GEAMPEL was recently selected by the European Commission's Framework Programme 7 (FP7) as the country's National Contact Point (NCP) for Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). This development strengthens GEAMPEL's role as a broker for cooperation between Philippine and European Union researchers and experts in the field of ICT.

GEAMPEL's designation as FP7 NCP for ICT was hastened by its participation in the EU-Southeast Asian Cooperation (SEACOOP) Consortium/project which supports the development of Information Society policy dialogues and strengthening cooperation on ICT research between the ASEAN countries and the European Union.

As an FP7 NCP for ICT, GEAMPEL is expected to provide:

• Guidance to local researchers on choosing relevant FP7 thematic priorities and instruments

• Advice on administrative procedures and contractual issues

• Training and assistance on proposal writing

• Dissemination of relevant information and documents (forms, guidelines, manuals etc.)

• Assistance in partner search and matching

Local researchers and constituents will benefit through the FP7 Researchers' Workshops, joining as partners to other proposals, and finding the right partners for their project.

Furthermore, as the FP7 NCP for ICT, GEAMPEL is now a partner in Ideal-IST, itself an FP7-supported project. Ideal-IST is an ICT-partner search network supporting transnational cooperation among ICT NCP's in line with the international cooperation strategy of the European Commission. It currently consists of 67 ICT national partners from EU and Non-EU Countries and aims to improve the overall quality of NCP services across partners in the area of ICT. Philippine researchers, through GEAMPEL, will also benefit in this partnership by having access to networking and training within the NCP members, project partner searching, and other external relations relating to project management and on-going project matching.