2 nd stage proposal writing session for Marie Curie ITNs Cecilie Hansen and Nicholas Harrap UK National Contact Point for MCAs

Science and Technology Facilities Council Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Economic and Social Research Council Medical Research Council Natural Environment Research Council Arts and Humanities Research Council UK Research Office

…promotes effective UK participation in EU-funded research programmes, higher education programmes, and other related activities… UKRO’s Aim Based in Brussels, UKRO: Provides early insight and briefing; Disseminates EU funding opportunities; Provides high quality guidance and training; Exchanges information between the UK and EU

UK Research Office UKRO Services include… - Website with information on programmes, FAQs and Guidance - Information services – updates (& searchable database) - Enquiry service - Annual visit from an UKRO European Advisor - Specialist training courses and information events - Annual conference for European officers - Meeting room in Brussels - National Contact Point (Marie Curie and ERC) - - Monthly publication - British Council ‘RTD Insight’

Marie Curie NCP - helpdesk Web, , telephone, visits Advice on applying for MC actions: Eligibility Application help Results Contractual issues Advice to those with MC contracts: Social security and tax Model agreements between host and fellow Contractual issues UK Research Office – MC NCP

Outline of the session General Introduction Understanding the submission process Writing your proposal -S & T Quality -Training/Transfer of Knowledge -Implementation -Impact FP7 – Policy Background

Understanding the submission process Cecilie Hansen and Nicholas Harrap UK National Contact Point for MCAs

Key documents FP7 – Marie Curie – How to apply Call FicheFocus “People” Work Programme Guide for ApplicantsPreparation & submission EPSS Guide Rules on Submission and Evaluation, Guide for Evaluators Background Model grant agreement Financial, negotiation, reporting and IPR guidelines FP7, “People” Specific Programme Text Other policy documents e.g. Mobility Strategy, “Charter and Code”

Technicalities of proposal submission Part A and Part B Electronic submission – same password and username EPSS up and running from early August onwards Deadline is 17:00 Brussels time on Monday 25 th September 2007 FP7 – Marie Curie – How to apply

Approaching your proposal writing Note the different weightings (impact on overall score) 60% to be rejected (40% accepted) At least one of the evaluators will be the same as in the first round Talk to the Project Officer if unclear comments FP7 – Marie Curie – How to apply

Approaching your proposal writing “The first two criteria already assessed at stage 1 will be re-evaluated taking into account the more elaborated text of the full proposal” Keep Guide for Applicants, ESR and evaluation criteria incl explanatory notes in front of you Consider and address issues in the letter to proposers Ask a colleague to read it through – do they understand it? FP7 – Marie Curie – How to apply

General points on a good proposal Meet the deadline Characteristics of success/failure 90%+ well detailed, excellent and clear training programme and great science of clear EU wide benefit and potential in a new area 80-90% good project, lacking some detail on training, evaluating output 70-80% Some obvious omissions, consortium design needs adjusting, some science issues not addressed, concerns over transfer of knowledge 60-70% Serious omissions, lack of detail, poor management plans, no milestones, consortium partners too similar FP7 – Marie Curie – How to apply

ITNs: A reminder “Marie Curie ITNs are aimed at improving the career perspectives of researchers who are in the first five years of their career by offering structured training in well defined scientific and /or technological areas as well as providing complementary skills and exposing researchers to other sectors including private companies.” FP7 – Marie Curie – How to apply

ITNs: A reminder FP7 – Marie Curie - ITN An ITN aims to : Strengthen Early Stage Training at EU level Attract people to scientific careers Improve career perspectives by development of broad skills (including needs of industry) By: Offering a series of fellowships to ESR and EXR through a Joint Training Programme including complementary skills modules As an option, hold short training events open to researchers outside the network As an option, recruit ‘visiting scientists’ Defined scientific fields as well as inter-disciplinary, new and emerging supra-disciplinary fields

Who participates in an ITN? FP7 – Marie Curie - ITN An ITN has both industrial and academic partners. Industry must be in involved at one of three levels: As a full partner Provider of specific training or secondment opportunities On the Advisory Board An ITN must have Coherent quality standards and mutual recognition of training/ diplomas

