Financing initiatives
Various calls for projects fund the development, validation and harmonization of methods for characterizing and assessing nanomaterials. Call schedules, participation and funding conditions are specific to each funder. The target community includes producers and users of nanomaterials, manufacturers of measuring instruments, service laboratories and analytical platforms, as well as government and academic research laboratories.
IN FRANCE
The platform CallsResearchProjects.fr centralizes since October 2021 the various funding offers from different organizations (Ademe, ANR, ASNES, Inserm, ANRS & Inca). A search engine makes it easy to identify the various calls for projects that may address the nanomaterials theme.
French National Metrology Network (RNMF)
The Réseau National de la Métrologie Française (RNMF) funds research in the field of metrology for the ten laboratories in the network, including the French National Metrology Laboratory, LNE, and nine other Designated Institutes (DI) at national and international level for specific fields (LNHB, LCM, CETIAT, etc.).
Funded projects aim to develop methods and instrumentation of the highest metrological level, as well as national standards. The aim of the work carried out is to ensure the metrological traceability of the data produced and the metrological connection of routine methods. Collaborations with different types of partners can be set up through these projects.
Project proposals from the various laboratories are evaluated by several Scientific Committees, organized by size. Each committee is made up of around fifteen scientific experts representing the field in question. A Metrology Committee, made up of twenty-four leading figures from the worlds of science, industry and the relevant ministries (industry and research), appointed by Order published in the Journal Officiel de la République Française, makes recommendations on scientific and strategic orientations to LNE's Board of Directors.
National Environment-Health-Work Research Program (PNR EST)
The projects selected, very often lasting 2 to 3 years, contribute knowledge in the various fields of expertise of ANSES. This applies in particular to health risks for the general population and in the workplace, as well as risks to ecosystems and environmental quality. They involve multi-disciplinary teams, including those from the human and social sciences. The priorities of the RPA change each year, but the issues of characterizing nanomaterials in different types of environment are identified each year among the subjects to be considered by the EST NRP.
The selection process is usually a two-stage process, with an initial selection based on a letter of intent (usually between November of year N and January of year N+1) and a second selection based on a complete dossier in the spring of year N+1. It involves two committees, one made up of researchers in charge of the scientific evaluation and selection of projects, the other made up of funders, relevant ministries and other players in the field, who draw up the list of projects to be funded from among those selected by the scientific committee.
The project must involve a French academic partner (higher education and research establishments and research organizations, other public establishments with a research mission, private health establishments of collective interest, foundations and associations of interest recognized as being of public utility or acting within the framework of public policies and research players). The call for research projects is open to foreign teams or teams belonging to an international organization. To facilitate foreign collaborations and independent appraisal of applications, the text of the RPA is available in English on the Anses website, and writing in English is encouraged.
AT EUROPEAN LEVEL
Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe covers multiple fields through different pillars, notably Pillar 2 (Global Issues and Industrial Competitiveness) organized into 6 Clusters. The 2023-2024 work program was published at the end of 2022. A team of National Contact Points (NCPs) is steered and led by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR). In particular, it coordinates the National Working Groups corresponding to each Cluster, so that the national delegations can react to the documents proposed by Europe and propose themes to be considered in the R&D programming of the calls.
European Partnership on Metrology (EPM)
Metrology issues in support of various sectors (industry, energy, health, environment, etc.) are considered each year according to a defined schedule. Supporting the introduction of specific regulations and the development of specific testing standards is an important objective of the program. This is achieved in particular through annual pre-normative calls, with around 5 to 6 projects funded each time.
Calls for projects are organized in two stages, with a proposal for topics at the beginning of the year (January/February), followed by selection in the spring by the EPM Committee, and submission of complete project proposals between July and October. The approach is much more advantageous than for Horizon Europe projects, since the documents required for the first stage are very short (4 pages), and the success rate for the second stage is close to 50%.
Research projects, lasting 3 years, must involve the NMIs of at least 3 countries, and be coordinated by one of them. Any stakeholder (industry, academic laboratory, etc.) can take part and contribute to the work.
Funding rules are similar to those of Horizon Europe, i.e. 100% of direct costs and 25% of indirect costs. Project budgets are in the order of €2/2.5m for sector calls and €1m for pre-normative calls, with 30 to 35% of the budget reserved for non-NMI partners.
Strong links have been established between EURAMET and the world of standardization. Standardization committees (AFNOR, CEN, ISO & OECD) can express their needs on an annual basis, enabling us to identify which projects should be given priority.
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