»Writing a successful proposal« Lessons learned and strategies for FP7

1. »Writing a successful proposal«Lessons learned and strategies for FP7 Uwe David, KoWiud@kowi.de

2. Contents of the Presentation • What is KoWi? • Marie Curie Proposals in Framework Programme 6 • Young Scientists in Framework Programme 7 • Strategy for the new Framework Programme • The Charter for Researchers

3. What is KoWi? • European Liaison Office of the German Research Organisations • information and Counselling Office for the German scientific community • carried by a non-profit association which is financed by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) • offices in Bonn and Brussels • founding member of the 'Informal Group of R&D Liaison Offices' (IGLO) in Brussels

4. KoWi's activities Information • Active Information Service (AiD) via email • Quarterly newsletter on EU-Research-Funding Advice/Guidance • EU-Research-Funding – from basic idea via application to project management • Funding programmes for Young Scientists (Marie Curie Programme, European and national programmes) Training courses and events • Training courses on EU-Research-Funding • KoWi-Information Days on FP7 • Young Scientist´s Events in Germany + CEE ('Research in Europe') • Yearly Conference on EU-Research-Funding • Marie Curie Programme – information and training workshops

5. My activities • Marie Curie Programme – information and advice • Young Scientist Programmes – national and international • Young Scientist Events in Germany – "Research in Europe" in cooperation with the large German funding and research organisations • Thematic Priority 3 of FP6: Nanotechnologies, Materials, Production Processes

6. Marie Curie Proposals in Framework Programme 6

7. Scientific Quality of the Project Quality of the Researcher Quality of the Research Training Quality of the Host Management and Feasibility European Added Value the Project the Person the Training the Professor (host) the Performance the Policy Structure of a Marie Curie Proposal in FP6

8. Content of a Marie Curie Proposal • Main mistakes: • project not really 'excellent' or 'innovative' • 'state-of-the-art' in the field is not described • research methodology is archaic • project objectives remain fuzzy • the approach to reach the project aim is not clear • high risky project with uncertain outcome • no provisions for the acquisition of new knowledge

9. Content of a Marie Curie Proposal • Main mistakes: • no diversification of competences • parts of the suggested proposal were addressed during the Ph.D. project of the applicant • a second stay at the same institution is (in many cases) not reasonable • bad match between profile and project • though applicant has numerous publications, most of them are not in peer-reviewed/refereed journals

10. Content of a Marie Curie Proposal • Main mistakes: • future career perspectives are lacking • not a leading host-institution in the specific field of research • dedication of the host institution seems limited • management (structure) of the project is not clear • European added value – what's that? • referee's assessment not positive for applicant

11. Content of a Marie Curie Proposal • Good points: • important field of research for Europe • high practical value of the project • integration of multidisciplinary aspects • comparison with the experience in the respective field in the USA and Japan/China • project is timely and relevant • results can be applied to a larger class of problems

12. Content of a Marie Curie Proposal • Good points: • good match between the fellow's profile and the project • good and clear structure in the CV with precise dates for the awarding of degrees/PhD • focussed publication lists and list of conference participations • all infrastructure needed for the completion of the project is available for the applicant • the supervisor has wide experience in the field and on different methodologies

13. Content of a Marie Curie Proposal • Good points: • a well elaborated and feasible work plan • researcher has produced a detailed work plan of the project with appropriate milestones • project will promote European research excellence and European competitiveness • increase the number of female researchers in the field (physics!) • project shows potential for the creation of new jobs in Europe

14. Young Scientists in Framework Programme 7

15. Young Scientists in FP7 European Research Council Source: European Commission (April 2005) Marie Curie

16. 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 Scheme International dimension Outgoing International Fellowships; Incoming International Fellowships International Cooperation Scheme; Reintegration grants Specific actions Excellence awards People– Human Potential Source: European Commission

17. Marie Curie in Framework Programme 7 (FP7) • Overall scope: • human resources development in R&D in Europe • attract researchers to Europe • attract students to research careers • numerous, well-trained, motivated researchers • skills and sustainable career development • continuity to previous Framework Programme • but: 'simplification' of the whole Marie Curie Programme and of single schemes

18. Young Scientists in Marie Curie in FP7 • 'Marie Curie Networks' (MCN): • institutions will offer fellowships for early stage researchers • there won't be any fellowships for experienced researchers in MCN • individuals cannot submit a proposal to Commission • 'Life-long training and career development' • Individual Fellowships for Postdocs (Intra-European!) • reintegration funding may be included in the proposal • individual researcher applies together with the host institution (mobility!) • 2 implementation modes: classic vs. co-funding

19. Young Scientists in Marie Curie in FP7 • 'International dimension': • Outgoing and Incoming International Fellowships • individuals can submit a proposal to the Commission together with host institution • 'Industry-Academia partnerships': • institutions will offer fellowships for experienced researchers • Specific Actions: 'Excellence Awards' • open to all researchers who have been funded in the Marie Curie Programme for at least 12 months • researchers can apply themselves or be proposed by a third party

20. Marie Curie Award 2005 – (one) winner is ... Arno Rauschenbeutel (34) – Germany/France/Germany • One of the five winners of the Excellen-ce Award 2005, endowed with €50.000 • He decided to do his doctorate at the Ecole Nationale Supérieur, Paris, in Quantum Physics • his task: developing an extremely fast quantum computer • "The Marie Curie programme gave me the ideal opportunity to spend three years working with one of the leading research teams in the field of quantum computing." • Now back in Germany, Arno is currently at Bonn University as an active member of the Laser Physics Group

