H2020
MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE ACTIONS
Innovative Training Networks
(ITN)
Information Event :Brussel 16 November 2015
Barbara MESTER
Head of Operational Sector
MSCA-Innovative Training Network
Contents
1. What are ITNs?
• ETN
• EID
• EJD
2. Evaluation Criteria
3. Ethics
4. Evaluation
5. Tricks and Tips
Information? Application?
Participant Portal
H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016
 Work Programme (WP)
 Guide for Applicants (GfA)
 FAQs
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/
en/opportunities/h2020/topics/2056-msca-itn-2016.html
What are ITNs?
Excellent science
European Research Council
€ 13.1 B
Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
€ 6.1 B
Future and Emerging Technologies
€ 2.7 B
European research infrastructures
(including eInfrastructures)
€ 2.5 B
ITN Objectives
• Train innovative and entrepreneurial early-stage
researchers
• Raise excellence and structure in doctoral/early-stage
research training
• Provide skills relevant for innovation and long term
employability
• Improved career perspectives of researchers through
international, interdisciplinary, intersectoral mobility
• Attractive working and employment conditions.
• Collaboration between academic and non-academic
sectors
ITN implementation modes
ETN
EID
European
Training
Networks
European
Industrial
Doctorates
EJD
European
Joint
Doctorates
Participants implement
a joint research programme
Doctoral training with the
non-academic sector
Doctoral programme to
deliver joint degrees
317 M€
25 M€
28 M€
~93 projects
~20 projects
Research fields chosen freely by applicants
(CHE, ECO, ENG, ENV, LIF, MAT, PHY, SOC)
~8 projects
Common Features
Activities
International networks of organisations
Joint research training / doctoral programme*
Keywords:
Inter-nationality
Inter-sectorality
Inter-disciplinarity
*any scientific domain except areas of research
covered by the EURATOM Treaty
Common Features
Activities
 Individual research projects embedded in an overall project
 Structured training courses
lectures, turorials..
 Exchanges of knowledge within network and exposure to
non-academic sector
visits and secondments
Network–wide training activities
interdisciplinar/intersectoral seminars, workshops, summer
schools …
 Training in transferable skills
entrepreneurship, management, IPR, communication, ethics,
grant writing
Common Features
 Quality supervision and career guidance
 Communication & Dissemination
 Public engagement
 Open Access (Open Research Data)
 Supervisory board
 Consortium Agreement
 Duration of normally 48 months
 ESR support between 3 and 36 months
 Trans-national mobility
Open Access
Publications
Peer-reviewed publications must be deposited in open access
repositories = Free of charge on-line access
Data
Optional "Data Management Pilot": If option is chosen, the
proposal must contain a data management plan:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/grant
s_manual/hi/oa_pilot/h2020-hi-oa-data-mgt_en.pdf
ESR:
Only Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs):
 ≤ 4 years of research experience
 no PhD yet
Mobility Rule
But no restrictions based on nationality
•
No main activity in country of host organisation for more than
12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to (first)
recruitment.
•
Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as
holidays are not taken into account.
•
IF international organisations: no main activity for more than
12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to recruitment at
the same organisation.
mobility calculated at date of recruitment!
Consortium
Who can apply ?
International networks of organisations
Two categories of organisations
Academic sector
 public /private higher education establishments
awarding academic degrees
 public /private non-profit research organisations
whose primary mission is to pursue research
 international European interest organisations (e.g. CERN, EMBL)
Non-academic sector
 any entity not included in the academic sector:
 e.g. large companies, SMEs, NGOs, museums, hospitals
 international organisations (e.g. UN, WHO)
Standardised legal validation of entities is applied to determine
the category of each participant
Consortium
Roles ?
Partner
Beneficiary vs. Organisation
Signs grant agreement
Recruits and hosts researchers *
Claims costs to the EU
Trains/hosts seconded researchers
Participates in supervisory board
* Flexible recruitment in EID and EJD:
an organisation may participate as a beneficiary without recruiting
Consortium
Operational Capacity
Participants must have adequate operational capacity to carry out
the assigned tasks. The aim is to exclude applicants with clearly
inadequate infrastructure / resources / supervision capacity
Do all beneficiaries have:
 appropriate premises to host researchers?
 appropriate staff resources to supervise/train researchers?
Where to provide information:
 Table on "data for non-academic beneficiaries" (Part B, 1st
page).
 Table on "participating organisations" (Part B5).
