Horizon 2020Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions

(MCSA) Mandy Heard

European Funding AdvisorAssociate to Global to Local Ltdemail: keele@globaltolocal.com

EPSAM: 26th February

Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions (MCSA)

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Total budget: €6.2bn (compared with €4.7bn in FP7)30% of the total H2020 Budget

‘......Ensure excellent and innovative research training as well as attractive career and knowledge-exchange opportunities through cross-border and cross-sector mobility of researchers to best prepare them to face current and future societal challenges’

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MCSA Objectives

Attract and retain research talent

Develop state-of-the-art, innovative training schemes, consistent with the highly competitive and increasingly inter-disciplinary requirements of research and innovation

Promote sustainable career development in research and innovation

Strengthen international & Inter-sector Cooperation and intersector mobility

Overall objective: “to strengthen the excellence of European research”

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MCSA Key Features

• For researchers at every stage of their career

• Bottom-up approach

•From basic research to market take-up

•Mobility of researchers from all over the world

• Focus on training and career development of researchers

• Participation of non-academic sector strongly encouraged, especially industry and SMEs

• promotion of attractive working and employment conditions (financing rate of 100% )

MCSA – 4 main schemes

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Researcher Definitions

Early Stage Researcher (ESR)At the time of recruitment (ITN) or secondment (RISE) by the host organisation, must be in the first 4 years (full-time research experience) of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree

Experienced Researcher (ER)At the time of the call deadline (IF) or secondment (RISE) by the host organisation, must be in possession of a doctoral degree or have at least 4 years of full-time equivalent research experience

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Innovative Training Networks (ITN)Key Features

‘Aims to train a new generation of creative, entrepreneurial and innovative early-stage researchers, able to face current and future challenges and to convert knowledge and ideas into products and services for economic and social benefit’

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Innovative Training Networks (ITN) Key Features

Doctoral and initial training of researchers proposed by international networks of organisations from academic and non-academic sectors

Dedicated to early-stage researchers (no ER recruitment)

Focus on scientific/ technological knowledge through research onindividual/personalised projects

Meaningful exposure to non-academic sector

Developing entrepreneurship and skills matching research labour market needs. Transferable skills training e.g. communication, research management, IP, ethics, societal outreach, entrepreneurship

1) Beneficiaries – full partner, supervise, host ESRs, secondment opportunities and 2) Partner: provide training and host ESRs during secondments

MCSA: The triple ‘i’ dimension within the knowledge triangle

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Innovative Training Networks (ITN)

Researchers funded from 3-36 months

European Training Networks

European Joint Doctorates

European Industrial Doctorates

•At least three beneficiariesfrom different MS/AC•Doctoral programmeenrolment optional•Maximum 540 researcher months

•At least three beneficiariesfrom different MS/AC•Doctoral programmeenrolment mandatory•Joint governance,admission, selection,supervision, monitoringand assessment mandatory•Award of joint, double ormultiple doctoral degreemandatory•Maximum 540 researcher months

•At least one academic and one non-academic partner from different MS/AC•Doctoral programmeenrolment mandatory•Joint governance,admission, selection,supervision, monitoringand assessment mandatory•Maximum 180 researcher months

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Innovative Training Networks (ITN)

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Innovative Training Networks (ITN)

Conferences

Activities over 4 years project max:Average size of consortium = 6-10Max support 36 months for ESRs

Training: Seminars, Workshops,

summer schools modules

Supervision

Networking

Secondments , placements

Research and Innovation

Career d

evelop

men

t of early

stage research

ers

Communication & Dissemination

Collaboration & Exchange of

Knowledge

Public Engagement

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Individual Fellowships

“Aims to enhance the creative and innovative potential of experienced researchers wishing to diversify their individual competence in terms ofskill acquisition at multi- or interdisciplinary level through advanced training, international and intersectoral mobility”

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Individual Fellowships

Individual fellowships for most promising experienced researchers

Enhance competences and creative potential of best researchers of any nationality

to develop their skills through international or inter-sector mobility

Acquire and transfer new knowledge (in and outside EU)

