In line with the Commission’s strategic approach of mainstreaming equal opportunities in all Union policies, particular account is taken in the Fifth Framework Programme of the need to promote the participation of women in the fields of research and technological development. Therefore women are encouraged to participate in proposals for the above mentioned RTD activities.

Box 1 - Bursaries for young researchers from Developing Countries

When preparing a joint research proposal¹ or concerted action proposal for submission to any of the programmes, a consortium may, if it wishes, include an application for an international co-operation training bursary². These bursaries will be funded from the budget of the Specific Programme ‘Confirming the International Role of Community Research’ and are intended to allow young researchers from Developing Countries, including Emerging Economies and Mediterranean Partner Countries³ to work for up to 6 months in a European research institute participating in a FP-5 project. The bursaries will be granted for training activities only (e.g. to allow the applicant to learn a new scientific technique or for work on a particular experiment or set of experiments where the host institution has particular expertise and which cannot be performed in the home institution of the candidate).

The bursary application must be submitted together with the proposal application and will be evaluated together with it. Spontaneous, individual bursary applications will not be accepted. Inclusion of a bursary application will neither enhance nor detract from the chances of success of the proposal. Only if the whole proposal is selected for funding and the bursary application is highly rated, will the bursary be granted. A poor bursary application can be rejected without harming the chances of success of the proposal.

In order to be eligible, the bursary applicant must not be more than 40 years of age at the time of application, must be a national of one of the eligible countries³ and be established and working in that country and intending to return there at the end of the training period. She/he must also have a good knowledge of a working language of the host institute. Applications from female researchers are encouraged.

The host institute must be established in an EU Member State or in a State Associated to FP-5⁴ and must be a member of the consortium proposing the research project or concerted action.

Eligible bursary applications will be evaluated according to the excellence of the scientific and/or training objectives of the application, its potential value to the applicant and his/her institute and to the project as a whole, as well as the experience and professional training of the candidate.

The 6 month training period may start at any time up to 12 months from the Commission signature of the main project contract. A fixed sum will be granted to cover the cost of one (apex) return fare from the place of origin of the candidate to the host institute, and a daily allowance for the duration of the training period (based on the rates for Marie Curie Fellowships, see the corresponding brochure for applicants).

1 Research and Technological Development projects, Demonstration projects and Combined projects (see point I.3.2.a)

2 Application forms can be downloaded from the CORDIS web site page (http://www.cordis.lu/fp5) for the Calls to which you reply, or ordered from the Programmes’ information desk.

3 Developing countries are: African, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) countries, Asian and Latin American (ALA) countries, Mediterranean countries (MC).

4 For the list of Associated States, see box 4.