0. Advising the client ranging from the check of project idea to the proposal check – experiences and helpful tools Astrid Hoebertz Austrian NCP for Health (since 2004) FFG – Austrian Research Promotion Agency

1. Who are WE? „European and International Programmes“ at FFG
National competence and service center, but part of an international and national network
All NCPs at a single location, most NCPs are professional experts for their programme
Staff: ca. 35 for H2020 (one NCP per theme, plus experts, EU projects etc.) and about 50 altogether (+ COSME, EUREKA, EEN, COST….)
Mandate: ensuring, strengthening, enhancing and monitoring the Austrian participation in European programmes (H2020 & beyond e.g. JPIs, JTIs,...)
What we dont have: office in Brussels, one of the few
(regional offices, many contact points at organisational level)

2. FFG-TOOLBOX: INFORMATION, CONSULTING AND SUPPORT
Awareness-raising Information-brokerage
Public relations activities
Awareness & Information events
Info-Webinars
Programme- and project consulting
Individual consulting (1st/2nd level approach)
First check of project idea to full proposal check
Trainings/
FFG-Academy
Strategic consulting and ERA-orienting knowledge
C3/Core Customer Concept
ERA-Dialogue
EU-Networking
in_brief
„ERA-Themendossier“
Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft | Sensengasse 1 | 1090 Wien |

3. FFG TOOLBOX Awareness raising and information-brokerage
=> PR, events, mailings, info-webinars….
news on European research funding
to motivate our clients to participate
Examples: Kick-Off Event, thematic webinars for calls 2017, monthly newsletter, call openings…
… but: NO INFORMATION OVERLOAD!
We do this according to the needs identified demand-oriented, all these tools have to be easily accessible and provided in target group-specific language
We also pay attention not to provoke an overload of information!! E.g. with mail distributions – not to send too many in a short period of time

4. FFG TOOLBOX Programme- and project consulting
Individual consulting (1st/2nd level approach)
consulation during all phases of the project
Approach:
„1st level“ through regional offices and grant services at universities etc. => general questions to H2020, structure, basic principles, funding rates, support for submission, first quick check of project idea etc.
„2nd level“ through FFG NCPs => thematic questions to calls, check of project idea
NCP consultations: phone, , personal (personal meeting only if project idea fits to a currently open call! (client „homework“: one page proposal)
why did we change this at the beginning of Horizon 2020? Our services got evaluated, and the outcome was that we should develop more into strategic approaches (dialogues with rectors of universities, core customer concepts for companies, strategy workshops at university departments, strategic analyses….), therefore something needed to be reduced. general advice should move to the organisations themselves. Universities no money and no ressources to build up more services…but now found a good balance, but analyses show that we never had many first level to begin with…

5. FFG TOOLBOX Programme- and project consulting
First check of project idea
one page proposal template => check of project idea!

6. FFG TOOLBOX Programme- and project consulting Proposalcheck
focused on Austrian coordinators (sometimes exceptions…..)
FFG offers a full proposalcheck => needs ~ half day! => time/“slot“ planning in advance!
we provide written comments in the document, plus summary by , or phone call or personal meeting
service is pro-actively offered a few weeks before the deadline to all clients that are in contact with us, and always promoted in newsletters etc.

7. FFG TOOLBOX Programme- and project consulting Additional tools
For personal consulations: consultation checklist
Self-made „Consulting Documents“…e.g. on Impact, Project Management, Tipps for 1st stage applications etc.
Specific „hands-on“ Webinars
Tipps for 1st stage Health applications
Impact in ICT Projects
ERC Consolidator Grant Call 2017: Tips for a competitive proposal
…….
Lessons Learned documents from ESRs Analysis/Round Table with evaluators ….

8. FFG TOOLBOX Programme- and project consulting
Trainings and FFG Academy
Practical Trainings
R&I funding in the European Research Area (1x)
Horizon 2020 Basics (1x)
Project development and application
plus: 1x/year consultant training
Project management (2-3x)
Compact knowledge transfer in Webinars
Networking Events on current european themes

9. Project development and application
FFG-ACADEMY
ERC Advanced and Starting (each 1x)
Practical Trainings
Project development and application
FET (1x)
Collaborative Projects (3-4x)
Eurostars (1-2x)
Marie Curie Fellowships or ITN (each 1x)
SME Instrument (1-2x)
free trainings, 1 to 2 days, mostly in Vienna, sometimes in regions
many trainings originate in FP7 and were and are still continously adapted for Horizon 2020
Trainers: NCPs („Train the Trainer“ course) plus sometimes external experts
Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft | Sensengasse 1 | 1090 Wien |

10. Compact knowledge transfer in Webinars
FFG-ACADEMY
Examples:
Gender issues
Ethical issues
1st stage in 2-stage applications
Cost planning
Standardization in Horizon 2020 projects
Personell costs ….
Compact knowledge transfer in Webinars
Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft | Sensengasse 1 | 1090 Wien |

11. FFG TOOLBOX Strategic consultation and ERA orienting knowledge
„ERA Dialogue, Core Customer Concept (C3)“ => individual „strategic“ consultations focussing on organisation‘s needs with CEOs/rectors
„IN_Brief, ERA Thematic Dossiers“ => in depth-analysis and interpretation of ERA developments
Maximal use of European programme portfolio
The 3rd part of our toolbox is dedicated to strategic consultation and orientational knowledge regarding the European Research Area.
In the center of this part of the toolbox are support services that we provide to facilitate maximal use of the European programme portfolio.
To do so, we use the whole knowledge of our division to consult individual organisations (enterprises as well as universities and other research organisations) by specifically focussing on their needs;
We also analyse and interpret new developments in ERA; based on this we define recommendations to our customers that are discussed with them; this way we provide information on all current and future funding opportunities that my be relevant for them.
We provide orientational information to guide individual organisations through the complex djungle of European programmes in order to assist these organisations to define goals in the mid-term and long-term by optimal use of funding programmes.

12. CLIENT DATABASE
basis for many of our activities, and for monitoring and analyses of project participations etc.
We monitor activities (date, content, to which theme….) for each client:
Phone calls s
Individual Meetings
In addition: project participations, event participations, etc.
records are visible for each of the FFG experts - it can be monitored which advice was given to each client

13. EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCE ??!!