Designing Horizon 2020 – The case of the Socio-economic Sciences and

Humanities

Monique Septon, Fund for Scientific Research-FNRSHorisondil on Horisont, Tallinn, Feb. 26, 2013

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Horizon 2020 & SSH

The Fund for Scientific Research- FNRS

DEVELOP BASIC RESEARCHDEVELOP BASIC RESEARCH

Bottom Up

Bottom Up

Scientific ExcellenceScientific

Excellence

Individuals

Individuals ProjectsProjects

EquipmentEquipment

MobilityMobility

Research Funding Agency (b.1928)

Private foundation of public interest

International Department

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Horizon 2020 - Negociations

Horizon 2020 - Negociations

H2020 – Objectives and Structure

Challenge 6 - Europe in a Changing World – Inclusive, innovative, reflective societiesChallenge 7 - Secure societies

Challenge 6 - Europe in a Changing World – Inclusive, innovative, reflective societiesChallenge 7 - Secure societies

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H2020 – A Belgian experience…. 1/3

Once upon a time (July ‘10)...

COUNCIL

Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU – Workshop on simplification with MEPs, LERU… Led to a WG on simplification by the Belgian Permanent Representation: reps from

Ministries, universities, enterprises…

FWB universities and BE position papers on Simplification

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Council - Informal Ministerial Group on Simplification

Born Belgian Presidency. RIP Danish Presidency

Two reports – Few meetings, lots of exchange of information

Members: FR, SW, BE (eg FNRS), HUN, PL+DK, SP

H2020 – A Belgian experience…. 2/3

Commission: Green Paper: Common Strategic Framework

consultation Feb’11– 775 PP, 1300 responses to online

questionnaire, included Belgian universities

Commission Proposal on H2020, Nov. ‘11

Creation of a WG H2020 by Belgian Perm Rep – Universities PP

and Belgium PP

H2020 – A Belgian experience…. 3/3

EP : Participation to debates – M. Graça de Carvalho

Bilateral discussions with BE MEPS

Council : ongoing help requested by RP in various fields : EIT, full costing, Societal challenges).

Unified front?

Belgian Interuniversity WG Horizon 2020, 28 Feb ‘13

Rules for Participation: Funding costs testing – Paper, European Institute of Innovation and

Technology

The FNRS…et al

Science Europe – Major player

ETAG and FNRS among founding members

51 members, 26 countries, 30b€/yr

Develop coherent and inclusive European Research Area

Iglo Group (« ask Kristi »)

Net4Society, almost 50 countries, e.g. Estonia (Archimedes)

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Lobbying activities (2011-ongoing?)

Common Strategic Framework: lobby for strong integration of SSH in

future FP (no name at the time)

Presentation of Net4Soc PP at EP

Participation to preparatory workshops on SSH/H2020

Letter to COM official on separation of SSH and security challenges in

H2020

Open letter to MGQ with other orgs on independent challenge

Found an umbrella organisation for European SSH stakeholders:

European Alliance on Social Sciences and Humanities (EASSH)

Presentation to MGQ of open letter and Vienna Declaration

WRITING

1 – Newsletter The voice of SSH in Europe

2 - Success Stories of SSH ImpactSSH results shape policy and legislative actions

Impact of SSH difficult to measure, low visibility

Publication of success stories with impact on research and policy,

society, economy

WORKSHOPWorkshop – Learning by doing (Jan ‘13) – Make interdisclinarity

work (ID)

Special focus on SSH

Speakers: FP6-7 funded projects (cooperation programme)

Audience of EU officials (relay), research managers, scientists

Aim: identify successful paths for making multi- and interdisciplinarity effective

Recommendations: Advancing ID research is a process and a new mindset

must be cultivated

Will lead to policy briefing, serve as basis for Pillar 3

Intro : Disciplines are social constructs but… (see EPSRC)

Idea behind funding the presented projects: use available results of

previous projects and integrate disciplines (cohorts, data, analysis

of a specific region, specific challenge…)

Some projects managed to create a roadmap on future research

(eg ageing), draw scenarios on global changes, combine different

disciplines

But other projects had difficulties in cooperation, leader, some

disciplines represented, little flexibility, lack of time…

Conclusion: ID/SSHmarginally present so far (COM)

The Sixth Challenge, the Seventh cloud, the eigth wonder…

From « Inclusive, Innovative and Secure Societies” to “Europe in

a Changing World (inclusive, innovative and reflective societies)”

and “Secure societies”

Variations in text from COM proposal to EP to Council – Budget

allocation needs to take into account the new structure

EP amendments to take out components from Challenge 6 (e.g.

Cohesion) and put them elsewhere

Vienna Declaration on Social Innovation (Sept 11): 14 research topics

prioritised

Europe 2020 – Designing research for European societies in a

changing world (18 Sept 12), EP/BMBF

Bringing forward interdisciplinary research in general but also within

the particular SSH

Ch Ehler (EP, Rapporteur RfP H2020) : excellence, increase of COM

proposal budget

RJ Smits (Dir Gnl, DG RTDI): SSH= major role change of mind set,

examples, make ID work

Science Europe & SSH

Position Statement Jan ‘13

Embedding Social Sciences and Humanities in H2020 - Societal Challenges

“SSH will play an important role” (MGQ, RJ Smits) but clear strategy

needed

Recommendations

- SSH research and researchers should be properly embedded in the decision

making about how the societal challenges are developed and implemented

- A number of ‘SSH cross-cutting themes’ should be embedded in all societal

challenges

- The budget frame for vital research on social, cultural and economic questions

must be set appropriately

- Non-academic partners should be broadly defined in H2020

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