H2020 MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE ACTIONS

Innovative Training Networks (ITN)

Barbara MESTER REA unit A1

Contents 1. What are ITNs?

• ETN • EID • EJD

2. Evaluation Criteria 3. Ethics 4. Tricks and Tips 5. Funding 6. Evaluation

H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016

Work Programme (WP)

Guide for Applicants (GfA)

FAQs

Where to find information?

Participant Portal

http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/topics/msca-itn-2017.html

Schedule

Publication 15 September 2016

Deadline for submission 10 January 2017 at17:00:00 BXL time

Information to applicants June 2017

Indicative date for GA September 2017

What are ITNs?

Excellent science

European Research Council € 13.1 B

Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) € 6.1 B

Future and Emerging Technologies € 2.7 B

European research infrastructures (including eInfrastructures)

€ 2.5 B

Offer excellent and innovative training And career and knowledge exchange

opportunities Trough cross border and cross sector mobility All scientific disciplines possible

65,000 researchers financed (2014-20), including 25,000 PhDs

• Train creative, innovative and entrepreneurial early-stage researchers.

• Raise excellence and structure in doctoral/early-stage research training

• Provide research related and transferable skills relevant for innovation and long term employability

• Incorporate the elements of Open Science

• Improved career perspectives of researchers through international, interdisciplinary, intersectoral mobility

ITN Objectives

Joint research trainings or doctoral programmes implemented by partnerships of academic and non-academic institution

Coordination (supervisory board) and complementarity

ITN scope

Focused on excellent individual scientific projects

Interdisciplinary/Intersectoral/International

Include the meaningful exposure to the non-academic sector (industry and other relevant employment sectors)

Include training modules on transferable skills (communication, teamwork, project management, entrepreneurship, IPR, ethics, standardisation, open access – research collaboration and knowledge sharing…)

ELEMENTS OF TRAININGS - I

Attractive Institutional Environment (working conditions)

Quality Assurance in doctoral education

process related quality: from recruitment to graduation procedures for admission, supervision, awarding the doctorate degree and career development…)

ELEMENTS OF TRAININGS - II

Following links are included in the Work Programme

Principles for innovative doctoral trainings http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/pdf/research_policies/Principles_for_Innovative_Doctoral_Training.pdf

European Charter for Researchers and a Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/rights/whatIsAResearcher

European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity http://www.esf.org/fileadmin/Public_documents/Publications/Code_Conduct_ResearchIntegrity.pdf

Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) cross-cutting issue (engaging society, integrating the gender and ethical dimensions, ensuring the access to research outcomes and encouraging formal and informal science education) http://ec.europa.eu/research/swafs/pdf/rome_declaration_RRI_final_21_November.pdf

IMPORTANT LINKS

Lectures

Digital trainings

Network-wide training activities : summer schools, workshops

Knowledge exchanges: visits and secondments

Invitation of visiting researchers (project related)

Typical activities

ETN EID EJD

European Training Networks

370 M€ ~108 projects

28 M€ ~22 projects

32 M€ ~10 projects

European Industrial

Doctorates

European Joint

Doctorates

ITN implementation modes

Participants implement a joint research programme

Doctoral training with the non-academic sector

Doctoral programme to deliver joint degrees

Research fields chosen freely by applicants (CHE, ECO, ENG, ENV, LIF, MAT, PHY, SOC)

Non-academic sector any entity not included in the academic sector: e.g. large companies, SMEs, NGOs, museums, hospitals international organisations (e.g. UN, WHO)

Academic sector public /private higher education establishments

awarding academic degrees public /private non-profit research organisations

whose primary mission is to pursue research international European interest organisations (e.g. CERN, EMBL)

Two categories of organisations

International networks of organisations involved in research/doctoral training

Standardised legal validation of entities is applied to determine the category of each participant

