The European Commission has announced the date of the opening of the first calls for proposals under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

With FP7 reaching the end of its adoption process (the European Parliament expected to give its green light on 30 November), the European Commission has announced 22 December as the day when the first calls for proposals will open.

The EU plans to invest over € 9 billion in research on information and communications technologies (ICTs). This is, by far, the largest single budget item in Europe's 7th research framework programme that will run until 2013 - a priority set by the EU, acknowledging the importance of ICTs for Europe's growth and competitiveness.

Genetic medicine promises a revolution in health care. But major obstacles remain, not least the complexity of extrapolating clinical practice from organic molecules. But the INFOBIOMED team hopes to link biological and medical informatics in a bid to make genetic medicine a reality.

An Israeli researcher has been awarded a grant of € 1.73 million by the EU under its Marie Curie Excellence programme for the development of an 'electronic nose' that can sniff out cancer.

On 16 November the European Commission launched 30 new eTen projects which will run over the next 3 years. These will validate and deploy electronic services in the public interest serving European citizens and businesses in areas including eHealth, eGovernment, eLearning, eInclusion, SME support, and Trust and Security.

The European Parliament's Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE) has adopted, in a second reading, a set of comprise amendments on the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), which were agreed upon in informal meetings with the Council.

A new section on local support networks for prospective participants in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) is now available on CORDIS, the EU's official information service on research, technological development and innovation.