The FP7 Monitoring system is complementary to existing systems of data collecting and monitoring at operational level and within different DGs. While a substantial part of the report is based on existing material which has been already (at least partially) released, each annual Monitoring Report provides an integrated view on the different strands of FP7 activities.
Compared to the previous Monitoring Reports, this fourth FP7 Monitoring Report presents a number of novelties. New features are:

• Lists of top university participants, top research organisations, top industry participants, and top SMEs;
• Information on the participation to FP7 by European regions including a list of top participating EU27 regions;
• More detailed gender participation statistics;
• Two new 'special focus' topics, namely Information and Communication Technologies and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

 The following selected facts and figures highlight some of the main findings of this report:

• The magnitude of FP7 is illustrated by the impressive participation figures: During the first four years of FP7, 245 concluded calls received more than 77.000 proposals, out of which more than 59.000 – involving a staggering more than 312.000 applicant organisations and individuals – were included in the evaluation procedure, and more than 12.000 – involving more than 69.000 participants – were finally retained for negotiations, with a corresponding requested EU funding of € 20,4 billion. These figures also illustrate the impact of FP7 on the European science system and the European Research Area (ERA). Proposals and applicants had an average success rate of 21% and 22%, respectively.
• On the participation of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), it is estimated that during the first four years of FP7 implementation 16,6% of all participants in signed grant agreements were SMEs.
• On the gender dimension of FP7 participation, it is estimated that 20,3% of contact persons for scientific aspects in FP7 funded projects, 38,3% of Marie Curie fellows and 21,2% of principal investigators under ERC grants are women. A more detailed analysis shows significant variations among the different thematic areas of FP7 as well as among the EU Member States.
• The significant international dimension of FP7 is illustrated by the fact that during its first three years it will fund projects with participant organisations from as many as 169 countries. Outside the group of EU and Associated Countries the biggest participants are the USA, China, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, India, and Ukraine.
• On the redress and ethical review procedures, out of the 2.105 requests for redress received, only 30 led to a re-evaluation, whereas 1.078 ethical reviews were organised so far with no project having been stopped.

Source: EC DG Research and Innovation