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FP7 SSH Commentary –First Results
Christina BitterbergDLRGermanyTel.: + 49 228 3821 711Fax: + 49 228 3821 331E-Mail: [email protected]: www.net4society.eu/public/survey
Social Sciences and Humanities researchers rate EU funding as the key to internationalisation
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
Turnout of the survey
All in all: broad representation of countries
Questionnaire:• 466 participants from 39 countries• 8,5% of participants from Third Countries
Interviews:• 100 interviews from 29 countries
(9% Third Countries)
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
Main conclusions
• SSH researchers welcome FP7 as a uniqueopportunity for international collaboration– this is the major incentive to participation
• The low success rate of the SSH programme– esp. in combination with the high effort of application is a major barrier for participation
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
What are the main reasons why you and/or your research team did apply for FP7 Calls? - up to 3 statements possible -
14
45
58
59
59
99
125
144
165
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Other
We want to contribute to the development of aEuropean Research Area
I already participated in earlier EU ResearchFramework Programmes and made good experiences
An FP7-project might improve the access to furtherresearch funding
FP7-projects provide prestige
The topic of the project required a European approach
FP7 funding was crucial to finance the project
Collaborating with international partners mightincrease the quality of research results
FP7-projects are a good opportunity for internationalnetworking
n= 279
1. Opportunityforinternational networking
2. International collaborationincreasesresearchquality
3. Funding
Participationincentives
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
Participation barriers
Main barriers:
1. Effort & complexity of application2. Low success rate3. Difficulties with consortium building
Only 1 in 5 researchers agreesthat the SSH success rate issufficient to safeguard participation of excellent researchers in the longterm
"Half a year of proposalpreparation for - in our
case - a chance of 1 in 27 to be funded - that isa barrier to participation."
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
Opinions on theevaluation process
• Survey participants were devided in their opinions on quality of evaluation process
Recommendations for improvement were however:• Feedback of ESRs should be more
detailed and clear-cut• Rules for ranking of proposals (esp. with identical
scores) need to become more transparent• Selection of evaluators should be improved esp. with
regard to very interdisciplinary proposals
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
SSH in FP7
• Interview partners believed that in general there is a high awareness of the relevance of FP7 as the largest SSH programme worldwide
• But they also remarked that this might differ betweendisciplines and that participation in the programme isperceived as being very complicated
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
Theme 8 „SSH“
Positive:…is effective in supporting international and cross-disciplinary research…is attractive for the best qualified researchers…reflects the most relevant issues of the SSH community
Critical issues:…success rate is not adequate…inclusion of humanities is not sufficient
Most researchers believe that topics should be included that are moreopenly phrased – more room for flexibility
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
Funding schemes
Interviews: Which FP7 funding schemesin „Cooperation“ are relevant for you?
91%
27%
23%
21%
13%
12%
5%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
CP – small or medium scale
CSA
CP – large scale
SICA
Network of Excellence
BSG – CSO
BSG – SMEs n = 94
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
New approach –„Societal Challenges“
• About 40% of questionnaire participants, 50% of interview partners were familiarwith new approach
• Researchers were devided in their opinions on „SocietalChallenges“ (1/3 positive, 1/3 negative, 1/3 undecided)
• Only 1 in 3 voted for more challenges, less conventional topics in future work programmes
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
New approach –„Societal Challenges“
• Rather positively evaluated aspects: focus on societalchallenges, multidisciplinarity
• Rather negatively evaluated aspects: size of consortia(management effort, consortium building), effort of proposal preparation, only 1 project per challenge, difficult for newcomers
"It is a big risk to put all your eggs in
one basket!"
“It is a good and suitable solution – as a partner not
as a coordinator”
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
SSH in other themes / programmesthan Theme 8 „SSH“
Which of the following programmes of FP7 are significant enough for you to consider them for proposal submission?