Who can you recruit to an ITN? FP7 – Marie Curie - ITN An ITN supports researchers: With up to 5 years FTE From all over the world For periods of months (ESRs) For periods of 3 – 24 months (EXRs) As well as visiting scientists (optional) To carry out teaching and supervisory work For a period of at least 1 month

The size of an ITN The size of the network should reflect your needs and the aim of the project, but Indicative number of partners (Guide for Applicants): 6 – 10 FP6 indicative number of researcher months: EST: 72 – 999 (average 300) (last call) 80/20 EST / ER split FP7 – Marie Curie - ITN

ITNs – key issues Ratio ESR/ER: - ‘The total amount of ESRs and ERs should be reasonable and in line with what is recommended in the Guide for Applicants’ (80/20) Visiting Scientists: - Exceptional and duly justified in the context of the training programme Conferences: -‘should be proportionate to the proposed research training programme’ -‘is an opportunity for the recruiter researchers to exchange knowledge with more experienced researchers from outside the network’. FP7 – Marie Curie - ITN

ITNs – key issues Role of the Visiting Scientists Addressed under training & impact Industrial participation Addressed under all four criteria Conferences and events Addressed under training, implementation, impact Aspects that are assessed under more than one evaluation criteria will count under each of these criteria FP7 – Marie Curie - ITN

ITNs – the evaluation process

Planning your proposal writing In planning, have an understanding of: 1.Overall objective of an ITN 2.All 4 criterion: science, training, implementation and impact 3.Financial issues 4.Role of participants FP7 – Marie Curie – Your Proposal

Weightings and thresholds for ITNs WeightingThreshold Scientific quality of the project Stage 1: 50% Stage 2: 30% 3 Training and/or TOK activities Stage 1: 50% Stage 2: 30% 4 ImplementationStage 2: 20%3 ImpactStage 2: 20%n/a Overall threshold of 70% applies FP7 – Marie Curie – ITNs

S & T Quality criteria Weighting 30% (stage 2), threshold 3/5 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 aspect of the research programme Knowledge of the state-of-the-art FP7 - Marie Curie – ITN criteria

S & T Quality tips Science is well specified and relevant Cutting edge research – setting it apart from the competition and clear Each specific aim is well supported Innovative element is clear Clear potential of the research Size of network References Unclear research methodologies FP7 - Marie Curie – ITN criteria

Training criteria Weighing 30%, threshold 4/5 Quality of the training programme; Consistency with the research programme Complementary skills offered: Management, Communication, IPR, Ethics, Grant writing, Commercial exploitation of results, Research Policy, entrepreneurship, managing projects, etc.. Importance and timeliness of the training needs (e.g. multidisciplinary, intersectoral, and newly emerging supra-disciplinary fields) FP7 - Marie Curie – ITN criteria

Training criteria a) For multi-site proposals: Adequate combination of local specialist training with network-wide training activities b) For mono-site proposals: Adequate exploitation of the international network of the participants for the training programme Appropriateness of the size of the requested training programme with respect to the capacity of the host FP7 - Marie Curie – ITN criteria

Quality of training - tips Impact of training is clear, including for both short and long term fellowships Training programme is clear and well described Profile of researchers well described Several methods of training Detailed and exhaustive (credible activities) Detail on collaborations between ESR and ER Flexible, adaptable and well monitored Balance of training across partners Conferences and training courses part of training package FP7 - Marie Curie – ITN criteria

Quality of training - tips Training in research methods and techniques Personal Development Plan Complementary skills training – ethics, research management Transferable skills training – cf Roberts Graduate School Provision – including RC courses Conferences, seminars, public fora etc Any other suggestions? FP7 - Marie Curie – ITN criteria

Implementation criteria Weighting 20%, threshold 3/5 Capacities (expertise / human resources / facilities /infrastructure) to achieve the research and adequate task distribution and schedule Appropriateness of industry involvement Adequate exploitation of complementarities and synergies among partners in terms of research and training Non-ICPC participation – essential to the objectives of the research training programme? FP7 - Marie Curie – ITN criteria

Implementation criteria Appropriateness of the overall management of the training programme (responsibilities, rules for decision-making) Networking and dissemination of best practice among partners. Clarity of the plan for organising training events (workshops, conferences, training courses) Clarity of recruitment strategy (incl timetable) Competitive international recruitment Equal opportunities Coherence with ‘Code of conduct for recruitment of researchers’ FP7 - Marie Curie – ITN criteria