Who can apply

International organisations (IO) such as the UN or organisations in those Other Third Countries (OTC) not listed in the MSCA Work Programme (i.e. middle/high income third countries) may receive funding only in exceptional cases:

Essential to carry out the action

(e.g. outstanding expertise; access to unique know-how; access to unique research infrastructure; access to a particular geographical environment; access to unique data)

Funding is provided under an arrangement between the

Union and the IO or between the Union and the OTC

Example of OTCs: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia, United States, … International Euroopean Interest Organizations (IEIO) are eligible

IO/OTC funding

Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) ≤ 4 years of research experience no PhD yet Recruitment: 3 to 36 months Recruitment: after the project starts No restrictions based on nationality. Respecting the mobility rule

Who can be recruited?

Who can be recruited

Beneficiary vs.

Signs grant agreement

Recruits and hosts researchers

Claims costs to the EU

Trains/hosts seconded researchers

Participates in supervisory board

Partner Organisation

*

* Flexible recruitment in EID and EJD: an organisation may participate as a beneficiary without recruiting Letters of commintment of partner org. Is mandatory – otherwhise their contribution is disreguarded by the evaluators

Possible roles

European Training

Networks (ETN)

ETN

Beneficiaries

Partner organisations

Participants implement a joint research training programme

Participants implement a joint research training programme

ETN

Eligibility Conditions

Minimum 3 independent beneficiaries from 3 different MS/AC Max 540 person-months Max 40% budget to one country All beneficiaries shall host and supervise recruited researchers

Other features

Each beneficiary recruits and hosts at least 1 ESR Non-academic participation essential PhD enrolment typically expected (not mandatory) Secondments to other countries/sector/disciplines (≤30% time) Joint supervision recommended Partner organisations (any country/sector) Recommended size of consortium 6-10 beneficiaries

Eligibility and other conditions

European Joint

Doctorates (EJD)

Joint PhD

Joint PhD

Joint PhD

EJD

Partner organisations

Universities cooperating to deliver joint/multiple doctoral degrees

Beneficiaries

Joint PhD

Joint PhD

Joint PhD

EJD

Partner organisations

Universities cooperating to deliver joint/multiple doctoral degrees

Beneficiaries

Joint PhD

Eligibility Conditions

Minimum 3 independent beneficiaries from academic sector, from 3 different MS/AC

All 3 beneficiaries must be entitled to award PhDs (e.g. COMUE) Letters of commitment to deliver joint/double/multi degrees Max 540 person-months (e.g. 15 ESRs x 36 months) Max 40% budget to one country All beneficiaries shall host and supervise recruited researchers

Other features

Each ESR enrolled in the joint doctoral programme Joint selection, training and supervision Joint governance structure (legacy)

Non-academic participation through secondments to other sector/disciplines (≤ 30% if not otherwise described in the proposal)

Flexible recruitment rule Typical size 4-8 beneficiaries

EJD Universities cooperating to deliver joint/multiple doctoral degrees

Eligibility and other conditions

Joint degree: single diploma issued by at least 2 academic institutions, and recognised officially

Letters of institutional commitment to deliver degrees

are required in the proposal

Joint PhD

Double/multiple degree: 2 or more separate national diplomas issued by two or more higher education institutions and recognised officially

EJD Universities cooperating to deliver joint/multiple doctoral degrees

European Industrial

Doctorates (EID)

Partner organisations

≥ 50% time for

each ESR

EID Doctoral training with the non-academic sector

Beneficiaries

2 beneficiaries: max 180 PM

NON ACADEMIC SECTOR

Partner organisations

≥3 beneficiaries: max 540 PM

≥ 50% time for

each ESR

NON ACADEMIC SECTOR

EID Doctoral training with the non-academic sector

Beneficiaries

EID Doctoral training with the non-academic sector

Eligibility Conditions

Minimum 2 beneficiaries from 2 different MS/AC 1 academic + 1 non-academic (1 degree-awarding participant) Max 180 person-months (if 2 organisations) Max 540 person-months (if ≥3 organisations) Max 40% budget to one country (if more than 2 beneficiaries – so must

have 3 different countries) All beneficiaries shall host and supervise recruited researchers

