Training researchers for the future: Innovative Training Networks (ITN) 2018 Berit Sundby Avset and Per Magnus Kommandantvold 25.09.2017
Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions in Horizon 2020 Career development and training of researchers (not R&I projects) Mobility as the key requirement Open to all domains of research and innovation Entirely bottom-up, you decide topic Annual calls 6.2 billion budget 26.09.2017 3
Deadline: 17. January 2018 Deadline: September 2018 Deadline: March 2018 Deadline: September 2018
ITN
Purpose of ITN: Quality of Research Training Policy objectives: Train a new generation of creative, entrepreneurial and innovative researchers Raise excellence and structure research and doctoral training The right combination of research related and transferable competencies Prepare for careers in both academic and nonacademic sectors 26.09.2017 6
A typical ITN Consortium of organisations from different countries and sectors Propose a joint research training programme Recruit ESRs (early stage researchers) across the consortium each ESR has an Individual Research Project ESRs must comply with the MSCA Mobility Rule max 12 months in the country of their host in the 3 years prior to recruitment. ESRs may come from any country in the world Advanced research skills and transferable skills training local and network-wide Networking events Secondments for each ESR to another sector (academic to non-academic, or vice-versa)
The three ITN modes European Training Network (ETN) European Joint Doctorate (EJD) European Industrial Doctorate (EID) Project duration 48 months Min. 3 beneficiaries 3 countries 3 academic beneficiaries 3 countries 2 beneficiaries 2 countries 2 sectors + Partner organisations from any sector (no min or max) Early stage researchers (ESR) funded 3 to 36 months 15 ESRs (for 36 months) 5 ESRs* /15 ESRs No educational degree required (PhD typical) Joint/Double PhD PhD (50% of time in non-academic sector) * For a two beneficiary project
MSCA ITN 2018 Deadline: 17. January 2018 (provisional) Call opens: Provisional date 12. October 2017 Budget: MSCA-ITN-ETN 375 mill EUR MSCA-ITN-EID 32 mill EUR MSCA-ITN-EJD 35 mill EUR Overall indicative budget 442.00 mill EUR Increase 12 mill EUR WP 2018-2020 publication date after 27. Oct 2017
Two sectors in MSCA Academic Universities/ University Colleges Public Research Organisations Private-Non-Profit Research organisations Non-academic Industry Government/public sector Other UK: 80% of the PhD candidates gets a job in the non-academic sector Norway: 40 % of the PhD candidates plan to look for a job outside research 1 Participation of the non-academic sector is a must! 1 NIFU Rapport 2017:10 26.09.2017 10
Participants in ITNs Beneficiary 1. Beneficiaries recruit and train researchers Beneficiary Coord inator Beneficiary 2. Partner organisations host short secondments and/or contribute to training activities Beneficiary Beneficiary Training Secondments Typical sizes: ETN: 6-10 beneficiaries EID: 2-3 beneficiaries EJD: 4-8 beneficiaries Partner organisations 26.09.2017 11
Consortium Member States (MS) and Associated Countries (AC) can participate as beneficiaries or partner organisations Can have > 1 beneficiary from the same country but: Max 40.00% of the budget can go to one country Non-European countries can be beneficiaries or partners but High income countries (e.g US, Australia and Japan) must be Partner Organisations 26.09.2017 12
Getting the concept right ITN is not a Research Project It is a Research Training Programme 26.09.2017 13
Central quality elements of an ITN Develop a comprehensive programme vision Provide an integrated training and research strategy Consortium and Programme Recruit excellent students and deliver value to them Develop a realistic management, financial and institutional strategy
The ITN project example B3 B4 B5 B2 B6 B1 WP 2 ESR5 ESR1 Joint recruitment strategy and involvement Management ESR6 WP 1 ESR10 ESR2 ESR7 WP 3 Supervisory board ESR9 Consortium meetings Joint training activities Dissemination & communication ESR3 ESR4 ESR8 P1 P2 P3
Recruitment Each beneficiary must recruit at least one ESR EID: at least 50% of time at non-academic host, can be employed separately at each host (aca./nonacad.) Have a recruitment strategy (Charter & Code) Eligibility for ESR Mobility rule (and rules for refugees) NB! 40%-rule
Secondments if added value! ETN: Up to 30% duration of recruitment period EID: A minimum of 50% in the non-academic sector Can be pursued in any country.
Management Grant agreement with EC signed by all Beneficiaries Consortium agreement mandatory for all Beneficiaries. Recommended to include Partners Supervisory board mandatory Representatives of all Beneficiaries and Partner organisations Other stakeholders, optional Best practise: Representation from the ESRs
Award criteria (and structure)
Award criteria for ITN 2018 The award criteria matches the structure of part B of the proposal. Sub-headings in part B help you structure the proposal and add content.
Award criteria for ITN 2018 The award criteria matches the structure of part B of the proposal. Sub-headings in part B help you structure the proposal and add content.
Dissemination and communication Comprehend the difference, and don t confuse them: Dissemination and exploitation is about the results of the action (project), and is targeted at peers. Communication is there to show how the research, training and mobility contribute to «Innovation Union*» goals, and account for public spending. Public outreach is key. Make concrete strategies/plans * http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/index_en.cfm?pg=action-points
Award criteria for ITN 2018 The award criteria matches the structure of part B of the proposal. Sub-headings in part B help you structure the proposal and add content.
