Towards People Program in the context of FP7 Dr. Karim Berkouk, EC Call coordinator for Marie Curie Actions Prof. George

1. Towards People Program in the context of FP7Dr. Karim Berkouk,EC Call coordinator for Marie Curie ActionsProf. George KormentzasUniversity of the Aegean

2. Overview • What’s new in FP7 • Structure of FP7 • Brief overview of the “People” program • Brief overview of the “Ideas” program • Evaluation procedure • Other news

3. What’s new ? • Duration increased from 5 to 7 years • Annual budget increased • Basic research • New structure • Flexible funding schemes • Simpler procedures • Logistical and administrative tasks  external structures

4. FP7 2007 - 2013 Specific Programmes Cooperation – Collaborative research Ideas – Frontier Research People – Marie Curie Actions Capacities – Research Capacity + JRC (non-nuclear) JRC (nuclear) Euratom

5. The four pillars in brief Cooperation: Retain or gain leadership in key scientific and technological areas by supporting cooperation between universities, industry, research centers and public authorities. Ideas: Investigator driven actions in “frontier research”, i.e. at the forefront of creating knowledge. People: training, mobility and career development of researchers. Capacities: enhance research and innovation capacity throughout Europe - through activities such as funding access or researchers to major European infrastructures, support small and medium companies.

6. FP7 budget

7. Cooperation – Collaborative research 9 Themes • Health • Food, agriculture and biotechnology • Information and communication technologies • Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies • Energy • Environment (including climate change) • Transport (including aeronautics) • Socio-economic sciences and the humanities • Security and space

8. People– Marie Curie Actions Overall scope • Training / transfer of knowledge • International mobility of researchers (incl. 3rd countries) • Promotion of researcher careers (reintegration; life-long learning) • Attract students to research careers • Attract researchers to Europe and retain European researchers

9. People– Marie Curie Actions Overall scope • Bottom-up approach, including inter/multi-disciplinarity • Industry participation • No age limit, but experience criterion • Personal/family situation of researchers • Appropriate gender balance

10. FP7 Emphasis in Marie Curie Actions: • International dimension • Industry involvement • Increase of structuring effect: Co-funding.

11. Initial training of researchers Marie Curie Networks* Life-long training and career development Individual Fellowships Co-financing of regional/national/international programmes Industry-academia pathways and partnerships Industry-Academia Knowledge-sharing Scheme* International dimension Outgoing & Incoming International Fellowships; International Cooperation Scheme; Reintegration grants; Support to researcher ‘diasporas’ Specific actions Mobility and career enhancement actions;Excellence awards People– Marie Curie Actions * Open to third-country nationals

12. MC Networks for Early Stage Training Objectives • Strengthen and structure Early Stage Training at European level • Attract people to scientific careers • Improve career perspectives by broad skills development (including industrial needs)

13. MC Networks for Early Stage Training Main features • International network of participants or international cooperation in research training • Industry involvement • Joint Training Programme with (i) training through research (ii) complementary competences modules • Coherent quality standards/mutual recognition of training/diplomas • Allowances for ‘early-stage’ researchers; ‘Chair’ positions; Contribution to training costs; Short training events open to researchers from outside the network

14. MC Individual Fellowships Objectives • ‘Classic’ mode: Support competence diversification and career development of experienced researchers • Co-funding mode: Greater impact by co-funding (inter)national fellowship programmes with same objectives and replying to specific conditions (i.e. transnational mobility; peer review; minimal conditions for fellows)

15. MC Individual Fellowships Main features • ‘Classic’ mode: selection/funding of individual fellows through EC calls • ‘Cofunding’ mode: • Selection of ‘cofunded’ programmes through open calls with excellence-based evaluation criteria (no nationality quota) • Selected programmes operated in full autonomy by co-funding body • Community funding proportional to (i) global programme budget (ii) number of fellows selected complying with the trans-nationality criteria

16. MC Industry-academia pathways Objectives • Increased industry-academia cooperation • Diverse career possibilities and research experience for researchers • Increasing the industry involvement in all Marie Curie Actions • Knowledge sharing/cultural exchange, in particular SMEs

17. MC Industry-academia pathways Main features • Embedded in longer term cooperation between both sectors • 2-way staff secondments / recruitment of experienced researchers from outside the partnership • Organisation of common workshops/conferences, including for researchers from outside the partnership • Salary costs of seconded researchers / recruited experienced researchers • Special measure: specific equipment costs for SMEs

18. MC International dimension Main features • Career development/life-long training for EU researchers : • Outgoing fellowships, with mandatory return • Return and reintegration for European researchers abroad • International co-operation through researchers from 3rd countries: • All Marie Curie host driven actions open to 3rd country nationals • Incoming fellowships for knowledge enhancement and collaboration enrichment (optional return for researchers from certain areas) • International cooperation scheme with EU neighbouring countries and S&T agreement countries

19. MC Actions: Community Contribution to researchers in FP6 • Living allowance (reference, cost of living index 100) • Travel costs depending on distance: €250-€2500/year • Mobility allowance €600/month (no family); €900/month (family) • Career development allowance €2000/fellow (min. 1 year stay)

20. Intra-European Fellowships - Example A married researcher with less than 10 years of experience, going from Lisbon to Paris for 2 years: Living allowance: 47,000 € x 2 years= 94,000€ Mobility allowance: 900€ x 24 months= 21,600€ correction factor= 104.7%: 115,600€x 104.7% =121,033€ Career exploratory allowance =2000 €; Travel costs: 1000 € x 2 years=2000€ Total received by researcher (gross): 125,033€ Research costs (lab based): 750€ x 24 = 18000€ (plus overheads and management costs)

21. Ideas – Frontier Research • Autonomous (independent of political interest) • Efficient (low bureaucracy) But also…. • Accountable (scientific, financial) • Feasible

22. Specific Programme “Ideas” • Investigator-driven frontier research • All areas of research • Individual Teams • 100% reimbursement • Independent scientific governance (Scientific Council) • Dedicated implementation structure (Executive Agency) • Simplified grant mechanism

23. ERC Scientific Council • 22 high level scientists reflecting the full scope of European research, nominated by Commission • Role: • Establish overall scientific strategy and preparation of work programmes (incl. calls for proposals, evaluation criteria) • Define scientific management: peer review methodology; selection and accreditation of experts; monitor quality of operations and evaluate programme implementation • Assure communication with the scientific community

24. ERC Dedicated Implementation Structure (Executive Agency) • Execute work programme as established by the Scientific Council • Implement calls for proposals (information and support to applicants; proposal reception/eligibility check; etc.) • Organise peer review evaluation • Establish grant agreements, transfer funds • Administer scientific and financial aspects and follow-up of grant agreements

25. Workprogramme: ERC Launch Strategy • Two streams of activity are foreseen, which complement other FP7 activities: • Starting independent investigators (SII) • Advanced Investigators (AI)

26. Starting independent investigators (SII) • designed to support researchers at the stage of starting their first independent research team • First call at start of FP7 • Continued throughout the life of the framework programme

27. Starting independent investigators (SII)- Indicative • Research in Europe • Maximum 10 years from PhD • Up to 5-years grant • 100,000 to 400,000 Euros per year • Foreseen about 200 grants in the first call • 2 stage evaluation

28. Advanced Investigators (AI) • Designed to support excellent investigator-initiated research projects by established investigators • Brought on-stream from year 2 • Complements the SII scheme by targeting researchers who are already independent research leaders

29. Further information on ERC Basic research website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/future/basic_research/ Soon an ERC dedicated website ! http://erc.europa.eu

30. Evaluation Procedure in FP6 Where to find the useful information? Other Documents Legal Documents Guide for evaluators Guide for proposers Handbook Work program Rules of Participant Guidance notes for evaluation

31. Full Proposal Proposal forms Marie Curie Actions - FP6 Science, research and development European Commission Overview of an Evaluation Submission Individual reading Consensus Panel Finalisation Final ranking list Evaluators Evaluators Evaluators Rejection list Criteria Criteria Criteria Proposals in suggested priority order Eligibility Page 31 HUMAN FACTOR, MOBILITY AND MARIE CURIE ACTIONS

32. FP7: Experts for the EC You can become an expert by registering into the EC database at: https://emmfp6.cordis.lu/index.cfm?fuseaction=wel.welcome

33. Other issues • The European Researcher‘s Mobility Portal • The European Network of Mobility Centres: ERA-MORE • Commission Recommendation on the European Charter for Researchers and a Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers • Directive on the “scientific visa“

34. The pan-European Researcher’s Mobility Portal http://europa.eu.int/eracareers îWhat services areoffered? • General information about research & fellowship programmes or grants • Available opportunities and job offers • Information about administrative and legal issues (conditions of entry, social security and tax schemes etc.) • Tailored and customised help desk function • General information about research policy issues relevant for the career development of a researcher • Forum and other services of particular interest for mobile researchers Contents 

35. ERA-MORE, the European Network of Mobility Centres(http://europa.eu.int/eracareers/era-more) • Launch of ERA-MORE: June 2004 • 200 Mobility Centres throughout the 32 participating countries in Europe

36. The ERA-MORE Network Each Mobility Centre • acts as a point of entry for researchers looking for practical information and guidance • fulfils its information and assistance task either by direct proximity assistance or by directing the person(s) concerned to the appropriate specialised centre

37. Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers: what is it? It is a reference framework for transparency and openness in the recruitment process • Recruitment and Selection • Judging merit • Recognition of the mobility experience • Recognition of qualifications • Postdoctoral appointment

38. European Charter for Researcher: what is it? A “bill of rights and duties” for all researchers working in the European Union, whatever their nationality, age, gender. A framework for career management indicating: • what their work consists of, • what society expects from them, • what kind of career their employers should provide

39. Package for non EU researchers Scope: Making Europe more attractive for researchers from all over the world = idea of a specific residence permit for those of third countries • 12 October 2005: adoption of a package composed of a directive and two recommendations on the admission of third-country nationals to carry out scientific research in the EU • One directive for fast track procedure for researchers • 1st recommendation covering the long-term admission of researchers (= entry and stay to the EU for > 3 months) • 2nd recommendation covering the short-term visas

40. General Conclusion • Many EC funding opportunities • Increased budget for Marie Curie Actions in FP7. • Reduction of the number of Marie Curie Actions while continuing FP6. • New Indepndent Scheme: Ideas

41. Information • EU research: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research • Seventh Framework Programme: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/future/index_en.cfm • Information on research programmes and projects: http://www.cordis.lu • RTD info magazine: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/rtdinfo/ • Information requests: research@cec.eu.int