Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation in Horizon 2020 TWINNING EOC Workshop 23/10/2014, Nicosia, Cyprus Research and 1
Background Disparities in research excellence and innovation performance >>> barrier to competitiveness, growth and jobs across Europe Some countries are experiencing low participation in the EU Framework Programmes because of: insufficient national R&D investments lack of synergies between national research systems and the EU research landscape system learning effects reduced access to international networks problems with information, communication and training 2
performance R&D expenditure in the business sector as % of GDP 3
WIDENING PARTICIPATION through H2020 New set of measures in Horizon 2020 under the separate specific objective "Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation" (WIDESPREAD): - Teaming for Excellence (CoEs) - Twinning (institutional networking) - ERA Chairs (bringing excellence to institutions) - NCPs (information, communication, support) - Policy Support Facility (support for R&I Policy design) - COST ( stimulating cross border science networks) Widening actions: A bridge between R&I (H2020) and Cohesion Policies (ESIF) notably through Smart Specialisation Total Budget in H2020 ~ 816 million 4
Specific eligibility criteria for WIDESPREAD Particular political objectives of WIDESPREAD in H2020 Necessitate a targeted approach to help those participants with low performance in R&I H2020 legal text >>"low performing RDI Member States and regions Eligibility Criterion: The Composite Indicator of Research Excellence Threshold: MS below 70% of the EU average low RDI performing Member States for Widening actions: Latvia, Croatia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, Romania, Luxembourg, Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Portugal, Slovenia, Cyprus, Czech Republic and Hungary. low RDI performing Associated Countries: The same eligibility criteria apply for Associated Countries to H2020 5
Twinning What? Strengthening a defined field of research of a knowledge institution in a low performing Member State(MS) or Associated Country(AC) or region through linking with at least two internationally-leading counterparts in Europe. How? Proposals: Outline the scientific strategy for stimulating scientific excellence and innovation capacity in a defined area of research of the knowledge institution, as well as the scientific quality of the partners involved in the twinning exercise. The Partners (Minimum Conditions) ONE institution located in a Low Performing MS/AC (COORDINATOR) A minimum of TWO additional partners from two different MS or AC 6
Key considerations for success: Twinning Carefully read the Work Programme text (especially the Scope and Expected Impact section and specific evaluation criteria) Proposals are encouraged to identify alignment with the Smart Specialisation Strategy of the specific location of the knowledge institution Proposals should illustrate the extent of the expected potential impact of the project's activities within the knowledge institution and possible impact at the regional/national level based on a number of indicators 7
Twinning Call 2015 Details: Budget: ~ 65 M Call Opening date: 2 July 2014 Call deadline: 7 May 2015 Indicative Project Size: 1 M per proposal Project Duration: 3 years Type of action: Coordination and Support Action Twinning in H2020: Total Budget: ~ 100 M Next call (tentative): In 2017 8
Eligible Costs: Funding for: Twinning expert visits and short-term on-site or virtual training; workshops & conference attendance; organisation of joint summer school type activities; dissemination and outreach activities. Equipment & researchers' salaries will NOT be funded. For more info: Read Art. 6 of the H2020 Annotated Model Grant Agreement on the Participant Portal 9
Twinning Examples from FP7-Research Potential (REGPOT) OPENGENE (REGPOT-2009): the Estonian Genome Center of Tartu (Estonia) has built successful networks with key partnering organisations on genomics from UK, the Netherlands, Finland and Germany. STRONGER (REGPOT-2011): the Pasteur Institute of French Guiana strengthened transdisciplinary research on infectious diseases. Partnerships with France, UK, USA, Brazil. FP7 REGPOT eligibility Convergence Regions only 10
Use the Participant Portal Single entry point from calls to electronic submission of proposals (call documents, WP texts, FAQs etc.) Twinning call url: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunitie s/h2020/calls/h2020-twinn-2015.html#tab1
Learn more: Horizon 2020 Participant Portal: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/oppo rtunities/index.html Cohesion policy (2014-20) http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/what/future/index_en.cfm Thank you for your attention! 12