Call Secretariat:
Elke Saggau
Federal Office of Agriculture and Food
Deichmanns Aue 29, D-53179 Bonn, Germany
Tel: +49 228 6845-3930
E-mail:

Elke Baranek
Federal Office of Agriculture and Food
Deichmanns Aue 29, D-53179 Bonn, Germany
Tel: +49 (0)228 6845-3366
E-Mail: