Designing Horizon 2020 – The case of the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities

Designing Horizon 2020 – The case of the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities Monique Septon, Fund for Scientific Research-FNRS Horisondil on Horisont, Tallinn, Feb. 26, 2013

Horizon 2020 & SSH • Introduction • Horizon 2020 – The Belgian experience • Horizon 2020 – The SSH experience • What’s next?

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International Department

Horizon 2020 - Negociations

H2020 – Objectives and Structure Challenge 6 - Europe in a Changing World – Inclusive, innovative, reflectivesocieties Challenge 7 - Secure societies

H2020 – A Belgian experience…. 1/3 Once upon a time (July ‘10)... • COUNCIL Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU – Workshop on simplification with MEPs, LERU… Led to a WG on simplification by the Belgian Permanent Representation: reps from Ministries, universities, enterprises… FWB universities and BE position papers on Simplification Meanwhile, back at the ranch... • Council - Informal Ministerial Group on Simplification Born Belgian Presidency. RIP Danish Presidency Two reports – Few meetings, lots of exchange of information Members: FR, SW, BE (eg FNRS), HUN, PL+DK, SP

H2020 – A Belgian experience…. 2/3 • Commission: Green Paper:Common Strategic Framework consultation Feb’11– 775 PP, 1300 responses to online questionnaire, included Belgian universities • Commission Proposal on H2020, Nov. ‘11 • Creation of a WG H2020 by Belgian Perm Rep – Universities PP and Belgium PP

H2020 – A Belgian experience…. 3/3 • EP : Participation to debates – M. Graça de Carvalho Bilateral discussions with BE MEPS • Council : ongoing help requested by RP in variousfields : EIT, full costing, Societal challenges). Unified front? • BelgianInteruniversity WG Horizon 2020, 28 Feb‘13 Rules for Participation: Fundingcoststesting – Paper, European Institute of Innovation and Technology

The FNRS…et al • Science Europe – Major player ETAG and FNRS among founding members 51 members, 26 countries, 30b€/yr Develop coherent and inclusive European Research Area • Iglo Group (« ask Kristi ») • Net4Society, almost 50 countries, e.g. Estonia (Archimedes)

Lobbying activities (2011-ongoing?) • Common Strategic Framework: lobby for strong integration of SSH in future FP (no name at the time) • Presentation of Net4Soc PP at EP • Participation to preparatory workshops on SSH/H2020 • Letter to COM official on separation of SSH and security challenges in H2020 • Open letter to MGQ with other orgs on independent challenge • Found an umbrella organisation for European SSH stakeholders: European Alliance on Social Sciences and Humanities (EASSH) • Presentation to MGQ of open letter and Vienna Declaration

Writing 1 – Newsletter The voice of SSH in Europe 2 - Success Stories of SSH Impact SSH resultsshapepolicy and legislative actions Impact of SSH difficult to measure, lowvisibility Publication of success stories with impact on research and policy, society, economy

Workshop Workshop – Learning by doing (Jan ‘13) – Makeinterdisclinaritywork (ID) • Special focus on SSH • Speakers: FP6-7 funded projects (cooperation programme) • Audience of EU officials (relay), research managers, scientists • Aim: identify successful paths for making multi- and interdisciplinarity effective • Recommendations: Advancing ID research is a process and a new mindset must be cultivated • Will lead to policy briefing, serve as basis for Pillar 3

Intro : Disciplines are social constructs but… (see EPSRC) • Idea behind funding the presented projects: use available results of previous projects and integrate disciplines (cohorts, data, analysis of a specific region, specific challenge…) • Some projects managed to create a roadmap on future research (eg ageing), draw scenarios on global changes, combine different disciplines • But other projects had difficulties in cooperation, leader, some disciplines represented, little flexibility, lack of time… • Conclusion: ID/SSHmarginally present so far (COM)

The Sixth Challenge, the Seventh cloud, the eigth wonder… • From « Inclusive, Innovative and Secure Societies” to “Europe in a Changing World (inclusive, innovative and reflective societies)” and “Secure societies” • Variations in text from COM proposal to EP to Council – Budget allocation needs to take into account the new structure • EP amendments to take out components from Challenge 6 (e.g. Cohesion) and put them elsewhere

Vienna Declaration on Social Innovation (Sept 11): 14 research topics prioritised • Europe 2020 – Designing research for European societies in a changing world (18 Sept 12), EP/BMBF Bringing forward interdisciplinary research in general but also within the particular SSH Ch Ehler (EP, Rapporteur RfP H2020) : excellence, increase of COM proposal budget RJ Smits (Dir Gnl, DG RTDI): SSH= major role change of mind set, examples, make ID work

Science Europe & SSHPosition Statement Jan ‘13 Embedding Social Sciences and Humanities in H2020 - Societal Challenges “SSH will play an important role” (MGQ, RJ Smits)but clear strategy needed Recommendations - SSH research and researchers should be properlyembedded in the decision making about how the societal challenges are developed and implemented - A number of ‘SSH cross-cutting themes’ should be embedded in all societal challenges - The budget frame for vital research on social, cultural and economic questions must be set appropriately - Non-academic partners should be broadly defined in H2020

Designing Horizon 2020 – The case of the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities