10 December 2015 – Plenary Session

COFUND & CERN: furthering career development opportunities in Big Science

Seamus Hegarty, CERN

Synergies to fuel Researchers’ CareersLuxembourg, 10 – 11 December 2015

organised by

• CERN: European Interest Organization• CERN Fellowship Programme over 50 years old• Standard fellowship duration 2 years

• COFUND applied to the existing programme• Award a 3rd year to the highest-ranked applicants

• 4 FP7 + 1 H2020 COFUND successes• 185 researchers under FP7• 60 researchers will benefit under the H2020 grant• First 20 selected and arriving as of January 2016

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A potted history

• An additional layer of applicant evaluation at ranking time• The 60:40 funding ratio award 3rd year of Fellowship• Introduction of secondment possibility for up to 12 months• Under CERN employment contract• Under existing Special Paid Leave procedure

• External review when applying in 1st Call H2020• Strengthening collaboration with other beneficiaries• Encouraged us to develop further in follow-up

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The COFUND impact – structural

• Secondments• 22 secondments under FP7• Positive impact on career• Modest uptake understood due to LHC coming on stream and

researchers wanting to stay at CERN• Introduction of the Post-Career-Break Fellowship position• Four female researchers COFUNDed

• Creative advertising 2015• Video on impact• Posters for COFUND at CERN under FP7 and H2020

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The COFUND impact – new features

Find Your Way with COFUND Posters

• €/CHF exchange rate + the country coefficient for Switzerland• Flat rate in H2020• Gender balance: about 20% female• Application of the Mobility Rule under H2020• Many specialist researchers come to CERN as Users from

around the world but may be ineligible• Remaining competitive as a European lab is vital for CERN• The Mobility Rule is a potential barrier to maintaining

excellence in our field (note to self: argue for waiver!)• Selecting replacements when Fellows are recruited as staff

members by CERN departments early in their Fellowship!6

Challenges

• Great support from• Internal CERN services (HR, budget, legal)• Science and Technology Facilities Council (UK)• Swiss National Contact Point• Directorate General for Education and Culture• Research Executive Agency• Our Project Officers

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Support

• CERN is very proud to be involved in COFUND (and in the MC / MSC Actions in general) – and hopes to continue!

• COFUND has allowed us to open up more to researchers from outside Europe as well as attracting researchers back to Europe

• Feedback from researchers via questionnaire at end of contract• Very positive• Where are they now? questionnaire covering 3 grants planned

for 2016• Video: researchers who finished in 2012, 2015, started 2016

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Conclusions