Getting Involved in

Horizon 2020Dr Alex Berry, European Advisor

15 December 2015, Royal Holloway

alexandra.berry@bbsrc.ac.uk

• UKRO

• Horizon 2020 – an overview

• H2020 – the basics of participation

• H2020 – getting involved

Agenda

• UKRO is the office of the seven UK Research Councils in Brussels and delivers a subscription-based advisory service for around 150 research organisations in the UK and beyond.

• Our mission is to maximise UK engagement in EU-funded research, innovation and higher education

• UKRO also provides National Contact Point services on the European Research Council and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions on behalf of the UK Government.

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Horizon 2020An Overview

• The EU's funding programme for research and innovation

• Runs for seven years from 2014 – 2020

• Almost €80 billion of funding

• Structured around three pillars including a wide range of different funding schemes

• Covering the entire cycle from research to innovation – from basic research to bringing ideas to the market

• Focus on societal challenges EU society is facing (e.g. health, clean energy, food security, integrated transport)

• Opportunities for individual researchers and groups of researchers, including individual grants, funding for European collaborative research, mobility, close to market activities

Horizon 2020 overview

Horizon 2020 Structure

Excellent Science

European Research Council (ERC)

Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Research Infrastructures

Industrial Leadership

Leadership in Enabling and

Industrial Technologies (LEIT) - ICT, NMBP, Space

Access to Risk Finance

Innovation in SMEs

Societal Challenges

Health and Wellbeing

Food security

Transport

Energy

Climate action

Societies

Security

Widening Participation; Science with and for Society, Mainstreaming of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) and ICT, Fast Track to Innovation

European Institute of Innovation and

Technology (EIT)EURATOM

Joint Research Centre (JRC)

• Two-year programmes setting out Horizon 2020 funding opportunities – they explain what is funded (topics, grant schemes) and the expected policy impact

• Developed by the European Commission

• Consultation happens via advisory boards, Member State Programme Committee

• Calls for proposals give details on the timeline (deadline, evaluation, results) and the eligibility criteria

A Work Programme?

http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/funding/reference_docs.html#h2020-work-programmes

Horizon 2020The Basics of Participation

http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/home.html

Participant Portal

• Variety of instruments available (individual grants, funding for collaboration, prizes…)

• What is the scale of funding required?

• What form of funding do you need?

• Does your project idea have European Added Value (required in most cases)?

H2020 – is it for me?

• Money to do your own thing?

– Bottom up opportunities: ERC, FET open (with collaborators), MSCA (ITNs, IFs)

• Chance to get involved?

– Become a partner on a collaborative project

• Chance to lead a big project?

– Coordinate a collaborative project

• Chance to collaborate with industry to see an innovative idea take off?

– Partner/coordinator of a collaborative project – particularly at the market readiness end of the continuum

• Capacity building opportunity?

– MSCA (ITNs, IFs)

• Knowledge exchange?

– MSCA (RISE, ITNs), collaborative projects (innovation actions)

• Scope potential collaboration opportunities for the future?

– COST – www.cost.eu

• Mobility?

– MSCA (IF, RISE)

H2020- What are you looking for?

• All 28 EU Member States (MS)

• Overseas Countries and Territories linked to the MS– Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman

Islands, Curaçao, Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, Greenland, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Pitcairn Islands, Saba, Saint Barthélémy, Saint Helena, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Turks and Caicos Islands, Wallis and Futuna

• Associated Countries: – Norway, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic

of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Israel, Moldova, Switzerland (partial association Pillar 1 + SEWP + Euratom), Faroe Islands + Tunisia and Ukraine pending approval)

• Third countries (whether they can receive funding depends on GDP/list in WP)

• BRIC no longer automatically eligible for funding

Who is eligible?

Research and innovation actions (RIA)/ Innovation actions (IA)

‘Traditional’ multi-national, multi-partner collaborative projects

Coordination and support actions (CSA)

Actions consisting primarily of accompanying measures, e.g. standardisation, dissemination, networking

SME instrument SMEs only – research can be subcontracted to HEIs

ERA-NET Cofund actions Programmes run by network of national funders in specific field, part-funded by the EU from Horizon 2020. Issue calls for proposals in their own funding regimes.

European Joint Programme (EJP) Cofund actions

Action designed to support coordinated national research and innovation programmes

Pre-Contractual Procurement (PCP) actions

Public sector buys R&D to steer development of its solutions to its needs

Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions (PPI) actions

Public sectors acts as launching customer/early adopter/first buyer for innovative products and services

Prizes All or nothing specific competitive calls – content varies

H2020 - Types of Action

plus ERC frontier research actionsand training and mobility actions

• Basic model for research projects– 100% eligible direct costs +

– Flat rate of 25% of total eligible direct costs, not including subcontracting, for indirect costs (overheads)

• Basic model for “innovation” projects– 70% eligible direct costs +

– Flat rate of 25% of total eligible direct costs, not including subcontracting, for indirect costs (overheads)

– For non-profit legal entities involved in innovation projects: 100% direct costs

• Same model applies for ERC and for Coordination and Support projects

• Some calls different – e.g. inducement prizes

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – unit costs

H2020 - Funding

• Apply through Research and Innovation Participant Portal

• Relevant templates will be provided under the ‘Submission Service’ for each topic, inc. structure, page limits, etc.