Specific support for reintegration and career restart

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Individual Fellowships

Mobility rule appliesMobility rule for CAR and RIG: “researcher has not resided or carried out their main activity in the country of their host organisation for more than 3 years in the 5 years immediately prior to the relevant deadline”

* AND “researcher has not been active in research for at least 12 months” ** AND “researcher has previously been active in Europe for at least five consecutive years”

European Fellowships Global Fellowships• 12-24 months• From any country to MS/AC• Separate multi-disciplinary panels for career restart * and reintegration**

(merges IF, CIG, IEF)

• 12-24 months plus 12 month return phase• Secondment from MS/AC to third country• Mandatory 12 month return phase in Europe (not subject to mobility rule

(was IOF)

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Individual Fellowships

Optional intersectoral secondment that should significantly add to the impact of the research project

Must take place in a MS/AC and during the fellowship

Secondment phase can be a single period or divided into shortermobility periods

For a fellowship > 18 months, secondment phase may be up to 6 months

For a fellowship ≤ 18 months, secondment phase may be up to 3 Month

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Individual Fellowships – impact

Significant development of researchers

to meet their full potential and....

Catalyse careers in both academic and non-academic sectors

Strengthen networks of both researcher and host

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Research and Innovation Staff Exchange

‘“Aims to promote international and inter-sector collaboration through research and innovation staff exchanges, and sharing of knowledge and ideas from research to market (and vice-versa) for the advancement of science and development of innovation”

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Research and Innovation Staff Exchange

Development of joint research and innovation project partnerships.

Projects up to 4 years and max. 540 researcher months

Typically can be 4-6 organisations

Knowledge sharing via international and/or inter-sector mobility through two way secondments of (ESRs /ERs/support staff) with built-in return mechanism – no recruitment of new staff

• Exchanges between MS/AC only: secondments must be inter-sectoral

• Exchanges between MS/AC and third countries: secondments can be same sector and/or intersectoral

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Research and Innovation Staff Exchange

A RISE partnership shall be composed by at least three independent participants established in three different countries and must respect one of the following two conditions:

two organisations are located in two different MS/AC and one organisation is located in a TC (can be either sector)

or

If from MS/AC, at least one organisation should be from the academic sector and one from the non-academic sector.

Above these minimum requirements additional organisations established in MS/AC and/or in other third countries can participate

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Research and Innovation Staff Exchange

Networking

Knowledge Sharing

Joint research and

innovation

Career Development

Training / Workshops / conferences /

summer schools

New skills

Participants must be from at least three different countries, at least two ofwhich are MS/AC:

If all participants in same sector one participant country must be a thirdCountry

Secondment period - 1 to 12 months- does not need to be continuous

Activities of the programme:

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Research and Innovation Staff Exchange

EXPECTED IMPACTbuild or enhance new and existing networks of international and inter-sectoral cooperation

better align different cultures and expectations, with a view to a more effective contribution of research and innovation to Europe's knowledge economy and society

strengthen the interaction between organisations in the academic and non-academic sectors, and between Europe and third countries.

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COFUND

Supports new or existing programmes for international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary research training and transnational and cross-sector mobility of researchers

Doctoral programmes Fellowship programmes

• Supports ESRs• Doctoral enrolment mandatory•Training and secondment opportunities with partners, particularly the non-academic sector will be advantageous

• Supports ERS• Not open to permanent employees of the host organisation• Regular selection rounds allowing fair competition•Cross-sectoral mobility encouraged

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AWARD CRITERIA

Evaluation scores awarded for each criteria from 0 to 5

Each award criterion has a weighting Total score is subject to a threshold of 70% Proposals ranked Proposals funded in ranking order Evaluation summary reports provided No restrictions on re-application

Excellence 50% Impact 30% Implementation 20%

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Standard Mobility Rule

At the time of the relevant deadline for submission of proposals, or recruitment/secondment by the host organisation, depending on the action, researchers shall not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc) in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the reference date.”

