KNEEMO: Prevention and Personalized Treatments in Knee Osteoarthritis

Initial Training Network Marie Curie ITN Action KNEEMO Prevention and personalized treatments in knee osteoarthritis Sandrine Jacobs Project Officer Research Executive Agency – European Commission Amsterdam, 30th April 2014

Content of the presentation 1. Grant Agreement and contractual rules - Legal framework - Obligations of the beneficiary 2. Project implementation - Fellows' selection and appointment - Research & Training - Annex I 3. Project financial aspects - Categories of costs - Payments 4. Reporting - Reports (progress, periodic, final) - Financial statements - Declaration of Conformity - Questionnaires 5. Best practices / Q&A

Content of the presentation 1. Grant Agreement and contractualrules - Legalframework - Obligations of the beneficiary 2. Project implementation - Fellows' selection and appointment - Research & Training - Annex I 3. Project financial aspects - Categories of costs - Payments 4. Reporting - Reports (progress, periodic, final) - Financial statements - Declaration of Conformity - Questionnaires 5. Best practices / Q&A

Structure of the Grant Agreement • Core Grant Agreement • + • Annexes: • I. Technical Annex - Description of work • II. General conditions • III. Specific provisions for ITN • IV. Form A: accession to the grant agreement • V. Form B: request for accession of a new beneficiary • VI. Form C: Financial statement • VII. Form D: ToR for the CFS; Form E: ToR for the certificate on methodology

Core Grant Agreement • List of beneficiaries • Duration • Reporting periods • Maximum financial contribution of the EU • Pre-financing and Guarantee Fund • Bank Account • Special clauses e.g. mid-term review meeting • Communication addresses • Signature Copy to be given to all beneficiaries and recruited/seconded fellows

Annex I: Description of work • - Unique for each project • - Description of joint research programme, recruitment planning, training, milestones and deliverables • - Set-out the activities for 4 years • - Before deciding on any modification, please contact your PO • All reports (Progress, Periodic, Mid-Term, Final) will be assessed with respect to Annex I Copy to be given to all beneficiaries and recruited/seconded fellows

Definitions Part A: Implementation of the project • Role of coordinator • Organisation of the consortium • Performance obligation of each beneficiary • Reporting • Subcontracting • Suspension • Reports, Deliverables • Confidentiality, Publicity Annex II: General Conditions Common to all Marie Curie Actions Part B: Financial provisions • Eligible costs, interests, receipts • Guarantee fund • Audits, financial penalties Part C: Intellectual Property Rights, use and dissemination • Foreground • Access Rights Final Provisions • Amendments • Termination Copy to be given to all beneficiaries and recruited/seconded fellows

Annex III: Specific Provisions for ITN Specific for ITNs – be sure you use the right annex (2013)! Definitions Part A: Implementation of the project • Performance obligations • Selection of researchers • Beneficiary’s relationship with the researcher • Reports and deliverables • Confidentiality, Publicity Part B: Financial Provisions • Eligible costs Part C: Intellectual Property Rights • Access Rights • Incompatible or restrictive commitments Copy to be given to all beneficiaries and recruited/seconded fellows

Amendments to the Grant Agreement A heavy legal procedure… • … to beavoided as much as possible ! • Formalamendment: • Change of Bank details • Change of contact details • Notification: • Change of authorisedrepresentatives • Shouldalwaysbediscussedwith the PO in advance • « Guide for amendment in FP7 » available on Marie Curie website

Role of the coordinator • Article II.2 of Annex II • Intermediary for any communication between REA and the beneficiaries • Administration and distribution of financial contribution of the EU • Keep records and financial accounts • Inform the REA of the distribution of the financial contribution • Review reports to verify consistency before transmitting them to the REA • Monitor compliance by beneficiaries with the GA CORE COORDINATION TASKS CANNOT BE SUBCONTRACTED!

