FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Overview
- Which data is processed by FP7-4-SD.eu?
- How often is the data on FP7-4-SD.eu updated?
- How long will the monitoring system be available?
- Where do I find the recent facts and trends of FP7 and the EU SDS?
- Which FP7-4-SD.eu data can I download and process for my own analyses?
- Which aspects of sustainable development are covered by FP7-4-SD.eu?
- Why do I have to register to use the FP7-4-SD.eu database?
- Which technical requirements have to be met if I want to use FP7-4-SD.eu?
- How will my feedback on the expected impacts of FP7 be processed?
- Your question has not been answered here?
Which data is processed by FP7-4-SD.eu?
The monitoring system is based on the annual Work Programmes of the 7th EU Framework Programme (FP7) and on the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (EU SDS). It contains screening information on the expected impacts of all topics published so far in the annual SP ‘Cooperation’ Work Programmes that was put together by a team of experts from various disciplines. In addition to the core data of the monitoring system, the information on FP7 research projects is transferred from CORDIS into FP7-4-SD.eu thus facilitating the analyses based on number of projects, participants and budgets.
The regional analyses presented in the Geographical View are also based on CORDIS data. However, two limitations have to be noted in this regard: first, projects participations of research organisations having their research units distributed among different regions of a country are usually allocated to the headquarter region (even if the project is actually carried out by a research team allocated in another part of the country). Second, in case the NUTS 2 code of a project participant is not available, the project participation is allocated to the capital region.
How often is the data on FP7-4-SD.eu updated?
FP7-4-SD.eu will be updated in four cases:
- When a new FP7 Work Programme is published, the topics will be screened and the results will be available within 2-3 months.
- The project data from CORDIS is transferred twice a year
- New policy briefs will be published every three months
- The software (i.e. the interactive database) will be developed further and new features will be added throughout the project duration.
Please see the news section for an overview of the latest updates of monitoring data and the software of FP7-4-SD.eu
How long will the monitoring system be available?
FP7-4-SD.eu will be online at least until the end of 2015.
Where do I find the recent facts and trends of FP7 and the EU SDS?
You will find the latest analysis of the 7th EU Framework Programme and the impacts it has on selected objectives of the EU SDS in the news & results section. This section contains condensed data prepared by the research team and approved by DG Research and Innovation as official monitoring results in the form of policy briefs.
Which FP7-4-SD.eu data can I download and process for my own analyses?
You can download all the policy briefs, which are official monitoring results. In addition, you can use the database section facilitating customised analyses, applying expert filter options, and sending the resulting graphs and tables to your email address. These individual analyses are working documents only and are not authorised for any publication. If you want to obtain approved data for official publications please get in touch with the project team using the contact form.
Which aspects of sustainable development are covered by FP7-4-SD.eu?
The main focus of FP7-4-SD.eu is to show the potential impacts of FP7 on the Key Challenges and Operational Objectives of the renewed EU Sustainable Development Strategy (EU SDS) from 2006. Therefore, the EU SDS was taken as a referential framework for FP7-4-SD.eu and transformed into a comprehensive list of objectives. However, in order to ensure flexibility, this referential framework was expanded in two ways:
- For each of the seven Key Challenges an additional category (“other impacts on this Key Challenge”) was introduced in the referential framework to incorporate additional impacts that are clearly related to a particular EU SDS Key Challenge, but not covered by the respective Operational Objectives (such as the issues of food safety & security or transport safety, research contributing to the knowledge base e.g. on climate change, etc.).
- In addition to the seven EU SDS Key Challenges, an additional (eighth) category was introduced (“additional SDS objectives”) containing a number of objectives that are not considered in the EU SDS, but are included in national SD strategies (NSDS), such as ‘Sustainable regional development’, ‘Sustainable tourism’, ‘SD governance’ or ‘Public security & protection’. By including these additional objectives, the monitoring system allows to not only monitor the contribution of FP7 to the EU SDS, but also to the most common objectives stated in national SD strategies.
The monitoring system focuses only on the objectives stated in the EU SDS. Therefore interactive analyses cannot provide information on thematic areas which have not been included in the screening and validation of data.
Why do I have to register to use the FP7-4-SD.eu database?
FP7-4-SD.eu offers tools for interactive analyses for all registered users, allowing customised analyses, applying expert filter options, and downloading the resulting graphs and tables. Registered users may submit their feedback on screening results, enter their opinion on the expected impacts and explain on which sources or evidence their expectations are based on. To enter into a high level discussion, we ask you to enter your name and organisation. In order to improve the functionality of the database and adapt it to the needs of its users, we track the analyses you use, the filter options you prefer and the graphs and tables that are downloaded the most. This information is kept in strict confidentiality and is only analysed in an aggregated and anonymous form.
Which technical requirements have to be met if I want to use FP7-4-SD.eu?
FP7-4-SD.eu is a web application and has been tested with Internet Explorer (versions 6, 7 and 8) as well as with the latest versions of Mozilla Firefox, Chrome and Safari (please use one of these browsers to ensure proper operation). If you want to register and/or login to FP7-4-SD.eu, your browser has to accept session cookies. To use the advanced features of FP7-4-SD.eu, it is recommended to enable JavaScript (although you can also use the available Views without JavaScript).
How will my feedback on the expected impacts of FP7 be processed?
You can use the feedback function to enter your opinion on the expected impacts of the displayed topic and explain on which sources or evidence your expectations are based on. All feedback will be analysed by the team of FP7-4-SD.eu on a monthly basis and topics, areas or objectives with a high number of feedback will be discussed and their screening results eventually revised. In case a high number of experts raise opposing opinions we will consider starting a discussion forum or getting back to the concerned users individually. Please understand that due to the limited time and budget, we will not be able to enter into an exhaustive dialogue with all of the users or debate over your feedback individually.
Your question has not been answered here?
Please use the Contact section to send your question to the FP7-4-SD.eu team.