Finding your way in European Research FundingMischa Peters – Grant Office REBO

Friday 21 April 2023

European Research Funding: a broad range of possibilities

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Grant Office REBO

EU funding is complex, since there are many different types of programmes managed by different bodies, covering areas such as:•education•health•consumer protection•environmental protection•humanitarian aid.•research

Two main types of funding

Grants for specific projects, usually following a public announcement known as a 'call for proposals'.

Public contracts to buy services, goods or works to ensure the operations of EU institutions or programmes. Contracts are awarded through calls for tenders (public procurement) and cover a range of areas: studies, technical assistance and training; consultancy, conference organisation, etc.

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POLICY CONTEXT & OBJECTIVES

EUROPE 2020 TARGETS - Strategy for Growth & Jobs1.Employment: 75% of 20- 64 year-olds employed2.R&D / Innovation: investment of 3% EU’s GDP 3.Climate Change & Energy: 20% less emissions, 20% more energy efficiency and 20% of energy renewable4.Education: school drop-outs below 10% and at least 40% 30-40 year-olds completing third-level education5.Poverty/ Social exclusion: at least 20 mln fewer people in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion

HORIZON 2020 STRATEGIC AGENDA 2014-2015Personalising Health & Care

Overcoming the crisis

Energy Efficiency

Waste

Blue Growth Mobility

Sustainable Food Security

Smart cities & communities

Societal Challenges

•Health & Demography•Food & Agro•Energy•Transport•Climate, Resource efficiency & Raw materials•Inclusive, innovative, reflective societies•Secure societies

Industrial Leadership

•ICT•Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology, Advanced manufacturing, Processing•Space•Innovation in SMEs•Access to Risk Finance

Excellence

•ERC•Marie Sklodowska Curie•Future & Emerging Technologies (FET)•Research Infrastructures

STRUCTURE HORIZON 2020

Water innovation

Disaster resilience

Low carbon energy

Digital Security

Funding priorities

2014-2015 (further

elaborated in work

programmes)

Approx. 31.7%

Approx. 22.1%

Approx.

39.1%

HORIZON 2020 – 70,2 bn euro EU financial instrument

2014-2020 to realise these policy objectives

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Research Funding Days 2013

How do I find the right funding for my research??

a couple of questions might guide you:

1. Is you research curiosity driven, very scientific and ground-breaking? Does it include research projects for a number of post-docs and PhD-students?

• If yes: ERC individual grants.

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2. Are you looking for training or expertise which you cannot get at your current institute but which is available at an institute abroad? Do you know a post-doc who would want to spent some time in Utrecht to get additional training or gain additional expertise?

• If yes: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSC) 3. Does your research need large, expensive infrastructures (including

big databases)

• If yes: research infrastructures 4. Is your idea so out of the box and a little bit controversial that you

are unsure whether anybody would be interested in funding it?

• If yes: Future and Emerging Technologies (FET):

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5. Is there a European dimension to your research? Or does your research provide answers to some societal question? Do you have a European consortium, or could you create or find a European Consortium, to collaborate with?

• If yes: work programmes from pillar three: the grand societal challenges.

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Finding your way in the working programmes

1. Check the call topics2. Check the call texts

• Specific challenge• Scope• Expected impact• Type of action

– The research you want to do needs to be the answer to (almost) all the issues mentioned here

Example: Energy Efficiency - Market Uptake

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Research Funding Days 2013

What do you need to know?

• The funding scheme for most types of funding (except Marie Curie) is 100% funding for the direct cost (staff and other costs) and 25% overhead.

• The work programmes are valid for two years so check the call deadline for the topic you are interested in. Some will only open in 2015 (which gives you plenty of time to prepare)!

•You participate on behalf of Utrecht University – make sure you follow the right procedure

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What can you do to increase your changes

Register as an expertIf you register as an expert you have a chance of being selected to assist in the:

• evaluation of proposals• monitoring of actions• preparation, implementation or evaluation of programmes

and design of policies.Do some background researchCheck what the most recently funded projects on the topic are. Check your academic networkIf you want to participate in a European project but do not want to coordinate yourself you will need to find a consortium. Ask around in your academic network to see whether any of your colleagues has plans to start a project.

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Useful documents that might help you

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Research Funding Days 2013

• REBO guide: Finding your way in H2020

• Official EU information: H2020 online manual

• Opportunities for Researchers from the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities (SSH)

What can the Grant Office do for you?

Preparation phase:• Made-to-measure adviseApplication phase:• Support with

• Budget• Management Structure• Consortium selection

• Help with technical issues such as:• Gantt chart, Pert chart• Application tool• Getting all the forms from all your partners

Project phase:• Legal Issues:

• Grant agreement• Consortium agreement

• Project Management:• Overseeing workflow, scheduling, meetings • Preparation of reporting• Financial Administration

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