Projects under this action are expected to structure effectively and significantly enhance the interaction at human resources level between research organisations in the public and private sector, in terms of knowledge sharing and broad skills development, bringing closer together their different cultures and expectation patterns, with a view to more
effectively advancing the contributions of research to Europe's knowledge economy and society.

The action will be implemented through targeted and flexible support for human resources interactions within co-operation programmes between at least two organisations, one from each sector and from at least two different Member States or Associated countries.
Support is provided for the creation, development, reinforcement and
execution of strategic partnerships based on a longer-term cooperation programme between the participants, aimed at knowledge sharing and inter-sector mobility, based on targeted human resources interaction. Such strategic research partnership projects can be co-ordinated either by an industrial or an academic participant.

Participants:
Participants under this action are on the one hand, one or more
universities/research centres and on the other, one or more enterprises, in particular SMEs, that propose a project based on a joint cooperation programme. Within this scheme, the industrial partners must be organisations operating on a commercial basis, i.e. companies gaining the majority of their revenue through competitive means with exposure to commercial markets, and will include incubators, start-ups and spin-offs,
venture capital companies, etc. The different participants should be from at least two different Member or Associated countries. Above this minimum, the participation of third countries and of international organisations is foreseen under the conditions provided by the Rules for Participation.

Eligible researchers:
Exchange of research staff can be for early-stage or experienced
researchers' level and can also include technical and research managerial staff. To be eligible for exchange, staff members of a participant institution must have been active continuously for at least 1 year (full time equivalent) at that institution. The support granted to eligible researchers will be for periods of between two months to 2 years.
Newly recruited staff from outside of the partnership must be experienced researchers, and must be nationals of a Member State, Associated country or third country other than the country of the premises of the host organisation where they will carry out their project. They can be recruited for a period of between one and two years.

Labor costs of outgoing and recruited R&D-staff are covered to 100% by the European Commission.

Expiration of the deadline for the submission: 25.03.2008

For more information see CORDIS:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.PeopleDetailsCallPage&call_id=97