Can I participate in FP7 if I am based in Australia?

Organisations and researchers from more than 100 countries all over the world are already involved in EU research programmes. The European international cooperation policy has three objectives:

  • To support European competitiveness through strategic partnerships with third countries in selected fields of science and by engaging the best third country scientists to work in and with Europe.
  • To enhance the production of knowledge and scientific excellence by enabling European universities, research institutions and firms to establish contact with their partners in third countries, thereby facilitating access to research environments outside Europe and promoting synergies on a global scale.
  • To address specific problems that third countries face or that have a global character, on the basis of mutual interest and mutual benefit.

Participation is open to international organisations and legal entities established in third countries after the minimum conditions laid down in the ‘Rules for participation’ have been met, as well as any conditions specified in the specific programmes or relevant work programmes:

General minimum conditions
3 independant legal entities from different Member State or Associated Countries
Specific conditions
Ideas: for frontier research actions of the ERC the minimum conditions for participation is at least 1 entity established in a Member State or Associated Country.
Coordination and Support Actions (only CSASA) and actions involving the training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie), the minimum conditions for participation is at least 1 entity from a Member State or Associated Country.

Further details

Participation in indirect actions shall be open to international organisations and legal entities established in third countries provided that the minimum conditions laid down in this Chapter are met, as well as any conditions laid down in the specific programmes or relevant work programmes.
Rules for participation, Article 11, International organisations and legal entities established in third countries

At least 3 legal entities must participate in FP7 actions, each of which must be established in a Member State or Associated Country, and no two of which may be established in the same Member State or Associated Country; and all 3 legal entities must be independent of each other. However, in some cases these minimum conditions can be met with the participation of fewer participants established in a Member State or with other conditions set in the relevant work programme.
Rules for participation, Article 5, Minimum conditions.

For indirect actions to support ‘frontier’ research projects funded in the framework of the European Research Council, the minimum condition shall be the participation of one legal entity established in a Member State or in an Associated Country.
Rules for participation, Article 9, ‘Frontier’ research projects.

For coordination and support actions, and actions in favour of training and career development of researchers, the minimum condition shall be the participation of one legal entity. The first paragraph shall not apply in the case of actions whose purpose is to coordinate research activities.
Rules for participation, Article 8, Coordination and support actions, and training and career development of researchers.

Countries participating in FP7:

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