HERA Joint Research Programme

Cultural EncountersInformation Sessions

Lucy ParnallAHRC

Joint Research Programme Key Facts

• Pooling national and European funding: research funding organisations in 18 countries and the European Commission

• 18,5 M € available for Humanities-led research in “Cultural Encounters”

• Supporting excellent collaborative research projects (CRP)

• Supporting knowledge exchange with non-academic audiences

• 2 stage assessment with Outline Proposals

• 1 Handling Agency for the centrally managed selection process: European Science Foundation

HERA JRP timeline

9 Feb 2012 Launch of the Call for Outline Proposals4 May 2012 Deadline for the submission of Outline

ProposalsJun 2012 Review Panel: selection of Outline ProposalsJul 2012 Invitation for the submission of Full ProposalsOct 2012 Deadline for the submission of Full ProposalsOct-Nov 2012 Peer review of Full ProposalsDec 2012 Rebuttal by applicants – PI response (one

week) Jan 2013 Review Panel: ranking of Full ProposalsFeb 2013 HERA JRP Board meeting: funding decisionsFeb-Jun 2013 Contract negotiations Jun 2013 Start of Collaborative Research ProjectsJun 2016 End of Collaborative Research Projects

Assessment Process– 1st stage: Outline Proposals

• Outline Proposals are evaluated by the international Review Panel;

• Shortlisted applicants are invited to submit Full Proposals.

– 2nd stage: Full Proposals• Each Full Proposal is evaluated by at least three external

expert referees;• Rebuttal by applicants (PI response): applicants are invited

to submit comments on referee evaluations• The international Review Panel evaluates and ranks Full

Proposals• The HERA JRP Board makes final funding decisions

Eligibility• Proposals must follow the prescribed format and be

submitted before the deadline of 4 May 2012, 14:00 CET/13:00 GMT

• At least 3 eligible researchers (Principal Investigators) in 3 participating countries:

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden and United Kingdom

• Maximum budget per CRP: € 1M

• Maximum project duration: 36 months

• All applicants and budget items must be eligible according to the National Eligibility Rules (see www.heranet.info)

Principal Investigators• At least three PIs from three participating countries in

a project. • Each PI leads research activities at his/her institution.• One of the PIs also functions as the Project Leader (PL)

of the project.• There can be more than one PI from the same country

in one proposal (provided they are based at different institutions).

• Only one PI from the same institution in one proposal.• You may act as PI in more than one proposal.• You must meet AHRCs criteria of Principal Investigator

Project Leader (PL)• PL is a senior researcher with a solid experience of

managing collaborative research projects.• PL submits the proposal on behalf of the whole project

team. • PL is the contact point between the Handling Agency

and other Principal Investigators.• You may act as PL in one proposal only.

If the funding is granted, the PL host institution will:• distribute the funds to other PI’s host institutions;• take responsibility for proper financial management of

the grant; • take responsibility for all reporting duties.

Other Staff - UK– Co-Investigator– Research Assistant– PhD Students (must be complementary but stand

alone)– Other staff as needed eg co-ordinator/admin

support– Co-I’s etc can not be listed as investigators in

application form but can be mentioned in text– Academic staff must meet AHRC’s eligibility criteria

Non Academic Partner• Non-academic APs – stakeholders in the cultural,

heritage or educational sector, media, or creative industries, who may provide significant added value and valuable insights to the project from the user’s perspective.

• APs are encouraged to participate in an advisory and collaborative capacity to help explore the knowledge exchange potential of the proposed research.

• Time of APs must be self-funded; only their travel and subsistence costs can be covered from the project budget.

Outline Proposals - Application Format

• Your application must be written in English.

• Access the online application system via the link on www.heranet.info and enter the following details:– Proposal title, acronym, keywords and abstract;– Contact details of the applicants.

• Upload the filled out application template containing:– A short description of the project; – CVs of the Principal Investigators;– Estimated budget in Euros;– Letters of commitment from non academic Associated

Partners, if applicable.

Short Description of CRP (Max 2000 Words)

• What research question(s) does the CRP seek to answer?• In what way is the project original and/or innovative? • What are the objectives of the CRP? • By what methods will the research question(s) be tackled?• How are the skills of the partners complementary?• What is the added value in tackling your research question(s) from

a trans-national perspective? • How will partners work together? What management and

coordination structures are proposed? • What is the significance of the research question(s)? How will

these contribute to the “Cultural Encounters” theme?• What is the potential impact of the proposed research to both

academic disciplines, and relevant stakeholders and user communities?

• How will the CRP engage in knowledge exchange or active dissemination engaging user communities and audiences outside academia?

Finances• Each partner costs on their own rules; no matter

the country is ‘leading’• For UK follow FeC rules• Budget must be in Euros• Outline budget is an estimate; can change• For budget table:– Enter in 80% Figure (except students)– Combine estates and indirects for the overheads line– For students – enter 100% of costs stated in guidance (do

not count towards researcher FTE)

Outline Proposal Assessment Criteria

• Potential for research excellence

• Novelty and originality of research

• Qualification of the applicants and coordination structures proposed

• European added value of collaboration

• Relevance to the theme “Cultural Encounters”, including potential impact of the proposed research beyond academia

What to do to succeed• Read all the guidance documentation published on the

HERA website www.heranet.info.• Verify the eligibility of the applicants and budget items

according to the National Eligibility Rules.• Contact the HERA office, your research office or your

National Contact Point, if you have questions.• Make sure you understand the evaluation criteria. • Describe your project idea (incl. objectives, methodology,

collaboration and potential impact) within the given space of 2000 words!

• Don’t forget why does your project fit ‘Cultural Encounters’• Arrange face-to-face meetings with your project partners

when writing the proposal to ensure coherency of ideas. • Use clear and straightforward language.• Upload your proposal well ahead of the submission

deadline!

Relevant documents

• Call for Proposals• National Eligibility Rules• FAQ• Glossary• Application template

All documents are available online at www.heranet.info

Who to contact? Application Process etc

Julia Boman hera@esf.org

UK Eligibility QueriesLucy Parnall l.parnall@ahrc.ac.uk

Kelly Sidgwick k.sidgwick@ahrc.ac.uk

Thanks to Julia Boman at ESF for draft slides