Guidelines for applicants responding to the Call for Proposals for EU-RU Working Visits issued by the RUSERA-EXE project http:// These Guidelines apply to the RUSERA-EXE Call on working visits of European researchers to Russian research organizations Deadline for submission of proposals: 31 st October 2007 RUSERA-EXE is funded by the European Commission from FP6/INCO (01.01.07-31.12.08). RUSERA-EXE is coordinated by the Association for Engineering Education of Russia (AEER), Russia. FFG/Austrian Research Promotion Agency, Austria and EKT/National Documentation Center, Greece, are the partners. For further information, please visit us on the web: or email to: eucall.rusera-exe@ffg.at
Contents: 1. INTRODUCTION 3 Aims of the RUSERA-EXE Call for working visits 3 2. CONTENT OF THE CALL 5 2.1. General aspects 5 2.2. Eligibility 6 3. EVALUATION 7 4. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 9 Page 2 of 9
1. Introduction These guidelines explain the principles and rules of the RUSERA-EXE Call for proposals for Working Visits to be funded under the RUSERA-EXE Project (FP6-INCO-043701). The guidelines include the aims, content and the scope of RUSERA-EXE working visits, the overall time schedule for the implementation and the deadline for submitting a visit, the maximum funding available for one visit, the eligibility and evaluation criteria, the forms to be used for applying and reporting about RUSERA-EXE working visits and the payment procedures. One of the objectives of European R&D Programmes is the development and transfer of research competencies, the consolidation and widening of researchers career prospects and the promotion of excellence in European research. Mobility of researchers has always been fundamental to successful cooperation in science. To excel, scientists need the freedom to work with colleagues elsewhere. Aims of the RUSERA-EXE Call for working visits The strategic objectives of the RUSERA-EXE Project are to enhance the participation of research organisations from Russia in the European Research Area and to increase cooperation between Russian and European researchers through long lasting researcher-to-researcher cooperation. A limited number of working visits of Russian researchers to European research organisations and working visits of European researchers to Russian research organizations will be selected and funded by the RUSERA-EXE Project in order to create long lasting researcher-to-researcher partnerships. These guidelines apply to European researchers visiting Russian RTD organizations and research teams. In this context, the present RUSERA-EXE call offers the opportunity to individual researchers from a European Member State to apply for a stay of 10 working days with a research team in the Russian Federation. The working visit should enable both organizations and researchers involved to establish a lasting cooperation. The visit should thus be used to carry out joint scientific work, to exchange and share research activities and to plan a future joint proposal in FP7 (or targeting another European or bilateral RTD funding source), a joint publication in a scientific magazine, a joint paper presentation at a specific RTD conference, any other type of RTD cooperation which offers long term prospects (a joint summer school, a joint seminar/workshop etc). Page 3 of 9
As RUSERA-EXE is a project funded by FP6/INCO, the research areas of the future cooperation should be in the scope of FP7. Please consult the following brochure to know more about the scientific areas addressed by FP7: http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7/pdf/fp7-factsheets_en.pdf The efficient use of existing EU-RU funding mechanisms for establishing a long-lasting RTD cooperation will be considered and is recommended. For getting consultancy and support beyond these guidelines, please visit http:// or contact: Ms. Petra Reiter Austrian Research Promotion Agency European and International Programmes Unit for International Cooperation and Mobility 1090 Vienna, Austria email: eucall.rusera-exe@ffg.at Phone: +43 5 7755 4605 Fax: +43 5 7755 9 4605 http://www.ffg.at Page 4 of 9
2. Content of the Call 2.1. General aspects Purpose: The objective of the call is to enable scientists from the EU (Member States) and Russia to build a long lasting EU-RU RTD cooperation and to share expertise by carrying out working visits. The visits are in general expected to be carried out in a unilateral way; mutual visits are not required. Duration: A RUSERA-EXE working visits has a duration of 10 days (working days). Topic of the working visit: The scientific theme of the future RTD cooperation, which is established by the RUSERA EXE Working visit, should refer to FP7. For more information, please visit: http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7/pdf/fp7-factsheets_en.pdf Target countries: Russian researchers are enabled to visit a RTD organization located in one Member State of the European Union and European researchers are enabled to visit a RTD organization located in the Russian Federation. Funding: RUSERA-EXE working visits cover the following expenses: travelling (flight and railway tickets); lodging; visa