Other features Each ESR is ≥ 50% time in non-academic sector, in a different country ESRs must be enrolled in a doctoral programme ESR must be jointly supervised (1 supervisor per sector) Flexible recruitment rule Typical size is 2-3 beneficiaries

Eligibility and other conditions

Publications Peer-reviewed publications must be deposited in open access repositories = Free of charge on-line access Data Pilot on Open research Data: the proposal must contain a data management plan, unless opt out http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/grants_manual/hi/oa_pilot/h2020-hi-oa-data-mgt_en.pdf

Open Access

Evaluation Criteria

Award Criterion Threshold Weight Priority

if ex-aequo

Excellence n/a 50% 1

Impact n/a 30% 2

Implementation n/a 20% 3

Total 70%

Overview of evaluation criteria

Interpretation of scores

Excellent. The proposal successfully addresses all relevant aspects of the criterion. Any shortcomings are minor.

Very Good. The proposal addresses the criterion very well, but a small number of shortcomings are present.

Good. The proposal addresses the criterion well, but a number of shortcomings are present.

Fair. The proposal broadly addresses the criterion, but there are significant weaknesses.

Poor. The criterion is inadequately addressed, or there are serious inherent weaknesses.

The proposal fails to address the criterion or cannot be assessed due to missing or incomplete information.

1

2

3

4

5

0

ITN decimal scores

are used

Structure of proposals

Part A

- structured data -

Part B

- description of action -

Part B

Quality, innovative aspects and credibility of the

research programme (including inter/multidisciplinary

and intersectoral aspects)

Quality and innovative aspects of the training

programme (including transferable skills,

inter/multidisciplinary and intersectoral aspects)

Quality of the supervision (including mandatory joint

supervision for EID and EJD projects)

Quality of the proposed interaction between the

participating organisations

1. EXCELLENCE

Enhancing research- and innovation-related human

resources, skills, and working conditions to realise the

potential of individuals and to provide new career

perspectives

Contribution to structuring doctoral/early-stage research

training at the European level and to strengthening

European innovation capacity, including the potential for:

a) meaningful contribution of the non-academic sector to the

doctoral/research training, as appropriate to the implementation

mode and research field

b) developing sustainable joint doctoral degree structures (for EJD

projects only)

Effectiveness of the proposed measures for communication

and dissemination of results

2. IMPACT

Overall coherence and effectiveness of the work plan,

including appropriateness of the allocation of tasks and resources

(including awarding of the doctoral degrees for EID and EJD

projects)

Appropriateness of the management structures and

procedures, including quality management and risk management

(with a mandatory joint governing structure for EID and EJD

projects)

Appropriateness of the infrastructure of the participating

organisations

Competences, experience and complementarity of the

participating organisations and their commitment to the

programme

3. IMPLEMENTATION

Participants must have adequate operational capacity to carry out the assigned tasks. The aim is to exclude applicants with clearly inadequate infrastructure / resources / supervision capacity Do all beneficiaries have: appropriate premises to host researchers? appropriate staff resources to supervise/train researchers? Where to provide information: Table on "data for non-academic beneficiaries" (Part B, 1st

page). Table on "participating organisations" (Part B5).

Operational Capacity

Ethics Issues

• Each applicant is responsible for:

identifying any potential ethical issues

handling ethical aspects of their proposal

detailing how they plan to address them in sufficient detail

already at the proposal stage.

• The Ethics part of each proposal (part A in SEP, part B section 6)

must be as complete as possible including decription of issues

and arrangements!

