Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation

SOST - Oportunidades para entidades españolas en Widening

dentro de Horizonte Europa

Patricio Ortiz de la Torre

Head of Sector - Research Executive Agency -

Unit B.5

Specific eligibility criteria for WIDENING

• Particular political objectives of WIDENING in H2020

• Necessitate a targeted approach to help those participants with low performance in R&I

• H2020 legal text >>"low performing RDI Member States and regions”

Eligibility Criterion: The Composite Indicator of Research Excellence

Threshold: MS below 70% of the EU

average

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"Low RDI Performing" or "Widening" Countries:

15 MS: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,

Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia

12 AC: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,

Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine

The Widening Package under H2020

Actions in H2020 Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation:

• Teaming -> institution building

• Twinning -> institutional networking

• ERA Chairs -> bringing excellence to institutions

• NCPs -> information, communication, support

• Policy Support Facility -> support for R&I Policy design

• COST -> stimulating cross border science networks (50% funding

under SEWP, implementation by COST Association)

• (“Widening Fellowships” jointly implemented with MSCA)

Total Budget in H2020 ~ € 900 million

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Teaming in H2020

Objective:

Creation of new (or significant upgrade of existing) Centres of Excellence in low R&I performing or "Widening" countries

The Partnership: 2 parties in each Teaming project

• (1) the COORDINATOR from a "Widening" country (must be a national/regional authority, research funding agency, university or res. organisation)

• (2) a university or res. organisation with an international reputation in R&I excellence (from all EU28 or AC)

Implementation in 2 Phases

5

• Phase 1: Funding the development of a Business Plan for the new/upgraded Centre of Excellence facilitated by a teaming process with a leading counterpart in Europe.

• Phase 2: Subject to the quality of the proposal for Phase 2, and the financial commitment for the project from other sources, the Commission may provide substantial financial support (max. €15 million) for the first steps of implementation (5-7 years) of the Centre covering administrative, personnel and operational costs as well as "minor" support for equipment and consumables.

Teaming: Scheme Design - CSA

Twinning: Aim, Objectives & Partnership Aim of the action:

Strengthen a defined field of research in a university or research organisation

from a Widening country by linking it with at least two internationally-leading

research institutions in other Member States or Associated Countries.

Main objectives:

• Enhance the S&T capacity of the institutions

• Raise the research profile of the institution and of its research staff

The Partners:

• ONE institution located in a "Widening" MS/AC (COORDINATOR)

• A minimum of TWO additional partners from two different MS or AC other than the country of the coordinator.

Twinning: Design & Activities - CSA Activities supported:

• Short term staff exchanges; expert visits and short-term training; workshops;

conference attendance; dissemination, networking and outreach activities.

• Infrastructure, equipment & research costs (except for training) will NOT be

funded.

Project Duration:

• up to 3 years (eligibility condition)

Project Size:

• up to €1 / 0.8 / 0.9 million (eligibility condition)

ERA Chairs - Objectives

Objectives of the action:

• Bring high quality researchers and managers (the ERA Chair and his/her team) to universities and other research organisations with the potential for research excellence;

• Help implement structural changes to achieve excellence on a sustainable basis.

Participants

• One single applicant (mono-beneficiary action) located in a Widening country;

• The applicant may come from any research field but connected with the ERA Chair holder expertise to fully capitalise on his/her presence.

Proposal

• Bottom-up approach in the field of research but connected with the ERA Chair holder expertise to fully capitalise on his/her presence;

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ERA Chairs: Design & Impact

ERA Chair holder

• Should be an outstanding researcher and research manager with a proven record of leadership;

• The ERA Chair appointment must follow an open and merit-based recruitment process, must be appointed in a full time position, can be of any nationality;

• The institution should ensure commitment and the necessary autonomy towards the ERA Chair.