expenses (up to a maximum of 2.500 Euro per EU researcher). Proposal language: The proposals for RUSERA-EXE working visits must be prepared in English. Deadline: Proposals must be submitted by 31 st October 2007 to the RUSERA-EXE consortium (email: eucall.rusera-exe@ffg.at). Implementation of visits: The visits should be carried out between January and April 2008. The visits should foresee a concrete follow-up, which leads to a long lasting researcher-to-researcher partnership. Results: Tangible and concrete results of the working visit (joint FP7 project proposal planned/submitted, joint paper presented, article published, etc.) should be presented to the RUSERA- EXE consortium up the end of October 2008. Reporting: The period to be covered by the reporting starts by 1 st January 2008 and ends by 31 st October 2008. Contracts will be made for a max. of 10 months. All contracts will end by 31 st October 2008. Payment of the grant (max. 2500 EUR) will take place in 3 instalments: 70% in advance (max. 1.750 ), 20% after the interim report (max. 500 ) and 10% (max. 250 ) after the final report. Page 5 of 9
2.2. Eligibility A proposal will only be considered eligible if it meets the following criteria: Target countries: The target country for European researchers (located in one of the Member States) must be the Russian Federation Respect of the deadline: The application has to be submitted to the RUSERA-EXE consortium by the deadline (31 st October 2007). Date of implementation: The planned working visit has to take place after 1 st January, and before the end of April 2008. Completeness of the application: All fields of the application form (which is attached as Annex 2/page 11 into the present guidelines) have to be completed, and an official invitation of the host institution with a clear outline of the agreed joint activities to be undertaken during the period abroad have to be submitted. Scope of the application: The content of the application needs to address one RTD area of FP7. Otherwise, the application will be considered as out of the scope of this call. Submission: Scanned proposals of EU researchers should be sent by email to eucall.ruseraexe@ffg.at or proposals be sent by fax to 0043 5 7755 94605, for the attention of Ms. Petra Reiter. Ethical rules: If required, the Ethical rules of FP7 will be considered regarding the content of the planned RTD cooperation to be set up. After the deadline, the proposals which were received will be checked for eligibility. Proposals which meet the criteria will be evaluated. All applicants will receive a written confirmation (by email) about the receipt of their application. They will be informed about the results of the evaluation, with a summary of the assessment, including the reasons for the acceptance or refusal for funding. Page 6 of 9
3. Evaluation The evaluation of proposals is carried out by RUSERA-EXE consortium with the assistance of independent experts. The evaluation will be based on the following criteria: 1. Quality of the objectives of the working visit and their potential contribution to the establishment of a lasting EU-RU RTD relationship 2. Quality of the proposed activities and coherence with the objectives 3. Quality and relevance of preparatory activities 1 4. Quality of the overall organization 5. Quality of the intended outcomes in view of the establishment of a lasting RTD relationship 6. Quality of the planned follow-up activities in view of the establishment of a lasting EU-RU RTD relationship 2 The following guiding questions/criteria will be used by evaluators: 1. Quality of the objectives of the working visit and their potential contribution to the establishment of a lasting EU-RU RTD relationship Do the objectives clearly aim at the establishment of a long lasting researcher-to-researcher partnership? Are the objectives clearly described, realistic and attainable Is there a clear benefit for the sending institution? Have the objectives been expressed in terms of significance for the partner country? Is the visit also benefitting the partner organisation? Are the objectives concrete and measurable in view of a successful implementation or a failure? 2. Quality of the proposed activities and coherence with the objectives Did the applicant provide a detailed description of the planned activities (type of activities/ specific dates / timetable/ participants)? Are the planned activities relevant to achieve the objectives of the visit? Is the planning of the activities efficient, realistic and the corresponding time table justified? 1 Applicants should demonstrate that they already established regular contacts with their colleagues from the host organisation when the working visit is submitted. These contacts/partnerships have to be clearly presented in the proposal. 2 The application for the working visit needs to demonstrate that a long-lasting partnership can be reached after the working visit Page 7 of 9
