Experiences from coordinating an EU-research network (FP6)

Magnus Nermo

Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI)

Stockholm University

magnus.nermo@sofi.su.se

Seminar at Vinnova November 3, 2008

EQUALSOC is a Network of Excellence funded by the European Union’s Sixth Framework Programme.

Economic change, quality of life and social cohesion

Main aims: – Stimulate high quality comparative European research– Encourage the development of additional research centres– Infrastructure for training young researchers– Facilitate access to results of research for the wider

research community and for policy makers.

The network involve about 300-350 researchers from 14 partners (11 countries) across Europe in economics, political science, social policy and sociology www.equalsoc.org

Project period 2005-2010Coordinator Robert Erikson, SOFI

Budget € 4.100.000

Activities General Conferences and workshops. Fund comparative research projects. Travel, longer visits, and research assistance

Partners of the networkInstitutet för social forskning (SOFI), Stockholms UniversitetAmsterdam Instituut voor ArbeidsStudies (AIAS-SCHOLAR)Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), ParisUniversita Di TrentoEconomic and Social Research Institute ESRI, DublinMannheimer Zentrum fur Europäische Sozialforschung (MZES)Nuffield College, Oxford UniversityUniversita Degli Studi Di Milano-BicoccaUniversitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), BarcelonaUniversita Di TorinoUniversity of TartuWissenschaftzentrum Berlin (WZB)Centre for Social Policy (CSB), AntwerpCharles University, Prague

Six research groups

• EDUC: Education, Social Mobility and Social Cohesion

• EMPLOY: Employment and the Labour Market

• FAMNET: Family and Social Networks

• INCDIS: Income Distribution, Consumption and Income Mobility

• SOCCULT: Cultural and Social Differentiation

• TRALEG: Trust, Associations and Legitimacy

2008-2010: 34 on-going projects

Governing Council

Coordinator/ management

Scientific Committee

External advisory board

6 Research groupsData supportTraining and development.Comm. and dissemination

34 ongoing projects

workshops

Summer schools

Methods workshops

Websitewww.equalsoc.org

Newsletter

Applying for EU-grants

• Somewhat more complicated– For networks: be broad, i.e. countries, disciplines, research questions– EC require more detail in applications including person month budgets .– An approval does not mean that you will receive a pile of money

• Things to keep in mind (besides the application):– Flexibility

• A network core based on personal relations• Include institutes with previous EU-experience• Skilled administrators

– All costs may not be covered• Have a reserve and be prepared to wait for reimbursement• EC distribute 85% of the yearly budget. Remaining part is

reimbursed afterwards (after approval of all costs)

Disadvantages and potential problems

• Bureaucracy at the Commission and the member states

• Extensive reporting once a year– Financial

– Scientific, State of the art reports

• EC models for reimbursement– Additional cost models (50% co-financing)– Full cost models (100% financing)

• National interpretations of EC rules

• Different “cultures” may cause problems

Advantages

• Create new contacts. Bring about new co-operations

• Deepen existent contacts

• Facilitate access to European data (through EUROSTAT)

• Increase the research quality, get new ideas, perspectives

• Increase your competitiveness nationally and internationally

Above All

• Great opportunities for PhD students and Post Docs– Summer schools– Own personal contacts– Longer visits at different European institutes– New projects

Questions?

Disposition

1) Brief description of the network

2) Applying for EU-funding

3) Disadvantages

4) Advantages