Obligations of the consortium… Article II.2.4 of Annex II and article III.2.1 of Annex III • Provide all detailed data requested by the REA or the European Commission for the purposes of the proper administration of the project • Take all measures to ensure that the project is carried out in accordance with the terms and conditions of the GA • Ensure efficient implementation of the project • make appropriate internal arrangements – Consortium Agreement • Recruit at least 40% women researchers • Organise a mid-term review meeting with the REA • Take decisions on re-distribution of allocation of researcher-months and inform the REA beforehand

Obligations of each beneficiary… Article II.3 of Annex II and article III.2.2 of Annex III • Carry out the work as identified in Annex I • Provide the REA, the EU including OLAF and the Court of Auditors with all info requested in the framework of controls and audits • Select each researcher according to the eligibility criteria, conclude an agreement • Execute, by due dates, all payments to the researcher (Marie Curie rates!) • Provide infrastructure and reasonable assistance to the researchers in all administrative procedures • Make sure the researcher enjoy the same standards of safety and occupational health as those applicable to local researchers holding a similar position; • Ensure that the researcher is covered under social security legislation

Eligible researchers Early Stage Researchers (ESR) • No PhD • Research experience ≤ 4* years Duration of appointment: 3-36 months (typical appointment: 36 months) Experienced Researchers (ER) still in their early career (only MULTI) • PhD or Research experience ≥ 4* years AND • Research experience ≤ 5* years Duration of appointment: 3-24 months * counted from the diploma that gives the rights to embark in a doctoral degree

Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 1 Year 2 No longer eligible Diploma granting access to doctorate studies If PhD Early Stage Researchers Experienced Researchers “Initial Training Networks are limited to researchers in the first 5 years of their career” … experience is calculated at date of recruitment !!

Recruitment policy and process Eligible staff • Anynationality • Level of experience: • ESR <4y: Early Stage Researcher, • ER >4 to 10y: Experienced Researcher, Mobility rule The researcher must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc) in the country of his/her host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to his/her recruitment. Short stays, such as holidays, are not taken into account. Selection "Transparent, Impartial, Equitable Selection Criteria” (see also Annex III.3.4) • Publication of vacancies • Recruitment criteria • Equal opportunities

“The host organisation shall appoint each eligible researcher under an employment contract” Type A “Employment Contract” • Full-time contract • Gross amounts including all compulsory deductions under national legislation

Declaration on the Conformity Contract/agreement with researcher MUST be in line with rules (social security, duration, payments, etc.) – See Annex III This iscertified by a Declaration on the Conformity - DoC One DoC per recruited researcher and institution DoC to be submitted within 20 days of appointment DoC must be duly signed by both researcher & host institution: - Hard copies should be kept by the host institution - Electronic submission via the Participant Portal (PP)

1 - Living 2 - Mobility 63% of budget = FELLOW 3 - Contrib. to training & network 4 - Management 19% of budget 18% of budget = INSTITUTION 5 - Overheads

Costs categories Fellows • Cost Category 1  Living allowance (salary) • Cost Category 2  Mobility allowance Research, training and networking Cost Category 3  • Contribution to networking costs, training, consumables, events, etc. Management Cost Category 4  • Costs associated with the ITN project management requirements Overheads Cost Category 5  Indirect costs

Living AllowanceCost Category 1 What does it include? Monthly salary for the fellow before any deductions: both employers and employees contributions to social security, pension, taxation, voluntary deductions Ex: 38 000 Euro/year x 1,041 (NL country coefficient) = 39 558 Euro/year What records do we need to keep for EU audit purposes? - Evidence of the eligibility of the fellow - Employment contract/agreement with the fellow - Proof of payment of the salary to the fellow - Evidence that the fellow worked on the project: this can include lab books, conference abstracts, library records, etc.

Living AllowanceCost Category 1 How Much? • Depends on 2 factors • level of experience: ESR (less than 4Y) or ER (exp. 4-10y) • Country Correction Coefficient What are the base rates (extracted from WP 2013)?