Project Duration:

• up to 5 years (eligibility condition)

Project Size:

• up to €2.5 million (eligibility condition)

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Overall policy expectations

• TEAMING light house project in national research system,

contribute to reform processes

• TWINNING development of excellence and research profile in a

defined R&I field

• ERA CHAIRS game changer in host organisation by excellent

individual + his/her team

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H2020 Widening results and success rates

CallProposals

submitted

Projects

Funded

Call Success

RateProject Size

Teaming Phase 1 - WIDESPREAD-2014-1 169 31 18% €0.4 mil.

Teaming Phase 1 -WIDESPREAD-04-2017 208 30 14% €0.5 mil.

Teaming Phase 1 TOTAL 377 61 16%

Teaming Phase 2 - WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017 30 11 37% €15 mil.

Teaming Phase 2 - WIDESPREAD-01-2018-2019 43 14 33% €15 mil.

Teaming Phase 2 TOTAL 73 25 34%

ERA Chairs -WIDESPREAD- 2014-2 88 14 16% €2.5 mil.

ERA Chairs -WIDESPREAD- 03-2017 103 13 13% €2.5 mil.

ERA Chairs -WIDESPREAD- 04-2019 106 12 11% €2.5 mil.

ERA Chairs -WIDESPREAD- 06-2020* 113 20 18% €2.5 mil.

ERA Chairs TOTAL 410 59 14%

Twinning - TWINN - 2015 553 67 12% €1 mil.

Twinning - WIDESPREAD- 05-2017 483 30 6% €1 mil.

Twinning - WIDESPREAD- 03-2018 460 37 8% €0.8 mil.

Twinning - WIDESPREAD- 05-2020* 439 77 18% €0.9 mil.

Twinning TOTAL 1.935 211 11%

TOTAL 2.795 356 13%

* Under Grant Agreement Preparation phase

Global figures (projects + GAPs) • 12 calls for proposals:

• 3 actions: Teaming, Twinning, ERA chairs

• 4 calls / action

• Total participations ~ 1.450

• 453 Teaming - of which 150 Teaming phase 1

• 902 Twinning

• 59 ERA Chairs

• Total EU contribution ~750 M€

• ~400 M€ Teaming - avg EU support = 1,00 M€

• ~200 M€ Twinning - avg EU support = 0,21 M€

• ~150 M€ ERA Chairs - avg EU support = 2,48 M€

EU Contribution and Participation

EU Contribution Total in projects ~750 M€

Total n. of Participants (~1.450) by action

EU contribution & Participants Widening vs Advanced partners

Participación Española (1)

• Coord: BU, CY, CZ, EE, HR, MT, PL, PT, RO, SK & SL / RS, TN & TR

• En 31 Proyectos (+13 en GAP)

• 36 Beneficiarios (+14 in GAP)

• Contribución UE: 6,4 MEUR (4,7 TW

+ 1,7 T) (+2,15MEUR GAP)

• Media Contribución UE / Beneficiario:

206 KEUR

Participación Española (2)

• The project aims to upgrade the existing Centre of excellence for ceramics, glass and silicate materials (CEKSiM) in Trenčín, Slovakia

• Coordinator: Prof. Dušan Galusek, Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín, Slovakia • Funding: 15 000 000 EUR • Duration: 84 months (01/03/2017 - 31/12/2023) • Partners:

• prof. Enrico Bernardo, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova

• prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini, Institute of Biomaterials, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg

• prof. Lothar Wondraczek, Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research, FSU

• prof. Alicia Durán, Institute of Ceramic and Glass, Spanish National Research Centre

• https://www.funglass.eu/

FunGlass: Centre for Functional and Surface Functionalized Glass

• The objective of the project is to create the Centre of Excellence ENSEMBLE3, on research excellence and innovation performance in the area of crystal growth-based technologies, novel functional materials with innovative electromagnetic properties, and applications in nanophotonics, optoelectronics and medicine.

