Why does ERA Need to Flourish

1. Why does ERA Need to Flourish Synchronised Calls Initiative Octavi Quintana European Commission DG Research & Innovation 15 January 2014

2. Synchronised calls based on joint international peer review at EU Level • Recommendation in the ERA Communication 2012: "Research stakeholder organisations are invited to: Pilot the use of synchronised calls with, where possible, single joint international peer review evaluation of proposals as a basis for funding decisions" • Commissioner stated during 2013 that EC is ready to fund a Synchronised Calls Pilot • Concept developed during 2013 and included in WP 2014/2015 as "Synchronised Calls Initiative" • Budget € 1 Mio. (2 to 5 proposals could be funded) in SC 6 • Target population: National/regional research funding bodies • Pilot – in the longer run it could become regular FP instrument in the context of cross-border cooperation

3. Synchronised Call Initiatives "Organisation of a synchronised call at European level, addressing a pre-determined scientific field with one identical call deadline and using joint international peer review, leading to EU-wide evaluation results that will be disseminated among participating funding bodies" Essential elements: • Single, joint international peer review of all proposals A threshold to be established, however national funding bodies remain free to decide if proposal should be funded • No transnational dimension to projects is required It is not a joint call leading to transnational research consortia • No fresh money is required No money needs to cross borders, no national re-evaluation should take place

4. Comparison of National, Synchronised and ERA-NET/Joint Programming Calls National funding scheme

5. Comparison of National, Synchronised and ERA-NET/Joint Programming Calls Synchronised Call

6. Comparison of National, Synchronised and ERA-NET/Joint Programming Calls ERA-NET/Joint Programming Calls

7. Objectives of a Synchronised Call • Improve effectiveness of national research systems by facilitating benchmarking and to guide national strategies focused on strengths • Increased efficiency of research funding: avoid duplication of funding by highlighting research done on exact same aspect • Enhance transparency and fair treatment via a comparable score for proposals • Increase visibility of excellent researchers in participating less research intensive MS and AC • Enhance research excellence by helping MS to improve their evaluation systems

8. Challenges of a Synchronised Call A synchronised call is not the same as a joint call! • Establishing the scope and granularity of the call topic • Many basic research funders do not operate with calls or call deadlines, aligning national call deadlines could be difficult • Language: the proposals should be produced in a common working language (e.g. English) • Need to ensure availability of excellent international peers • Organisation and Logistics: central and adequate proposal submission system will need to be put in place • Sharing of peer review outcomes: IPR/confidentiality issues must be resolved upfront – clear policy on which aspects of a proposal to share with participating funding bodies and researchers

9. EC Support: Essentials • Coordination and Support Action - Open Call • 1 Mio €: 2 – 5 proposals in any field • 2 years duration • Minimum three legal entities established in three different Member States or Associated Countries • EC funding can cover the following type of costs: IT tool; preparation and coordination, call promotion, meetings, expert management, expert fees • Proposal submission deadline: 29 April 2014, so Synchronised Call deadline during 2015 • Proceedings of today's event will be uploaded on ERA-Learn/Netwatch website

10. Have a good workshop!

11. Conclusion: Final useful points

12. Proposal Template (Technical annex) CSA 1. Excellence 1.1 Objectives 1.2 Relation to the work programme 1.3 Concept and approach 2. Impact 2.1 Expected impacts 2.2 Measures to maximise impact a) Dissemination and exploitation of results b) Communication activities 3. Implementation 3.1 Work plan 3.2 Management structure and procedures 3.3 Consortium as a whole 3.4 Resources to be committed 4. Members of the consortium 5. Ethics and security Page limit section 1-3: 50 pages

13. Award criteria (CSAs) 1. Excellence • Clarity and pertinence of the objectives; • Credibility of the proposed approach; • Soundness of the concept; Quality of the proposed coordination and/or support measures. 2. Impact: […] contribution to: • The expected impacts listed in the work programme under the relevant topic; • Effectiveness of the proposed measures to exploit and disseminate the project results, to communicate the project and to manage research data where relevant. 3. Quality and efficiency of implementation • Coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, including appropriateness of the allocation of tasks and resources; • Complementarity of the participants within the consortium (when relevant); • Appropriateness of the management structures and procedures, including risk and innovation management.

14. Expected impacts of a Synchronised Call • Nationally funded projects as outcome of Synchronised Call due to clear commitment of participation and indicative financial commitment of all partners at the stage of the proposal • Due to sharing of metadata and comparable common scores between all participating funding agencies national benchmarking can be ensured • Other paths than joint calls leading to collaborative projects are explored with a synchronised call approach, compared to ERA-nets for very specific activities

15. Further Questions? Contact point in the Commission, Directorate B, Unit B2: Julia.prikoszovits@ec.europa.eu Expert ERA-Learn Platform on ERA-net related activities: christian.listabarth@ffg.at