Marie Curie Initial Training Networks Workshop at University of Limerick, 5 June 2008 Dr. Dagmar M....

Marie Curie Marie Curie Initial Training NetworksInitial Training NetworksWorkshop at University of Limerick, 5 June 2008

Dr. Dagmar M. Meyer Marie Curie National Contact Point

www.iua.ie

Thursday, 5 June 2008 An Irish Universities Association Presentation 2

Outline of the presentation

• Introduction to the Marie Curie Initial Training Networks – What are ITNs, who can participate, how

does it work?

• Hints for the proposal preparation– Evaluation process and criteria– Things to keep in mind


Part 1

• Marie Curie Initial Training Networks – Background, budget and general principles– Participants and their roles– Eligible researchers– ITN activities– Financial aspects


People Programme in FP7 (2007 – 2013)

• FP7 overall budget € 48bn

• People (Marie Curie) Programme € 4.727bn– On average € 675m per year (in FP6: € 425m)– Ireland’s success in FP6: € 59m = ~30% of FP6

total for a programme of 9% of total budget

• European Research Council € 7.5bn


Overview of the Marie Curie Actions

Initial training of researchersMarie Curie Initial Training Networks (ITN)

Life-long training and career developmentMarie Curie Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)

European Reintegration Grants (ERG)Co-funding of regional/national/international programmes (COFUND)

Industry-academia pathways and partnershipsMC Industry-Academia Pathways and Partnerships Scheme (IAPP)

International dimensionMC International Outgoing and Incoming Fellowships (IOF / IIF)

MC International Reintegration Grants (IRG)International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES)

Specific actionsResearchers’ Night (NIGHT), other specific actions


Budget breakdown for 2008

Calls on 2008 budget, total € 483.16m : € 6.02 1.2%€ 25m

5.2%

€ 8.1m1.7%

€ 185m38.3% *

€ 75m15.5%

€ 25m5.2%

€ 45m9.3%

€ 7m1.4%

€ 17m3.5%

€ 25m5.2%

€ 65m13.5%

ITN

IEF

ERG

COFUND

IAPP

IOF

IIF

IRG

IRSES

Spec. Act.

Evaluators

* ITNs: plus € 145 m (?) from the 2009 budget


Objectives of the ITNs

• Directed at Early Stage Researchers– Strengthen and structure initial training of

researchers at European level – Attract students to scientific careers– Improve career perspectives by broad skills

development (including private sector needs)


Main features

• International network of participants• Joint Research Training Programme:

– Training through research – Complementary competences modules– Exposure to both public and private sectors

• Industry involvement• Mutual recognition of the quality of the training• Grant agreements with Commission for four

years, max. duration of fellowships 3 years


Research areas

• Bottom-up approach• Evaluation carried out in panels (data 2007):

– Chemistry (13%)– Social and Human Sciences (9%)– Economic Sciences (2%)– Information Science and Engineering (20%)– Environmental and Geo-sciences (10%)– Life Sciences (26%)– Mathematics (3%)– Physics (17%)


Who are the participants?

• Organisations that are actively involved in research and/or research training:– Universities/Institutes of Technology – Private and public research institutes– Companies big and small– International Organisations (CERN, UNESCO, …)– The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre– NGO’s– Etc.


Which countries can they come from?

• 27 Member States (MS)

• 11 Associated Countries (AC) – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Israel,

Switzerland, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Albania, Montenegro

• Third Countries (TC)– More than 140 International Cooperation

Partner Countries (ICPC) – can receive funding– Other Third Countries (OTC) – normally self

funded


Types of ITNs

• No more than 40% of the total EC contribution may be allocated to the benefit of organisations within one country in Multi-site ITNs.

≥3 Participants from 3 different countries (MS or AC)

- Additional Participants: MS, AC, ICPC or OTC*

* Funded only if a special agreement between the country and the EU or in very exceptional cases

Multi-site Multi-site

ITNITN

Country of ParticipantsType of ITN


Types of ITNs

Well-established

transnational collaboration

1 Participant from MS or ACMono-site Mono-site ITNITN

2 Participants from 2 different countries (MS or AC)

Twinning Twinning ITNITN

Country of Participant(s)Type of ITN


Partner status

Level 3Level 3

Level 2Level 2

Level 1Level 1

Members of the Supervisory Board: definition of skills requirements for targeted

researchers

Provide research training, complementary skills courses,

(communication, enterprise cycles, innovation, IPR, …) secondments

Offer research training &recruit eligible researchers

Associated Partners

Full Network Partners


Private sector participation

• At the highest possible level • Expected minimum involvement of industry -

Level 3• Clear evidence of the commitment of

industry to be included in proposal


Eligible researchers

≥ 1 month

Multiple stays

Experienced researchers (experience >> 4 years)

with outstanding stature in international training and collaborative research

Visiting Visiting scientistsscientists(a limited number)

3-24 monthsPhD or at least 4 years of research

experience& Research experience ≤ 5 years

ExperienceExperienced d researchersresearchers

3-36 months0 ≤ Research experience ≤ 4 years

No PhD

Early stage Early stage researchersresearchers(≥ 80%)

Duration of appointments

Eligibility Criteria at the time of recruitment

INIT

IAL T

RA

ININ

GTra

nsfe

r of

NEW

C

OM

PETEN

CES


Transnational mobility

• Researchers can be nationals of any country other than the country of the premises of the host institution

• Nationals of Third Countries can only be recruited by hosts located in MS or AC

• Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of the host for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment

• Special rules in case of: – Dual citizenship– European researcher returning from a third country– Third Country researcher having resided in Europe for a long

time– International organisations as host institutions


Role of visiting scientists

• Complement the network’s capacity to transfer new knowledge

• Strengthen supervision of the network-wide training activities

• Exceptional and duly justified, with explicit reference to the punctual training events he/she will provide or organise

• Reasonable duration of appointment


Typical ITN activities

• Training• Networking• International conferences open to

external researchers


Training activities

• Training on scientific and technological knowledge through research:individual personalised projects within the framework of the research topics defined by the network

• Provision of structured training courses: tutoring, lecture courses, teaching– Available either locally or from another

participant of the network – Local training programmes to be coordinated

to maximise added value


Training activities

• Intersectorial visits and secondments

• Development of network-wide training activities : workshops, summer schools– Exploitation of the interdisciplinary and intersectoral

aspects of the project – Exposure of the participants to different schools of

thought – Provide complementary training in IPR, project

management, presentation skills, language courses, ethics, communication, entrepreneurship, proposal writing, task coordination…

– Coordinated by a clearly identified Supervisory Board


Training activities

• Personal Career Development Plan – For researchers recruited for ≥ 6 months

• Early Post-Docs – Intersectoral or interdisciplinary Transfer of

Knowledge– Taking part in the management of the research

project– Organisation of training events

Training objective: to make them more independent and to provide them with the skills to become team leaders in the near future


Networking activities

• Organisation of scientific/managerial network meetings

• Invitation of external experts• Attendance at international conferences and

workshops• Electronic networking• Collaboration with other ITNs• Organisation of a final network conference


Events open to external researchers

• International conferences, workshops, seminars, summer schools, etc.