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Funding ITN IF RISE COFUND•ESR living allowance€3,110/month +co-efficient• ESR mobilityallowance€600/month• ESR familyallowance€500/month• Host research,training andnetworking€1,800/person/month• Host managementand overheads€1,200 /person/month

•ER living allowance€4,650 / month +co-efficient• ER mobilityallowance€600/month• ER family allowance€500/month• Research, trainingand networking€800/person/month• Management andoverheads€650/person/month

•Secondment travel& subsistence€2,000/person/month• Research, trainingand networking€1,800/person/month• Management andoverheads€700/person/

ESR living allowance:• Salaried €2,450 -€3,500/month or• Stipend: €1,225 -€1,750/monthER living allowance:• Salaried: €3,675 -€5,250/month or• Stipend: €1,225 -€1,750/month• Management€650/person/Month

Host needs to cover all other costs and EC will pay up to 50%

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Deadlines

Call Opens Closes BudgetITN 2014 11 December 2013 9 April 2014 405 M

IF 2014 12 March 2014 11 September 2014 240 M

RISE 2014 11 December 2013 24 April 2014 70 M

COFUND 2014 10 April 2014 2 October 2014 80 M

ITN 2015 2 September 2014 13 January 2015 870 M

RISE 2015 6 January 2015 28 April 2015 80 M

IF 2015 12 March 2015 10 September 2015 218 M

COFUND 2015 14 April 2015 1 October 2015 80 M

Initial Training Networks results 2013

• UK co-ordinators submitted 255 apps• 38 successful (14.9% success rate)• General success rate: 12.5%

• UK participated in 1325 applications• 182 successful (13.7% success rate)

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Marie Curie Actions in FP7Intra-European Fellowships (IEF) – Aug 2012

• 3,708 proposals received• Success rate: 16.6%• UK success rate: 23.0%• UK host for 237 fellowships (out of 614 funded)• Approx. value to the UK € 46M

International Incoming Fellowships (IIF) – Aug 2012• 1,447 proposals received• Success rate: 13.3%• UK success rate: 18.6%• UK host for 78 fellowships (out of 193 funded)• Approx. value to the UK € 16M

International Outgoing Fellowships (IOF) – Aug 2012• 955 proposals received• Success rate: 16.4%• UK success rate: 29.5%• UK return host for 36 fellowships (out of 157 funded)• Approx. value to the UK € 9M

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Horizon 2020European Research Council (ERC)

European Research Council (ERC)

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Total budget: €12.7 billion for Horizon 2020 (compares to theallocation of €7.5 billion for FP7).

“The ERC shall provide attractive and flexible funding to enable talented and creative

individual researchers and their teams to pursue the most promising avenues at the frontier of

science….. scientific excellence shall be the sole criterion on which ERC grants are awarded. The

ERC shalloperate on a ‘bottom-up’ basis without

predetermined priorities”.

European Research Council (ERC)

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The ERC seeks to fund the best ‘frontier research’ proposals submitted by excellent researchers, with excellence as the single peer review criterion

Independent researchers of any age and career stage can apply for attractive long-term funding

Provides attractive, long-term funding of up to 5 years to pursue ground-breaking, ambitious, high-gain/ high-risk research

Encourages proposals of an interdisciplinary nature which cross the boundaries between different fields of research, pioneering proposals addressing new and emerging fields of research or proposals introducing unconventional, innovative approaches and scientific inventions

Flexible and portable

European Research Council (ERC)

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keen to encourage excellent proposals from Principal Investigators based outside Europe

Will fund projects led by a PI, supported by a team (no need forpan-European collaboration) if necessary

do not have to be based full-time in Europe, may involve team members outside Europe

25 panels in 3 domains which proposals can be submitted to:

Physical Sciences and Engineering Life Sciences Social Sciences and Humanities

European Research Council (ERC) – five schemes

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ERC Starting Grant

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awarded his/her first PhD ≥ 2 and ≤ 7 years Grants of up to €1.5 million over max. 5 yrs (pro-rata) but additional

