This Frequently Asked Question page provides answers to popular questions about the Next Generation Internet (NGI).
NEXT GENERATION INTERNET INITIATIVE – NGI OVERVIEW
The Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative aims to shape the development of the Internet of tomorrow into an Internet of humans that responds to people’s fundamental needs, including trust, security and inclusion, and reflects the values and the norms that we enjoy in Europe.
The NGI initiative aims to build the key technology blocks of a human-centric Internet, which gives end-users full control of their personal data. Through advanced technologies, new decentralised business and social models will ensure secure and trustworthy access for all.
The mission of NGI is to re-imagine and re-engineer the Internet. The information age should enable human potential, mobility and creativity in an inclusive way – while dealing responsibly with our natural resources.
The Next Generation Internet – An Open Internet Initiative (NGI), is a key priority in H2020 ICT work programme 2018-2020 (WP2018-20) which includes calls covering eight technology oriented topics with an agile and dynamic approach to Research and Innovation in the Internet.
NGI uses cascading grants to support individual teams of researchers or startups in short research cycles with a clear aim to quickly bring research results to the market.
The EC’s ‘NGI Key Priority’ covers additional related topics beyond the NGI Initiative in the areas of Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Future media, Interactive technologies, Language technologies and inclusion.
For more information, consult the NGI Brochure.
NGI proposes a new approach to Internet research and innovation with agile and dynamic cascading grants. Researchers and innovators can apply for funding in any technology area under NGI:
- Technologies improving search and discovery: NGI Zero Discovery
- Privacy-enhancing technologies: NGI Zero PET
- Better data governance: LEDGER
- Privacy & trust enhancing technologies: NGI Trust
- Data Portability and Services: NGI DAPSI Data Portability and Services Incubator
- Self-Sovereign Identity: NGI eSSIF-Lab Business and Infrastructure
- NGI architects to change the underlying fabric of the Internet and the Web: NGI Pointer
- NGI experiments together with US teams: NGI Atlantic.eu
- Federated testbeds for NGI Innovators: Fed4FIRE+
NGI builds on Coordination and Support Actions to ensure synergies across all stakeholders, with a focus on:
- Outreach, community building, business acceleration
- Policy and strategic programming
- EU-US collaboration
The NGI initiative is supported by five ongoing Coordination and Support Actions:
- NGI4ALL, coordinates the NGI Outreach Office (NGIO)
- Think Nexus, aims to reinforce EU-US collaboration, through its dedicated Think Tank
- NGI Explorers, conducts missions to the USA for Top European Researchers & Innovators
- NGI Forward sets out a strategy as well as a policy and research agenda
- Tetra is the business accelerator for NGI
Funding
Horizon 2020 list of countries and applicable rules for funding document is available at:
https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/other/wp/2018-2020/annexes/h2020-wp1820-annex-a-countries-rules_en.pdf.
UK Participation in Horizon 2020 from 1 February, 2020
The Withdrawal Agreement provides for the implementation of Union programmes and activities committed under the MFF for the years 2014-2020 and previous financial perspectives. As a consequence, UK entities remain eligible for grants and procurement procedures as if the UK was a member state for the entirety of the Horizon 2020 framework programme and previous framework programmes. This also applies to financial support to third parties according to Article 204 FR (cascading grants), and applies for the duration of H2020 projects.
Further information: https://www.ukri.org/research/international/ukri-eu-exit/
Questions related to the general funding:
Contact the ICT National Contact points in your country: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/support/national_contact_points.html
You should note that the implementation of the NGI projects using cascading grants establishes two types of beneficiaries:
- Those running the R&I Actions (NGI centres) who will set the research agenda for the topic and will launch the calls for third party projects
- The third parties (sub-grantees) who will implement the research. Here there is a focus on top researchers, hi-tech startups and SMEs who have the capacity to set the course of Internet evolution.
Access the open calls here: ngi.eu/opencalls