Evaluation panels Choose one of the eight panels Chemistry (CHE) Physics (PHY) Mathematics (MAT) Life sciences (LIF Economic sciences (ECO) ICT and Engineering (ENG) Social Sciences & Humanities (SOC) Environment & Geosciences (ENV) All evaluation is carried out remotely Minimum 3 disciplinary experts. Virtual consensus meeting if necessary. ETN Proposals are ranked by disciplinary panel EID and EJD final ranking in separate EID and EJD panels
The money
Financial aspects ITN Simple budget! Two types of unit costs: Researcher unit costs; Institutional unit costs Researcher unit cost (Person/month) Institutional unit cost (Person/month) Living allowance Mobility allowance Family allowance Research, training and networking costs Management and indirect costs 3270 600 500 1800 1200 Living allowance is adjusted by Country Correction Coeficients
Top-up of MSCA-fellows Universities and colleges: Can split recruitment positions to top up (see «Bevilgningsbrev»): Participation in MSCA for institutes triggers support from STIM-EU http://www.forskningsradet.no/no/stimeu/1254000564650 Sending students out? New top-up scheme for outgoing MSCA-fellows («TOPP-UT») http://www.forskningsradet.no/no/utlysning/mscatopput/1254019282871?lang=no
Top-up financing for outgoing MSCA fellows Aim: To stimulate those who have not yet been mobile MSCA Individual fellowship (12-24 months) PhD from Norwegian university MSCA Innovative Training Networks (3 36 months) MSc or similar from Norwegian university Must have spent at least 5 of the previous 8 years in Norway Overseas research grant Country Correction Coefficient (CCC) for host country applies (MSCA Work Programme) Full grant for up to 12 months, 50% for the rest of the time No deadline, remember this top-up must into contract host has with the EC Assessed by the administration Open for contracts signed from 2016 http://www.forskningsradet.no/no/utlysning/mscatopput/1254019282 871?lang=no
Statistics
Success rate # participation in applications Success rates and Norwegian participation 12% Success rate, overall Norwegian applications Success rate, Norway Norwegian participations 350 10% 300 8% 6% 4% 2% 250 200 150 100 50 0% 2014 2015 2016 2017 0
Norwegian scores 2017 60 50 40 30 20 Søknader med norsk deltakelse Norsk koordinator 10 0 <60 60-64,9 65-69,9 70-74,9 75-79,9 80-84,9 85-89,9 90-94,9 >95
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/doc/call/h2020/msca-itn- 2017/1767623-h2020-msca-itn_2017-percentile_en.pdf
Distribution of scores 2017 Alle søknader Søknader med norsk deltakelse Norsk koordinator <60 60-64,9 65-69,9 70-74,9 75-79,9 80-84,9 85-89,9 90-94,9 >95 0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
The project seen from the ESR Personal Career Development Plan Networking through secondments, short visits and consortium-wide joint workshops/summer schools Representation of 1-2 ESRs in the Supervisory board Recruited by beneficiary open process, preferably coordinated at consortium level 3-36 months, max length and PhD-enrolment encouraged Training in transferable skills, at host, at partner organisations, and/or through (annual) consortium-wide workshops Training through research in an individual, personalised project Supervisor at host organisation, (cosupervisor at secondment host if relevant) Seconded to partner or other beneficiary, max 30% of the total recruitment period (ETN) Exposure to (non-) academic sector Must make sense for the training of the ESR
Common pitfalls I Unclear research objectives State of the art/progress beyond poorly explained Lack of inter/multidisciplinarity Gender aspects ignored High complexity of proposal Non-academic sector neglected Proposal not easy to read 40% rule is not respected (eligibility)
Common pitfalls II Training programme is unfocused and not clearly presented Local host training opportunities not used Not using network wide training opportunities Balance between the two Non-academic contribution to the training is poor Transferable skills neglected Risk management neglected Impact section neglected No mention of Personal Career Development Plans
Work Programme 2018-2020
Changes from earlier Work programmes New obligation to cover costs for short secondments (up to 6 months) of researchers in ITN with the Research, Training and Networking costs Stricter requirements for European Joint Doctorates (joint degree always within Europe or with European beneficiary) to avoid out-of-scope fellowships Special needs allowance for disabled researchers as of Q1 2019 Optional introductory training for all MSCA fellows Unit costs and country correction coefficients
Advice I Read the Guide for Applicants and the Work Programme carefully! Describe everything, do not assume that the evaluators knows the system in the participating countries Do you think a heading is irrelevant for your proposal/topic address it anyway! The successful applicants do! Figures/illustrations/ pictures are sometimes better than words and makes reading less boring Webpages! Evaluators are NOT obliged to look at them But they MAY have a peak 40
Advice II Ask someone to do a mock-up evaluation, use the evaluation forms http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/call_ptef/ef/2016-2017/h2020-call-ef-msca-itn-2016-17_en.pdf (From last year look for update) Write part B, leave it for 1-2 weeks, read it carefully again. Are you sure you have explained everything in a clear language that the evaluators will understand in the way they are meant to understand it? Almost 26% of the evaluators are from the nonacademic sector. Will they be pleased? 43% are women 41
Relevant web pages The Research Council of Norway H2020 web page: www.forskningsradet.no/horisont2020 All calls for Horizon 2020 : http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/index.html Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions: http://ec.europa.eu/mariecurieactions EURAXESS: http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/general/index Net4Mobility, web page of the MSCA NCPs http://www.net4mobility.eu/ncp-doc.html and http://mariecurieactions.blogspot.no/ Cordis (funded projects) http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/home_en.html 42
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions in Norway: National Contacts Points: Berit Sundby Avset Division of Science, bsa@rcn.no, ph. 22037015 Per Magnus Kommandantvold Division of Science, pmk@rcn.no, ph. 92247635 @MarieCurie_NCP 43
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