3. Quality and relevance of preparatory activities: Was the host institution selected along transparent, comprehensive criteria such as the high quality of the host institution s activities in a given field of RTD? Are relevant preparatory activities, which have been carried out, presented and described? Do the preparatory activities demonstrate that a stable working relationship has already been established between the sending and the host institution resp. between the researchers of both organizations who are involved? Do the preparatory activities demonstrate high awareness of both organizations for the objectives of the working visit? Do the preparatory activities demonstrate a clear commitment of both organizations involved to achieving a fruitful working visit? 4. Quality of the overall organisation of the working visit Overall, does the application reflect a good organizational planning (awareness for VISA requirements, appropriate accommodation, foreseen introduction and integration of the visiting researcher into the host organization, social and scientific mentoring throughout the visit, joint evaluation of the visit before the return etc)? 5. Quality of the intended outcomes in view of the establishment of a lasting RTD relationship Are the intended outcomes clearly described (e.g. outline for a joint proposal for a given thematic area of FP7 with some consortium partners, outline of a joint publication in a scientific magazine, outline of a joint paper to be submitted to a given RTD conference, outline of a workshop/meeting to take place at a later moment, outline for another bilateral meeting, etc)? Do the intended outcomes relate to the objectives and activities of the working visit? Are the intended outcomes relevant for the establishment of a lasting researcher-to researcher relationship? Do the intended outcomes link up with a specified European (or bilateral) RTD funding programme (in particular FP7, but other RTD funding programmes are also welcome)? 6. Quality of the planned follow-up activities in view of the establishment of a lasting EU-RU RTD relationship Are concrete follow-up activities to the visit described, which are realistic and attainable? Do the follow-up activities demonstrate a joint follow-up involving both organizations, the sending and the host institution? Do the planned follow-up activities to the visit clearly contribute to the establishment of a lasting researcher-to researcher relationship? Do the follow-up activities demonstrate a commitment of both organizations and in particular of both researchers/research teams involved? Do the follow-up activities show awareness for existing mechanisms for EU-RU RTD cooperation (e.g. like FP7)? Page 8 of 9
4. Reporting requirements After coming back, a researcher should submit to the RUSERA-EXE consortium a detailed report on the outcomes of the working visit, the updated follow-up activities as well as a financial statement (supplemented by original receipts). There will be an interim report and a final report. The reports should be done in English. The interim report includes the financial reporting and a first detailed reporting of the results of the working visit (please see Annex 3, page 15). The final report briefly informs the RUSERA EXE consortium if a long lasting researcher-to researcher relationship, as planned, was actually achieved. Interim Report: The Interim Report will contain information on the activities and events held during the visit day by day, the description of the achievements obtained, the results of the visit and updated, concrete followup activities. A financial part will present the actual expenses of the working visit (need to submit original receipts for all costs) Interim reporting, incl. financial reporting about the visit has to take place within 4 weeks after the end of the visit. Payment of the second instalment (20%) will take place within 2 months after the end of the visit, provided that the interim report was submitted in time. Final report: The final reporting about the achievement of a long lasting relationship has to take place at the very latest by 31 st October 2008. This final report is linked to the payment of the remaining 10% of the RUSERA EXE grant. This final reports briefly informs the RUSERA EXE consortium if the outcomes of the visit were actually implemented successfully in view of a long lasting researcher-to-researcher relationship. Please see Annex 4, page 17 for more information. The remaining 10% of the funding will be paid after this final report. Payment of the grant (max. 2.500 ) will thus take place in 3 instalments: 70% in advance (max. 1.750 ), 20% after the interim report (max. 500 ) and 10% (max. 250 ) after the final report. Maximum amount of the overall RUSERA EXE grant: The RUSERA-EXE consortium will cover researchers expenses according to the financial documents presented in the financial part (original receipts) of the Interim Report. The total sum covered by the RUSERA-EXE consortium will not exceed 2.500 per EU researcher. Financial Rules: Payment takes place on the basis of original receipts. Beneficiaries are obliged to choose the most costefficient and appropriate means of transport (for ex. no 1st class flights) and accommodation. Private accommodation is possible, but the host needs to provide the beneficiary with a due invoice. The overall grant will not exceed 2.500. Page 9 of 9