• Will need to create ECAS account (through ‘register’ button at top of Participant Portal home page

• Coordinator initiates process, gives partners access

• Deadlines are absolute

• Can submit unlimited no. of times up until the call deadline

Process

• First stage: short form template; evaluates excellence criteria & relevance to topic impacts

• Can be short-turn around between first-stage results & second stage deadlines

• No substantial changes should be made at second stage, i.e.– Conceptual basis / methodology changed

– Objectives significantly altered, particularly w.r.t. state of the art

– Expected impact no longer same as at Stage 1

• Changes to budget / partnership not considered substantive changes on their own…

Two-stage calls

Horizon 2020Getting involved

• Read the topic in the context of the work programme– Overarching introduction to H2020 WP

– Specific WP chapter introduction

• What are the relevant EU strategies and policies?

• Is there any cross over with other areas of Horizon 2020? E.g. Digital Security relevant to SC7, SC1, LEIT ICT

• Useful summary of Horizon 2020 areas in UKRO factsheets: https://www.ukro.ac.uk/subscriber/Pages/factsheets.aspx

Considering Topics within their Work

Programme

• Structure reflects challenge-based approach:– Specific challenge: sets context, the problem to be address, why

intervention is necessary

– Scope: delineates the problem, specifies the focus and the boundaries of the potential action, but without being overly prescriptive

– Expected impact: describes the key elements of what is expected to be achieved in relation to the specific challenge

• Evaluation (and therefore success) reflects this structure

• Example topic: Societal Challenge 2 (Food Security) - SFS-16-2017: Bee health and sustainable pollination

Interpreting the Topic

Contact National Contact Points for advice

• What is the nature of the challenge posed by the topic?

• Are there any specific requirements in terms of:– Particular stakeholder types

– Should project be industry-led?

– Is there an international (beyond Europe) component?

– Is the use of a specific data source mentioned?

– Any particular gender or RRI aspects?

– Does it specifically ask for SSH involvement?

• Does your proposal satisfy the impact requirement in the topic?

• What is the funding vehicle? TRL specified?

• What is the suggested budget window and what does it imply about consortium size / project duration?

Questions to Think About

• Participation options

– Coordinator = responsible for leading the project, managing the project finances and representing the Consortium vis-à-vis the Commission

– Partner = responsible for delivering its part of the project and managing its share of the funding

• Third parties:

– Sub-contractor = contracted by one of the beneficiaries to carry out specialised tasks that are not ‘core’ project tasks

– Other third party = making available its resources to a beneficiary or in very specific cases carrying out parts of the work on behalf of a beneficiary

Participation in LEIT and Societal

Challenges

Be

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Co-ordinator

– Prepares and submits proposal

– Links with the Commission (is the only point of contact for the Commission) and the

consortium members

– Organises scientific and project management meetings

– Maintains the Consortium agreement

– Administers EU financing, makes payments to partners

– Needs to keep record of how the financing is distributed

– Reviews reports to the Commission

– Monitors compliance of partners with grant agreement

– Responsible for management of grant – amendments, extensions, non-performance of

partners …

None of these tasks can be subcontracted!

Partner

– Works on their work package(s)

– Submits reports to co-ordinator

Co-ordinator or Partner?

• Think carefully if you have no management experience and no experience of EC funding

• (Small role in a project led by someone with prior experience may be the best first step)

• Project usually co-ordinated by Member or Associated State partner

Forming a Consortium?

• Normally - at least 3 legal entities from 3 different EU member states or Horizon 2020 Associated Countries

• Additional legal entities depending on project

• Strong emphasis on ‘Innovation’ in Horizon 2020 – where appropriate include non-academic sector partners e.g. SMEs

• Mention of international collaboration with e.g. BRIC doesn’t guarantee funding

• Consider:– Who you have worked well with before

– What your expectations are

– Budget, IPR, management issues as early as possible

What Should My Consortium Look Like?

• Can be the easiest way to get involved

• BUT be sure that it is right for you– What do you know about the consortium and its members?

– Do you know who is Co-ordinating it?

– Is the project appropriate for you?

– Are you happy with your proposed role?

– Are you happy with your proposed funding?

– Have you checked this with your organisation – it is the organisation that will be the ‘partner’, not you

• The consortium can change up until the contract is signed (if successful)

Invited to Join a Consortium?

• Be focused and know what you want to do

• Find out who the key researchers are

• Take up all opportunities for contact

• Raise your profile

• Consider what your ‘unique selling point’ is

• Attend EC Information days – good networking opportunity

• Use networks and JPIs, ETPs etc to “advertise” your availability

Looking to Join a Consortium?

How to Find Partners

• Existing contacts – normally most suitable/effective• FP7 Projects: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/projects_en.html• EU conferences (including events on the calls) and project

evaluation • European Enterprise Network• European Technology Platforms:

http://cordis.europa.eu/technology-platforms• Commission websites including Participant Portal• Partner searches:

- NCPs

- CORDIS

- Enterprise Europe Network

- Social Media? (Linked-in etc)

• Can be invaluable to meet in person to talk through ideas with potential collaborators - use UKRO meeting room?

• Is there any resource to meet:– From your institution

– From other sources of funding, e.g. BBSRC ‘European Partnering Awards’

• European Partnering awards are small awards for BBSRC grant holders covering travel and subsistence to meet with the aim of developing and submitting Horizon 2020 bids

Meeting with Partners to Discuss Proposal

Idea

http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/internationalfunding/europe.aspx

• Sign-up as an expert

• Commission maintains a database of independent expertsNeed high level expertise in research or innovation in any scientific and technological field, including managerial aspects and industry expertise

• Have at least a university degree

• Have to be available for occasional, short-term assignments

• List of Horizon 2020 expert evaluators

Becoming an Evaluator