69
86
130
145
117
151
186
10
8
21
15
57
33
22
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
"Research for the benefit of SMEs" within SpecificProgramme "Capacities"
"Research Infrastructures" within Specific Programme"Capacities"
"Science in Society" within Specific Programme"Capacities"
"International Cooperation" within Specific Programme"Capacities"
Other Themes than Theme 8 "SSH" within thespecific Programme "Cooperation"
Specific Programme "Ideas" (ERC)
Specific Programme "People"/Marie Curie Actions
Significant I submitted a proposaln= 370
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
Integration of SSH in otherCooperation Themes
• In principle interdisciplinary projects incl. SSH withinother themes are welcomed
• But: 2 out of 3 survey participants are unsatisfied withthe integration of SSH aspects in other „Cooperation“Themes, particular difficulties: consortium building, evaluation
• integration should be improved & better communicated
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
„Ideas“ - ERC
• 50% of questionnaire participants rate ERC as significantenough for them to consider proposal submission:
Is the specific Programme "Ideas"/European Research Council significant enough for you to consider it for proposal submission?
Significant40,8%
I submitted a proposal8,9%
Not Significant17,0%
Not applicable11,4%
I don't know this programme
21,9%N=370
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
„Ideas“ - ERC
• ERC is rated as attractive esp. due to bottom-upapproach and One-principle-investigator-approach.
• However: unattractive about ERC is itscompetetiveness and low success rate / someresearchers prefer collaborative projects
• Interviews: Theme 8 SSH and ERC are complementary
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
FP7 Impact - Internationalisation
To what extent was your partnership already shaped before the start of proposal preparation?
Other; 2; 0,8%
A new partnership was constituted for the projec
proposal; 60; 25,0%
We were asked to join an existing group; 27; 11,3%
We had a core partnership already
existing from another projects and extended it
with new partners; 74; 30,8%
Most (more than half) of the partners have been
working together already on previous projects;
64; 26,7%
No clear opinion; 13; 5,4%
N=240
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
FP7 Impact - Internationalisation
Do you expect project partnerships to continue beyond the durationof the project?
This partnership did not continue/w ill probably not
continue after the completion of the project;
16; 13,4%
Other; 6; 5,0%
No clear opinion; 6; 5,0%The partnership w ent on/w ill go on,
independently of funding by the EU; 37; 31,1%
The partnership sought and received/w ill seek
new sources of funding by the EU; 54; 45,4%
N=119
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
Project results
• Questionnaire: In the assessment of researchers within funded projects, the project outcomes were more relevant for research than for policy:
So far what are the outcomes of the FP7 projects(s) you are/were involved in?- Please tick all that are applicable -
5
6
20
24
33
37
47
48
48
56
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
No clear opinion
Other
The project has just started - it is too early for such a statement
… the growth of new research projects supported by otherresearch funding programmes
… the production of policy recommendations
… research outcomes with strong relevance for policy initiatives
… the development of interdisciplinary approaches/meaningfulcooperation between disciplines
… research of wider European coverage than was previously thecase
… significant progress in comparative research methodologyand data
… significant progress beyond the state-of-the-art through newideas/concepts
The
proj
ect(s
) has
/hav
e le
d to
…
N=115
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
Impact - objectives
• Clear majority of interview partners stated that objectives/ impact in WP was indeed very relevant in their projects
• Too much policy-orientation in SSH WP? Researchers are devided in their opinions(1/3: yes; 1/3: no; 1/3: neither agree nor disagree)
• Difficulties concerning impact (interview partners):- impact focus might limit research perspective- impact is difficult to measure
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
International Cooperation
• Survey participants from Third Countries in general were very positive about FP7
• Majority of Third Country researchers stated thatscope of topics was relevant for them, objectives: some are relevant, others were not
• Researchers from Third Countries needparticularly help with consortium building(partner search services, networking opportunities)
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
Gender
• Majority of interview partners rate integration of genderaspects in all FP7 SSH research as importantDoubts that this is properly implemented in the project
• Questionnaire: nearly 50% agree that gender aspectsare adequately integrated in SSH work programmes, but29% disagree, 24% neither agree nor disagree
NET4SOCIETY. 15th December 2010
Recommendations
Recommendations, expressed by interview partners:
• Simplification!• More budget for Theme 8 SSH – reduce number
of excellent proposals not being funded!• Some topics should be more openly phrased
(„bottom-up character“)• Concentrate on Small & medium scale focused
research projects and more funded projects per topic(to gain more than just one perspective)!
• More humanities!