Ethics Issues

All proposals considered for funding will be submitted to an Ethics Review

Scientific Integrity

• All applicants are expected to uphold the highest standards of scientific integrity in their proposals / projects

• Any inter-relationship between different participating institutions or individuals must be declared and justified in the proposal

• Plan in proposal for dealing with scientific misconduct (under

"Implementation")

Ethics Issues

Tricks and Tips

1) ITN 2016 Guide for Applicants (GfA): http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/other/guides_for_applicants/h2020-guide-appl16-msca-itn_en.pdf

2) Work Programme (WP):

http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2016_2017/main/h2020-wp1617-msca_en.pdf

3) Frequently Asked Questions:

https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/support/faq.html

Essential readings

Basics

- Read and follow WP and Guide for Applicants

- Meet the minimum eligibility requirements for the mode

- Follow carefully the templates provided

- Check consistency between Part A / B (# fellows-months, #partners, budget -Part A prevails)

- Consider all evaluation criteria

- Avoid vague description (e.g. activities, WP, capacity, …)

- Respect PAGE LIMITS

- Consortium Agreement now mandatory for all modes

- Meet eligibility requirements and recommendations

- If you do not meet recommendations, explain well in the proposal what is the impact on the project

Tricks and Tips

Participants

- Clear evidence of partner organisations' commitment (letters)

- Capacity of the participant to be clearly demonstrated:

Do they have appropriate premises to host researchers? Do they possess appropriate staff resources to supervise/train researchers?

- For EJD, letter of committment to award joint degrees

- Check whether participation of organisations from OTCs is essential – and explain it

Tricks and Tips

Project

- Involvement of non-academic sector

- Pay attention to mandatory requirements of particular modes

- Compliance with ethical principles

- Resubmission (year and acronym) – 3 previous years (2014, 2015, 2016)

- Avoid unclear fellow hosting arrangements

- Ensure clear and detailed scientific deliverables/milestones to allow progress assessment

Some more tips for success….

- Make it easy for the evaluators to find the information in the proposal!!!

- Structure and organize the information well, based on template

- Be precise, less is sometimes more…

- Avoid last minute submission

- Impartial view…ask your colleagues to read it before…

- Remember: No Negotiation Phase! So present something feasible

- "Go / No Go" Evaluation

Tricks and tips

Page limits

• Clearly indicated in Guide for Applicants • Excess pages are disregarded in evaluation

34 pages max

Funding

Funding mechanism

Funding mechanism

• Fully based on unit costs

• Unit cost is a pre-calculated cost for the implementation of the action

• Amounts in EURO per unit cost

• Total = unit costs x number of units

Advantage when applying

• Automated calculation of budget when computing ESR months in your proposal part A

FUNDS

Costs categories

Researcher unit costs Institutional unit costs

Living allowance*

Per month and

unit

Mobility allowance

Per month and

unit

Family allowance

Per month and

unit

Research, training and networking

costs

per unit

Management and indirect costs

per unit

3.110 600 500 1.800 1.200

• Country correction coefficient applies to the living allowance • Researcher Allowances include employer contributions • Researcher Allowances are a minimum to be paid (top-ups from other

sources permitted) • Family allowances are calculated as an average at submission stage

FUNDS

Information in Part A must be the same as the information in Part B

If discrepancy values in Part A will prevail

An error may result into ineligibility

(e.g. max. person months and 40% rule)

average calculation for family allowances

Budget Calculations

Evaluation

Individual Evaluation

Report

Individual Evaluation

Report Individual Evaluation

Report

Consensus group

Consensus Report

Expert Expert Expert

Minimum 3 experts

Individual evaluation

Consensus

Proposal Eligible proposal

Overview of evaluation process

Panel review In Brussels

Remote evaluation approach

Main advantages:

More experts contracted (specific expertise even for only 1 proposal, Non-European experts, easier remote commitment)

Space limitation in Brussels overcome, suitable for large calls with many proposals

Smoother central week (panel review meetings with CVCs only)

Additional quality check of reports compared to previous evaluation approach

Remote evaluation approach