Mobility Allowance Cost Category 2 How Much? Depends on the Family status of the fellow: • Family = persons linked to the researcher by (i) marriage, or (ii) a relationship with equivalent status to a marriage recognised by the national legislation of the country of the host organisation or of the nationality of the researcher; or (iii) dependent children who are actually being maintained by the researcher. • Family base rate = 1 000 Euro/month x correction coefficient • No family  base rate = 700 Euro/month x correction coefficient

Cost Category 3 Contribution to the research/training/transfer of knowledge programme expenses • How much? • Fixed amount of €1 800 per fellow-month implemented • What is it used for? • It is used for the costs of performing the project: • - Publication of vacant positions, training courses etc. • - Research costs, organisation of conferences, conference attendance etc. • Co-ordination between participants including network meetings • Secondments

Cost Category 3 What documents to keep for an audit? • For the purposes of the Grant Agreement, you do not need to keep detailed records of what the money was used for • However, comply with the accounting rules of your institution as they normally require more records • In the case of an audit by the EU, the consortium provide the evidence required for categories 1-2

Management activities Cost Category 4 How much? Up to 10% of the EU total contribution What is it used for? Costs associated with the preparation of the reports/documents required by REA: - Declarations of conformity, progress reports, mid-term report, periodic reports and final report - Certificate on financial statements (CFS) Partnership agreement Salary of a person recruited to manage the project - This can include the coordinators salary for the time spent on the management of the project only, i.e. time taken to write the reports, organise recruitment etc. - The person must keep timesheets It does not cover costs of research and technological development activities

Management activities Cost Category 4 What records do we need to keep for EU audit purposes? This is a real cost category therefore you need to keep full evidence: - All receipts of expenditure - Full timesheets for personnel costs The receipts & timesheets do not need to be provided to the REA with the reports, however the periodic report must give an explanation/breakdown of costs charged in this category

Overheads Cost Category 5 How much? Amount of up to 10% of the total direct costs of the period Excluding costs of subcontractors What records do we need to keep for EU audit purposes? None  the beneficiary does not have to report on the use of the overheads, only on the amount claimed

Project life cycle Reporting and finances - Summary 1st periodic Report (after the 2 first years) Contract Signature Project starts 2nd periodic Report & Final Report Project duration: 4 years Pre-financing Intermediate payment Final payment Max. 25% Max. 10% Plus the 5% of GF 65% of total EU contribution 60% the consortium + 5%for the Guarantee Fund

Reporting Reporting summary Periodic 2, Final and € Periodic 1 and € Start Progress Mid-Term Progress Year 1 Year 4 Year 2 Year 3

Reporting For all reports Electronic submission via PP The minimum…not enough • Persons-months “deliverables” update • Progress of the work – research projects and training • Limit to rigid PP report format The usual… • Synthesis of achievements & future work (deviations) • Use attachments – real technical report The ideal… • Analysis and go-beyond - Your PO reader likes concise, illustrated and substantiated information - Communicate to your PO the serious issues immediately, don't wait for the next report…

Reporting Three types of questionnaire to be submitted by MCA-fellows to assess integration into the research & training, career progress, etc.: Researchers Questionnaires • Mid-term questionnaire When? At Mid-term review stage (around months 20-22) • Evaluation questionnaire When? At the end of appointment/employment period • Follow-up questionnaire When?2 years after the end of appointment/employment period How? https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/sesam-fp7/questurl.do

https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/sesam-fp7/questurl.do SESAM

https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/page/home PP helpdeskec-fp7-it-helpdesk@ec.europa.eu Participant Portal

http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/index_en.htm

Mid-term Review It’s a contractual obligation Article 7 (Special Clause 5bis) A dialogue between the consortium and the REA on the project status and implementation, future plans, etc… To be organised between month 20-22, preferably • To help solving any problematic issues • To prepare for the Periodic Report Date to be agreed with PO well in advance! • An external expert may be present • Guide for MTR withdrafttemplate agenda on MCA website

Useful links: EURAXESS http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/ CORDIS http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html RTD http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm REA http://ec.europa.eu/rea/index_en.htm • Thank you very much for your attention! sandrine.jacobs@ec.europa.eu

KNEEMO: Prevention and Personalized Treatments in Knee Osteoarthritis