ENSEMBLE3: Centre of ExcelleNce for nanophotonicS, advancEd Materials and novel crystal growth-Based technoLogiEs

• Coordinator: SIEC BADAWCZA LUKASIEWICZ - INSTYTUT TECHNOLOGII MATERIALOW ELEKTRONICZNYCH

• Funding: 14 999 828 EUR

• Duration: 84 months (01/10/2019 - 30/09/2026)

• http://ensemble3.eu/

Oportunidades

No hay más convocatorias en H2020 – esperar a HE, pero…

ERA Chairs 2019 (12 en marcha) & 2020 (20 en GAP):

Selección de los ERA Chairs

Teaming:

25 CdE en marcha: Publicación de puestos investigadores

Twinning: 13 nuevos proyectos con beneficiarios españoles

Horizon Europe:

Regiones ultraperiféricas

Portugal

Portugal

• TW 2015: BLUEandGREEN, LINK & STRONGMAR

• TW 2018: IMpaCT, DEEPFIELD & TWIND

Lessons learnt from core actions:

• Overall high acceptance and encouraging results for Teaming, Twinning and ERA Chairs, high oversubscription

• For Teaming the quality of the partnership with the advanced partner is essential

• Availability of national/regional co-financing instrumental for sustainability of Teaming projects, need to improve synergies with structural funds

• Sustainability & Autonomy of the CoE

• For Twinning clear definition of the scientific strategy for excellence in the relevant research field (incl. joint research projects, enlarging the scope and research partnership) is instrumental – research costs

• Consideration needs to be given to the benefits for the 'advanced partners' and the way they would materialise through the partnership - added value to the project

• For ERA Chairs quality, independence and autonomy of chair holders instrumental for success

• Institutional environment and bureaucracy sometimes obstacles

Where we are now – the broader picture? Evidence from Horizon 2020 mid- term assessment, Lamy report, and internal studies and analyses of the Commission and the European Parliament demonstrates that:

• Participation gap still existing, i.e. only 5.6% financial contribution in Horizon 2020 to EU 13 with slightly increasing trend

• Strong regional disparities in R&I performance

• Quality and commitment of national support systems such as NCP still variable and instrumental for success

• Need for structural reforms at institutional, (regional) and national level still important

• Need to improve administrative and managerial capacities in EU13 institutions

• Budget, synergies and third country association still pending, depending on the overall MFF negotiations

• Commission has started preparations for the implementation of Horizon Europe

European Parliament and Council reached a common understanding on Horizon Europe on 19 March 2019

Horizon Europe: Preliminary structure

Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area

Reforming and Enhancing the European R&I system Widening participation and spreading excellence

Pillar 1 Excellent Science

European Research Council

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Research Infrastructures

Pillar 3 Innovative Europe

European Innovation Council

European innovation

ecosystems

European Institute of Innovation

and Technology

Pillar 2 Global Challenges and European

Industrial Competitiveness

• Health

• Culture, Creativity and Inclusive

Society

• Civil Security for Society

• Digital, Industry and Space

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

• Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources,

Agriculture and Environment

Joint Research Centre C

luste

rs

• Commission proposal for budget: €100 billion* (2021-2027)

Widening participation/spreading excellence

15 Member States and 9

outermost regions eligible

for coordinators

At least 3.3% budget

Teaming ERA-Chairs Excellence initiatives

Brain circulation

Match-making

National Contact

Point (NCP)

Support

Pre-proposal

checks

Recognition of

participation

Hop-on

EXCELLENCE Foster participation

Facilitate collaborative links

Contribute to reducing R&I divide

Twinning COST

Way forward towards Horizon Europe: • More integrated policy approach and enhanced synergies with European Structural

and Investment Funds (ESIF), transnational missions, smart specialisation strategies ERA

• Continuation of core widening instruments with some improvements in response to lessons learnt

• Research cost for CSA eligible under widening: to keep CSA

• More emphasis on focussing management capacities

• Fixed list of eligible countries to host the main beneficiary (EU13 + PT + EL) based on new indicators and internal study

• EU outermost regions fully eligible to host the co-ordinator

• Common understanding: At least 3.3 % of Horizon Europe budget for widening

• Geographical distribution

• Teaming: 2 phases? CoE Coordinator?

• Twinning: longer?

• ERAChair: 2 beneficiaries?

Thank you

© European Union 2020

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