Clusters and their rationale

1. Clusters and their rationale • “Clusters” are simply projects grouped by theme, in order to have a greater impact • While each project is typically multi-sided, and can indeed have a substantial effect • Bringing several projects together around the same theme can result in a much stronger impact • Both scientifically • And for policy • Gives multiple perspectives on problems,one of the great strengths of European-level research in our field • Building the European Research Area • A cluster of 12 projects has ±100 partner institutions

2. The development of the clusters (1) • The projects of each programme (e.g. FP5) are grouped, but also draw on relevant projects from overlapping programmes (e.g. FP4, FP6) • Grouping: • Both bottom-up - “natural” clustering, in terms of problems being addressed • Top-down - according to the importance of the problems for policy

3. Key Action clusters (FP5)

4. Development of the clusters (2) • Different levels – often below the level shown • A range of possibilities: • At its most banal, the results of the projects are simply presented side-by-side • But it can go right up to engaging someone/group to animate a cluster, getting projects to engage with each other • Compare findings, methodologies, data issues, theoretical/conceptual approaches • Complementary • Country coverage • Sectoral coverage • Methodologies (quantitative/qualitative, …)

5. A real example,from 4th Framework Prog. (TSER) • ‘Unemployment, Work and Welfare’ cluster (UUWCLUS) • 14 projects, coordinated by D. Gallie • Concluding dialogue workshop on labour market activation policies • Attended by Social Protection Committee (member state representatives) • Sessions chaired by managers from DG Employment and Social Affairs • Strong conclusions, based on high quality comparative research, ranging from psychology to large quantitative analyses • Critique of existing and emerging policies: incentivisation of the unemployed, activation policies, workfare • Book, ‘Resisting Marginalization: Unemployment Experience and Social Policy in the European Union’, ed. D. Gallie, Oxford UP, 2004 • Other clusters undertaken: innovation, education & training, social exclusion, families & welfare (FP4 & FP5)

6. From FP4 to FP6 - ‘Citizens and governance in a knowledge-based society’ • The thematic structures of the programmes have changed • In FP5, topics more intertwined than the TSER, which had a tree structure • Reflecting the greater ambition and the complexity of the problems in society • Each project usually in more than one cluster • FP6: major build-up of governance, citizenship, identity, etc., further attempts at addressing more complex problems: e.g. socio-economic development models, knowledge in society • ‘New instruments’ introduced • Some of these, particularly some NoE’s, have a number of similarities with the clusters and involve a very large number of partners, 35-50 • Though not all appear to have quite the same ambition in policy terms, though they often do in scientific terms • In our FP6 Work Programme 2004-06: a budget of €3M to develop clusters, using calls for tender • Mainly Key Action projects, but not only … • We are very much open to ideas, and encourage you to send any ideas for clustering or their development to us

7. Resources • On our Web site: http: //www.cordis.lu/citizens/home.html • Database of projects - searchable, with links • http://improving-ser.sti.jrc.it/default/ • The clusters in the structure shown here available there (Key Action) • Links to existing cluster Web sites (TSER), e.g. • http://www.nuff.ox.ac.uk/projects/UWWCLUS/ • http://www.tcd.ie/erc/infowork/