Bio-Forum biotechnology business science meetings

The Framework Programme (FP) is the European Union's main instrument for funding research and development. The current FP is FP6, which will be running up to the end of 2006. The new FP7 will be fully operational as of 1 January 2007 and will expire in 2013. Total budget of FP7 will be around 54 billion €; Health Theme will get over 6 billion €.

Anna Pytko NCP-Poland deputy director and Polish coordinator of FP6 Priority 1 (Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health). Polish National Contact Point (NCP) for the Fifth Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration has been established in 1999 by the State Committee for Scientific Research (KBN). In 2002, by the decision of KBN, responsibility of the NCP was extended to the Sixth Framework Programme. The main task of the NCP is to disseminate the information about EU research programmes (FP5, FP6 and FP7) and to help Polish research teams in active participation in these programmes through training, aid and consultancy, partner search service, promoting the international co-operation and encouraging the project consortia creation. The NCP-Poland is also a Mobility Centre for researchers, NCP for INTAS (cooperation with the New Independent States of the Former Soviet Union) and training centre for implementation of structural funds in the RTD sector.