ERA-IB seeks innovative R&D proposals

Today (March 1) the ERA-NET ‘Towards an ERA in Industrial Biotechnology’ (ERA-IB) opened its call for proposals for innovative industrially-relevant research and development and applied research projects, and is offering grant funding of up to €300,000 per company, per project.

The topic area of the new ERA-IB call, its third, is ‘Industrial biotechnology for Europe: An Integrated Approach’.

Funding is available for projects covering one or more of the following topics:

• Improved enzyme systems for new and more efficient bioprocesses
• Improvement of microorganisms by metabolic engineering and synthetic and systems biology approaches
• Innovative down-stream processing
• Innovative fermentation and bio-catalytic processes, e.g. for platform chemicals, including bio-monomers, oligomers and polymers
• Biological processing (including separation and conversion) of biomass, including from side streams, and other renewable carbon sources into value added products
• New valuable products by plant and animal cell cultures

Project pre-proposal documentation must be submitted by 30 April with full proposals ready by 31 July. Projects, which are expected to start in early 2013, must have a minimum of three and a maximum of eight participants from a minimum of three ERA-IB partner countries.

For further information and details of how to apply please visit the call pages of the ERA-IB website or contact the ERA-IB secretariat.

Complementary collaboration
ERA-IB is a network of organisations from 16 countries working to reduce the fragmentation of national research in the area of industrial biotechnology. ERA-IB closely collaborates with SusChem and advocates using the SusChem Brokerage Database to find potential partners for project collaboration.

The two organisations are highly complementary with SusChem taking the lead in defining the strategic research priorities relevant for the European industry, while ERA-IB focuses on enhanced synergy and cooperation between national research programmes and strategies. The initiatives complement each other in objectives and activities and both are essential for the development of a strong European Research Area in Industrial Biotechnology.