The Interuniversity Attraction Poles (PAI) Programme - Programmes and projects

Programmes and projects - Phase V

Total budget: 111,638 million EUR
Period: 1 January 2002- 31 December 2006
Projects: 36 IAP-networks with 4 to 18 research teams per network
Participants: universities, federal scientific institutions
Research field: life sciences, exact and applied science, human sciences
Steering committee
Information document: call for proposals

List of the IAP-V Networks (2002-2006)

36 IAP-research networks, implicating 261 research teams, are classified into three different domains:

life sciences (15 networks)
exact and applied sciences (12 networks)
human sciences (9 networks)

Steering committee

The IAP-Phase V Programme is monitored by an “steering committee” which has an advisory role about the shaping and evolution of the programme.
The composition of this committee is the subject of an agreement between the Federal Government and the Communities:

President	Mr Ph. Mettens
Federal Authority	Mrs N. Henry
French-speaking Community	Mr Th. Maudoux
Flemish Community	Mr N. Vercruysse Mr P. Bakema
Council of rectors of the French-speaking Community (CREF)	Mr B. Coulie (UCL) Mr A. Lemaître (ULg) Mr Cl. Truffin
Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR)	Mr A. De Leenheer (RUG) Mr R. Bouillon (KUL) Mr E. Spruyt (UA)
Foreign experts	Mr Ph. Larédo (France) Mr A. Rip (The Netherlands)

Network profile

An IAP is an interuniversity network of scientific teams conducting basic research in any scientific domain.

Composition:
Each network comprises at least three partners belonging to different Belgian institutions (universities or federal scientific institutions).
Each network includes at least one partner belonging to each of the two main Belgium’s linguistic communities (the Flemish and the French-speaking Community).
The networks are made up of one or more principal partners and associated partners).
The promoter of a university team acts as co-ordinator for the network.

Budget:
A minimum funding for each network is set at 2.5 million EUR for the 5-year period (minimum 2 million EUR for networks in the human sciences).
The minimum funding over the five years is set at 750,000 EUR for the principal partners and at 375,000 EUR for the associated partners.

European partnership:
The networks have the possibility of developing European partnerships with non-Belgian universities or public research institutions in the European Union

Follow-up:
For each network a Follow-up Committee is formed. This Committee includes, in addition to the project promoters and the programme administrator, at least three experts (external to the network)in charge of monitoring the project from a scientific standpoint.

European partnership

The IAP networks are encouraged to establish contacts and synergies with other European research centres, thereby helping to foster a European Research Area.

Opening of the IAP-programme to European partners
Within the fifth phase, the IAP-networks has developed partnerships with non-Belgian universities or public research institutions in the European Union.
A budget of 2,8 million EUR (2,5 % of the IAP-budget) is covering the participation of European research teams. A total of 48 European partners have been associated to 28 of the 36 IAP-networks with an average budget of 60.000 EUR per European partner.
This collaboration is done on the basis of a 50% co-financing.

Integration into the sixth framework programme
The IAP networks are encouraged to become integrated and participate in the “Networks of excellence”, the “Integrated Projects” and the “Marie Curie Training Research Training Networks” under the European Commission’s sixth R&D framework programme.
A budget of some 400.000 EUR (11.000 EUR per IAP-network) is made available for this purpose.