€500,000 (“start-up" costs moving to the MS/AC / major equipment / access to facilities)

spend a minimum 50% of their total working time on the ERC project and a minimum of 50% of their total working time in an EU Member State or Associated Country

at the career stage at which researchers are starting their own independent research team or programme

produced at least one important publication without the participation of their PhD supervisor

promising early achievement track record including significant publications (as main author) in major international peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journals / leading international peer-reviewed journals of their respective field , highlight citations

May demonstrate invited presentations @ established international conferences, awards, prizes etc

ERC Consolidator Grant

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awarded their first PhD over 7 and up to 12 years prior to the publication date of the call for proposals

Grants of up to €2 million over max. 5 yrs (pro-rata) but additional €750,000 (“start-up" costs moving to the MS/AC / major equipment / access to facilities)

50% of their total working time on the ERC project and a minimum of 50% of their total working time in an MS/AC

Excellent Pis at the career stage at which they may still be consolidating their own independent research team or programme

will have produced several important publications without the participation of their PhD supervisor

significant publications (as main author) in major international peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journals, or in the leading international peer-reviewed journals of their respective field

ERC Advanced Grant

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Grants of up to €2.5 million over max. 5 yrs (pro-rata) but additional €1 million (“start-up" costs moving to the MS/AC / major equipment / access to facilities)30% of their total working time on the ERC project and a minimum of 50% of their total working time in an in an MS/AC

exceptional established research leaders with a recognised track record of original and significant research contributions.

Active in research with significant research achievements in the last 10 years

one or more of the following benchmarks: 10 publications as senior author in major international peer-reviewed

multidisciplinary scientific journals, and/or in the leading international peer-reviewed journals and peer-reviewed conferences

3 major research monographs, of which at least one is translated into another language.

ERC Synergy Grants – No call in 2014

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promote substantial advances in the frontier of knowledge

Funds ambitious proposals submitted by a group of 2 to 4 Pis

Ran as two pilot calls under FP7 with very low success rates.

synergies, complementarities and added value that could lead to breakthroughs that would not be possible by the individual Principal Investigators working alone

Funding & Deadlines:

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Direct Costs:• 100% of eligible and approved direct costs funded

Indirect Costs:• 25% flat rate (of the total direct costs excluding subcontracting and third party resources not used on premises)

• Is allocated and charged (for all institutions no proof needed of how spent)

Starting Consolidator Advanced

Call Opens

11 December 2013 11 December 2013 17th June 2015

Deadline 2014

25 March 20 May 21 October

Deadline 2015

3 February 12 March 2 June

A few Statistics since 2007

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The UK was the most successful country in applying to the ERC inFP7:

See here for examples of funded projects: http://erc.europa.eu/ercfunded-projects

Peer Review process

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Starting, Consolidator and Advanced Grants

ERC operates a single-stage submission and two-stage evaluation process:

Step 1: panel evaluates 5-page Extended Synopsis, CV and track record sections

Step 2: panel evaluates 15-page full proposal description (in conjunction with the sections above)

An interview with the PI forms part of the step 2 evaluation for Starting and Consolidator Grants (not for Advanced Grants)

PI must choose the panel, based on the keywords and panel descriptors in the Guide for Applicants. Panel consists of up to 15 leading researchers

For interdisciplinary proposals: can choose primary and secondary panel

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Support and Links:

Marie Curie Actions (MCSA) (website being updated for H2020):http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/

MSCA UK National Contact Point:http://www.ukro.ac.uk/mariecurie/Pages/index.aspx

Participant Portal (calls and submission):http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portalWork Programmes for MSCA and ERC :http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2014_2015/main/h2020-wp1415-msca_en.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2014_2015/erc/h2020-wp1415-erc_en.pdf

ERC:http://erc.europa.eu/ERC UK National Contact Point:http://www.ukro.ac.uk/erc/Pages/index.aspx

Horizon 2020 UK website:https://www.h2020uk.org/

European Commission H2020 website:http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/

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THANK YOU!

Contact: Mandy Heard keele@globaltolocal.com