Active within the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7),
the 'People' Specific Programme, entirely dedicated to
human resources in research, has a significant overall budget
of more than € 4,7 billion over a seven year period until 2013,
which represents a 50% average annual increase over FP6.

The 'People' Specific Programme acknowledges that one of the
main competitive edges in science and technology is the quantity
and quality of its human resources. To support the further
development and consolidation of the European Research Area,
this Specific Programme's overall strategic objective is to make
Europe more attractive for the best researchers.

The 'People' Specific Programme is implemented through the
so-called Marie Curie actions under five headings:

    'Initial training of researchers to improve mostly young
researchers' career perspectives in both public and private
sectors, by broadening their scientific and generic skills,
including those related to technology transfer and entrepreneurship.
    'Life-long training' to support experienced researchers in
complementing or acquiring new skills and competencies or in
enhancing inter/multidisciplinarity and/or intersectoral mobility,
in resuming a research career after a break and in (re)integrating
into a longer term research position in Europe after a trans-national
mobility experience.
    'Industry-academia pathways and partnerships' to stimulate intersectoral
mobility and increase knowledge sharing through joint research partnerships
in longer term co-operation programmes between organisations from academia
and industry, in particular SMEs and including traditional manufacturing industries.
    'International dimension', to contribute to the life-long training and career development of EU-researchers, to attract research talent from outside Europe and to foster mutually beneficial research collaboration with research actors from outside Europe.
    'Specific actions' to support removing obstacles to mobility and enhancing the career perspectives of researchers in Europe.

As of March 2011, the EURAXESS Service Centre Croatia also houses the National Contact Points for the 'People Specific Programme'. Further information on the Marie Curie Actions, upcoming calls and information days is available in Croatian.

If you wish to find your own National Contact Point, click here.

To find out more about the 'People Specific Programme', click here or visit CORDIS - the FP7 portal.

For any other information, contact us.