• Should provide an opportunity to – exchange knowledge with more experienced

researchers – disseminate the skills and knowledge of the

network


Supervisory Board

• Clearly identified• Ensures that scientific and technological training

is balanced with complementary skills training• Composed of representatives of each of the

participants in the network as well as external representatives

• Industry involvement


Community contribution

• Eligible expenses for the activities carried out by the recruited researchers

Managed by the host institution

Managed by the researchers

Visiting scientists

DParticipation to

training / networking activities

-300€/researcher-month: non laboratory

projects-600€ /researcher-month: laboratory

projects

CCareer

Exploratory allowance

2000€ for each researcher with a stay of at least 1

year

BTravel

allowance

Based on direct

distance between place of

origin and host

institution

A*

Monthly living and mobility allowance

Allowance rates

adjusted by applying a

country correction

factor

ESR and ER

*Budget category, see Work Programme 2008


Living, mobility and travel allowances

• Living allowance (including all mandatory deductions) – basic rate submitted to country-specific coefficient (IE:113.3, UK:109.2, FR:104.4, DE:101.5, ES: 95.5, …)

Experience level Employment contract (€/year) Stipend (€/year)

Early Stage researcher 34,500 17,250

ER with < 5 years exp. 53,000 26,500

Visit. Scient. with up to 10 years exp.

68,900 34,450

Vist. Scient. with >10 years exp. 103,350 51,675

• Mobility allowance (€500/€800 monthly, depending on family situation at recruitment; country coefficient applies)

• Travel allowance (€250 - €2500 every 12 months, depending on distance)


Community contribution

• Eligible expenses for the activities carried out by the host organisations:– Contribution to the research/training/Transfer of Knowledge

programme expenses (E)• Fixed amount of 600€ / researcher-month

– Contribution to the organisation of international conferences, workshops and events (F)

• Fixed amount of 300€ / researcher-day for researchers from outside the network and for the duration of the event

– Management activities (G)• 7% of the total EC contribution for Multi-site ITN• 3% of the total EC contribution for Mono-site and Twinnings ITN

– Overheads -10% of direct costs (except subcontracts) (H)


Indicative timetable for Initial Training Networks

Publication of call 4 April 2008

Submission deadline 2 September 2008

Evaluation of proposals October-November 2008

Evaluation Summary Reports sent to proposal coordinators

January 2009

Invitation for contract negotiations January 2009

Letter to unsuccessful candidates From January 2009

Signature of first Grant Agreements From March 2009


Success rates in first Marie Curie ITN call in 2007

• Stage 1– Proposals submitted: 905 (104 Irish participations in

86 distinct proposals, 14 as coordinators)– Proposals invited to Stage 2: 197 (14 proposals with 1

Irish participant each, none as coordinator)

• Stage 2– Proposals submitted: 196 (14 Irish participations in 14

distinct proposals)– Proposals on the ranked list: 68 (7 proposals with 1

Irish participant each)

• Overall success rate: 7.5 %


More information

Official website of the FP7 “People” (Marie Curie) programme on CORDIS

(information on calls, work programme, guide for applicants, etc.):

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/people/

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/people/


Key contacts

IUA Marie Curie Office – National Contact PointDr. Dagmar Meyer ([email protected])

Dr. Conor O’Carroll ([email protected])

[email protected]

01 676 4948

Enterprise Ireland – National Contact PointFocus on Industry - Bill Kee

[email protected]

01 808 2277

mailto:[email protected]





Part 2

• Hints for the proposal preparation:– Evaluation process and criteria

– Things to keep in mind


Proposal preparation – first steps

• Download all the necessary documentation• Do your homework – background reading!

(Rules of the programme but also some policy background)

• Choose your consortium carefully – what kind of research and training expertise is needed? Exploit complementarities and synergies!

• Establish contacts with chosen partners well ahead of time (financial support for preparatory meetings etc. available from Enterprise Ireland)


Submission procedure

• Only electronic submission using EPSS (Electronic Proposal Submission Service)

• Proposal has two parts:– Part A: administrative information about proposal,

applicant and host institution (prepared forms)– Part B: free text covering a number of predefined

aspects of the project, limited number of pages (prescribed font size and margins), limited size of pdf-file

• Deadline is STRICTLY enforced


Evaluation criteria – basic principles

• Evaluation according to criteria provided in the Guide for Applicants

• Different criteria carry different weights• Thresholds for some evaluation criteria• Overall threshold is 70% • All issues need to be addressed! Competition is

fierce – don’t waste your chances.• Always keep in mind the objectives of the

activity!


