In Horizon 2020 (the successor to FP7) the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) scheme will be expanded beyond the ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) theme.
FET is a ‘bottom up’ scheme which enables greater freedom to PIs in the research they can propose and is likely to be of particular interest to University PIs. The EC has launched a consultation to invite researchers to propose ideas for the direction of future research under FET e.g. by identifying ‘crucial but underdeveloped scientific/technological domains’, ‘inspiring questions’.
Both ICT and non-ICT researchers should consider responding.
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/fet-proactive/fetconsult2012_en.html