21. How to write a proposal? - Marie Curie • submission of proposals to fixed deadlines • evaluation criteria not decided yet, but will include: • qualitative aspects of the proposers (individual researcher and institution) • the institutions's implementing capacity • quality of the scientific training • contribution to the objectives of the Marie Curie Work Programme • Community added value • exact evaluation criteria, weightings and thresholds will be specified in the Work Programme Marie Curie

22. Young Scientists - European Research Council • the ERC will be established by the Commission as a means for imple-menting the Specific Programme "Ideas" • it will consist of an independent Scientific Council and operate on the principles of scientific excellence, autonomy, transparency and accountability • the main aim is to reinforce excellence and creativity in European research and improve the attractiveness of Europe for the best researchers

23. European Research Council (ERC) • ERC will support investigator-driven projects in 'frontier research' = new understanding of 'basic research' • between 'basic' and 'applied' research • 'frontier research' progresses on new and most challen-ging research areas, beyond the frontiers of current knowledge • projects are carried out by individual teams, which are in a Europe-wide competition for funding • teams can be composed transnationally or nationally • there will be a funding scheme for young researcher teams!

24. European Research Council (ERC) • the programme will support projects in any field of research, including engineering, socio-economic sciences and the humanities • special attention will be paid to emerging areas of knowledge and the interface between disciplines • specific research topics or target groups like young/ emerging teams will be taken into account • proposals will be evaluated on the sole criterion of excellence, paying particular attention to proposals which are highly pioneering and scientifically risky

25. How to write a proposal? - ERC • ERC-Scientific Council is in the process of drafting the conditions for submitting proposals and the evaluation procedures • submission of proposals to fixed deadlines • dedicated calls for young researchers and topics • proposals may be submitted by individual teams • sole evaluation criterion: "EXCELLENCE"

26. Strategy for the new Framework Programme

27. Strategy for FP7 - Preparation • please keep in mind: FP7 is not adopted yet! There might be changes to what I told you today! • therefore: follow the adoption process and new developments in FP7 closely • make your profile and scientific potential visible and accessible (e.g. via the internet, on conferences, etc.) • develop contacts with European research institutes

28. Strategy for FP7 – Project preparation • develop an excellent idea for an excellent project • get into contact with an excellent host institution • keep in mind the criteria of transnational mobility – search for a leading partner abroad! • make yourself familiar with the EU-policy in your specific field ("European Added Value") – especially when applying to Marie Curie • keep also in mind: Marie Curie proposals in FP7 will be more seen as policy means due to the establishment of a science-driven funding scheme in the ERC • pay attention to the deadlines communicated in the Work Programme

29. Strategy for FP7 - When the Call is published • download and read the Handbook and the Guide for Proposers before you start writing ... • ... and follow the guidelines (chapter structure, contents, requested tables, formats, etc.) • learn what evaluators liked (or hated) in FP6 – this will be useful also in FP7 • allow extra time for writing the proposal - unforeseen problems might turn up • make use of the help you're being offered (local/natio-nal/international), like NCPs and service like KoWi • finish your proposal early to submit it on time

30. Marie Curie in FP 6/FP7 - ERC Important information sources: http://europa.eu.int/mariecurie-actions http://www.cordis.lu/fp7/people.htm http://mc-opportunities.cordis.lu http://www.kowi.de/en/youngscientists/marie-curie http://cordis.europa.eu.int/fp7/ideas.htm

31. The Charter for Researchers

32. Charter for Researchers - What is it? • in March 2005, the European Commission adopted the European Charter for Researchers and a Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers • addressed to researchers as well as to employers and funding bodies as a set of general principles which specify their roles (legal status: recommendation) • political aim: development of an attractive, open and durable European labour market for scientists

33. Charter for Researchers – Basic Principles • Research freedom research for expanding the frontiers of scientific know-ledge with freedom of thought and expression • Professional responsibility research should be relevant to society, not duplicate research previously carried out elsewhere and avoid plagiarism • Public Engagement improving the public´s understanding of science:research acitvities should be divulged in the public in a way that they can be understood by non-specialists

34. Charter for Researchers – Basic Principles • Continuing professional development Researchers should seek for continual improvement of their skills and competencies • Funding and salaries employers/funders of researchers should ensure that researchers enjoy fair conditions of funding/salaries with adequate social security provisions • Supervision employers should deploy a person to whom researchers can refer for the performance of their professional duties

35. The Code of Conduct – Basic Principles • Recruitmentrecruitment procedures should be open, efficient, trans-parent and internationally comparable • Judging meritmerit should be judged qualitatively as well as quantita-tively, considerating the whole range of experience of the candidates • Recognition of mobility experience any mobility experience should be considered as a valuable contribution to the professionel development of a researcher

36. The Pan European Researcher‘s Mobility Portal http://europa.eu.int/eracareers

37. http://www.eracareers-germany.de

38. Thank you very much for your attention and good luck for your proposals!

39. Marie Curie Actions · Contact Brussels Office: Victoria Reichl Tel.: +32-2-54802-20 vr@kowi.de Bonn Office: Uwe David Tel.: +49-228-95997-14 ud@kowi.de KoWi-Homepage: http://www.kowi.de/en