Implementation tips (1) Describe capacities of each host – research expertise, human resources, facilities and infrastructure Have you justified the number of researcher months applied for, and demonstrated that you have the capacity (research expertise, human resources, facilities and infrastructure) to implement the project? Work Plan: task distribution, milestones, deliverables, schedule Industry involvement Letter of support, industry at highest possible level? FP7 – ITN – Implementation

Implementation tips (2) Information on key scientific staff, three most significant recent publications Outline the financial management strategy, relevant project management experience Management structure: coordination, communication and monitoring progress Role of supervisory board, consortium agreement, communication and decision-making mechanisms IPR protection FP7 – ITN – Implementation

Impact criteria Weighting 20%, no threshold Contribution of the proposed training programme to the career prospects of the fellows Provision to establish longer term collaborations and/or lasting structured training programme between the partners’ organisations, including between private and academic partners Where appropriate, justification of the training events open to external participants and their integration in the training programme FP7 - Marie Curie – ITN criteria

Impact criteria Where appropriate, mutual recognition of the training acquired by multi-partner hosts Where applicable, relevance of the role of the visiting scientist with respect to the training programme FP7 - Marie Curie – ITN criteria

Impact tips (1) Benefits of the training project: At the level of the individual researcher: Enhance researchers’ capacity to progress in research, communicate across disciplines & sectors At the level of the participating institutions: Foster existing / create new collaborations At the level of European research Cutting edge research, interdisciplinary, e.g. European Competitiveness, the European Research Area

European Charter and Code European Charter for Researchers addresses: Roles and responsibilities Entitlements of researchers and their employers or funding organisations. Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers aims to: improve recruitment and make selection procedures fairer and more transparent proposes different means of judging merit MCA – Submission & Evaluations

European Charter and Code The RCUK/UUK provided a UK HE sector analysis of the European Charter and Code against current UK guidelines and employment law The analysis indicates there are no major barriers to UK HEIs wishing to adopt the Charter and Code in a more formal way, Advise acknowledging adherence to the Charter and Code in all applications MCA – Submission & Evaluations

Links UK National Contact Point for Marie Curie CORDIS The Charter and the Code UK HE Sector analysis: European Researchers’ Mobility Portal Marie Curie Vacancies Queries FP7 – People – Marie Curie

ITNs- additional information Cecilie Hansen and Nicholas Harrap UK National Contact Point for MCAs

Definition of Fellow’s Allowances These are all flat rates Living Basic salary Varies according to research experience Mobility Relocation costs Varies according to family situation Travel Every 12 months travel from location of origin to fellowship location Career exploratory Fellowships at least one year to spend on career development activities FP7 – Marie Curie - Allowances

Community Contribution - ITNs Includes: Salary costs (living, mobility, travel and career exploratory allowance) Contribution to research costs, networking and organisation of conferences Contribution to management costs An overhead FP7 – Marie Curie - Money

Researcher Salaries for ITNs ExperienceStipend (€/yr) Employment contract (€/yr) Early-Stage researchers 16,90033,800 Experienced researchers (< 5yrs) 26,00052,000 Visiting Scientist ( yrs experience) 33,80067,600 VS (> 10 yrs experience) 50,700101,400 FP7 – Marie Curie - Rates Salaries are inclusive of all compulsory deductions Correction factor applied for cost of living (UK Coefficient 109.2%)

Travel costs – depending on distance € €2500 Mobility allowance Without family: €500 per month With family: €800 per month Correction factor applied for cost of living Career Exploratory allowance € 2000 for stays of more than one year Training / research costs of eligible researchers Lab-based research: € 600 per month Non-lab-based research: €300 per month FP7 – Marie Curie - Rates Allowance rates

Benefits for the institution - ITN Research Training €600 (ITN) per month Organisation of international conferences etc €300 per researcher per day for those outside ITN Management Activities Multi-site: 7% of the total EC contribution Mono-site / twinning: 3% of the total EC contribution Contribution to overheads 10% of direct costs except for subcontractors Other types of eligible expenses N/A FP7 – Marie Curie - Rates