Evaluation process

• All proposals undergo initial eligibility check• Evaluation by at least three experts from an international

pool (not all experts are exactly from your field of speciality!!)

• Proposals that miss a threshold are rejected• Remaining proposals are ranked within each panel• All applicants receive evaluation summary report (very

useful for re-submission!!)• Distribution of funding to different panels in proportion to

proposals submitted • Reserve lists in case of late withdrawal etc.


Initial Training Networks – Part B

• Evaluation criteria and thresholds (overall threshold 70%):

criterion weight threshold

S & T Quality 30% 3/5

Training 30% 4/5

Implementation 20% 3/5

Impact 20% none


Initial Training Networks – S&T Quality

• S&T objectives of the research programme, including in terms of inter/multi-disciplinary, intersectoral and/or newly emerging supra-disciplinary fields

• Scientific quality of the research programme• Appropriateness of research methodology• Originality and innovative aspects of the

research programme. Knowledge of the state-of the-art.

• Weight: 30%, Threshold: 3/5


Initial Training Networks – Training

• Quality of the training programme. Consistency with the research programme.

• Complementary skills offered: Management, Grant Writing, Communication, Ethics, Commercial exploitation of results, Research policy, IPR, Entrepreneurship, etc.

• Importance & timeliness of the training needs (e.g. multi-disciplinary, intersectoral and newly emerging supra-disciplinary fields)

• a) For multi-site proposals: Adequate combination of local specialist training with networkwide training activities.

• b) For mono-site proposals: Adequate exploitation of the international network of participants for the training program

• Appropriateness of the size of the requested training programme with respect to the capacity of the host



Initial Training Networks – Implementation

• Capacities (expertise/human resources/facilities/ infrastructure) to achieve research; adequate task distribution

• Appropriateness of industry involvement• Adequate exploitation of complementarities & synergies among

partners in terms of research and training• How essential is non ICPC Third Country participation, if any, to

the objectives of the research training programme• Plans for the overall management of the training programme

(demarcation of responsibilities, recruitment strategy etc)• Networking and dissemination of best practice among partners.

Clarity of the plan for organising training events (workshops, conferences, training courses)



Initial Training Networks – Impact

• Contribution of the proposed training programme to the improvement of the career prospects of the fellows

• Provision to establish longer term collaborations and/or lasting structured training programme between partners' organisations, including private & academic partners

• Where appropriate, justification of the training events open to external participants and their integration in the training programme

• Where appropriate, mutual recognition of the training acquired by multipartner hosts

• Where applicable, relevance of the role of visiting scientist with respect to the training programme.

• Weight: 20%, Threshold: none


Hints for a successful proposal

• Follow the guide for applicants and address all issues mentioned in the explanatory notes

• Plan your writing - focus on one section at a time, but keep the “overall picture” in mind

• Don’t be repetitive – the same issue may appear in various sections, but from different perspectives, so don’t simply cut-and-paste!

• Be concise and observe the page limit



• Stick to the structure suggested in the guide for applicants – keep the evaluators happy!

• The evaluators may not all be world experts in exactly the area of your proposal – avoid using very specific jargon and acronyms

• Provide the evaluators with evidence for your claims, but avoid external resources (links to websites etc.)

• Graphics and charts can be very helpful, but don’t overdo it! Make sure they are readable in black & white.



• Get a colleague to read through your proposal and do a “mock evaluation”

• If in doubt, ask your National Contact Point for clarification!

• If you want to avail of our pre-submission proposal check, allow enough time for feedback.

• Regularly upload preliminary versions of your proposal, and don’t forget to hit “submit”!

• Keep the deadline - 5pm Brussels time means 4pm Irish time!!


And finally….

Good luck!!!

Marie Curie Initial Training Networks Workshop at University of Limerick, 5 June 2008 Dr. Dagmar M....

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