European Training
Networks (ETN)
ETN
Participants implement a joint
research training programme
Beneficiaries
Partner organisations
ETN
Participants implement a joint
research training programme
Mandatory
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Minimum 3 beneficiaries from 3 different MS/AC
Each beneficiary recruits and hosts at least 1 ESR
Max 540 person-months (e.g. 15 ESRs x 36 months)
Max 40% budget to one country
Other features
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Non-academic participation essential
PhD enrolment typically expected (not mandatory)
Secondments to other countries/sector/disciplines (≤30% time)
Joint supervision recommended
Partner organisations (any country/sector)
Recommended size of consortium 6-10 beneficiaries
European Industrial
Doctorates (EID)
EID
Doctoral training with the
non-academic sector
NON ACADEMIC SECTOR
≥ 50% time for
each ESR
Beneficiaries
Partner organisations
2 beneficiaries: max 180 PM
EID
Doctoral training with the
non-academic sector
NON ACADEMIC SECTOR
≥ 50% time for
each ESR
Beneficiaries
Partner organisations
≥3 beneficiaries: max 540 PM
EID
Doctoral training with the
non-academic sector
Mandatory
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Minimum 2 beneficiaries from 2 different MS/AC
1 academic + 1 non-academic (+ degree-awarding as partner org.)
Max 180 person-months (if 2 organisations) - e.g. 5 x 36 months
Max 540 person-months (if ≥3 organisations) - e.g. 15 x 36 months
Each ESR enrolled in a PhD
Each ESR is ≥ 50% time in non-academic sector (intl. dimension)
Joint selection, training and supervision (1 supervisor/sector)
Other features
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Individual research projects under the topic of the doctoral programme
Secondments above 50% rule (up to 30% of time)
Partner organisations (any country/sector)
Flexible recruitment rule
Typical size is 2-3 beneficiaries
European Joint
Doctorates (EJD)
EJD
Universities cooperating to deliver
joint/multiple doctoral degrees
Joint
PhD
Joint
PhD
Joint
PhD
Beneficiaries
Partner organisations
EJD
Universities cooperating to deliver
joint/multiple doctoral degrees
Joint
PhD
Joint
PhD
Joint
PhD
Beneficiaries
Joint
PhD
Partner organisations
EJD
Universities cooperating to deliver
joint/multiple doctoral degrees
Mandatory
 Minimum 3 beneficiaries from academic sector awarding PhDs,
from 3 different MS/AC
 Each ESR enrolled in the joint doctoral programme
 Joint selection, training and supervision
 Commitment to deliver joint/double/multi degrees
 Max 540 person-months (e.g. 15 ESRs x 36 months)
Other features
 Meaningful stays at joint doctorate beneficiaries
 Non-academic participation through secondments to other
sector/disciplines (≤ 30%)
 Flexible recruitment rule
 Typical size 4-8 beneficiaries
EJD
Joint
PhD
Universities cooperating to deliver
joint/multiple doctoral degrees
Joint degree: single diploma issued by at least 2
academic institutions, and recognised officially
Double/multiple degree: 2 or more separate
national diplomas issued by two or more higher
education institutions and recognised officially
Letters of institutional commitment to deliver degrees
are required in the proposal
Beneficiaries
Person-months
ETN
EID
EJD
≥3 from 3 diff. MS/AC
≥2 from 2 diff. MS/AC:
(≥1 acad. award. PhD +
≥1 non-academic)
≥3 (acad. award PhD)
from 3 diff. MS/AC
Max. 540
Max. 180 / 540
Max. 540
Researchers
ESRs only (3-36 months)
Partner Org.
Unlimited (any country / sector / discipline)
PhD enrolment
Expected
mandatory
mandatory
Non-academic
participation
essential
mandatory
essential
possible through
secondments
≥50% in non-academic
possible through
secondments
8 panels: CHE, ECO, ENG,
EID panel
(25M€)
EJD panel
(28M€)
Inter-sectoral
exposure
Panels and
rank lists
ENV, LIF, MAT, PHY, SOC
(317M€)
Evaluation
Criteria
Overview of evaluation criteria
Threshold
Weight
Priority
if ex-aequo
Excellence
n/a
50%
1
Impact
n/a
30%
2
Implementation
n/a
20%
3
Award Criterion
Total
70%
1. EXCELLENCE
 Quality, innovative aspects and credibility of the
research programme (including inter/multidisciplinary
and intersectoral aspects)
 Quality and innovative aspects of the training
programme (including transferable skills,
inter/multidisciplinary and intersectoral aspects)
 Quality of the supervision (including mandatory joint
supervision for EID and EJD projects)
 Quality of the proposed interaction between the
participating organisations
2. IMPACT
 Enhancing research- and innovation-related human
resources, skills, and working conditions to realise the
potential of individuals and to provide new career
perspectives
 Contribution to structuring doctoral/early-stage research
training at the European level and to strengthening
European innovation capacity, including the potential for:
a) meaningful contribution of the non-academic sector to the
doctoral/research training, as appropriate to the implementation
mode and research field
b) developing sustainable joint doctoral degree structures (for EJD
projects only)
 Effectiveness of the proposed measures for communication
and dissemination of results
3. IMPLEMENTATION
 Overall coherence and effectiveness of the work plan,
including appropriateness of the allocation of tasks and resources
(including awarding of the doctoral degrees for EID and EJD
projects)
 Appropriateness of the management structures and
procedures, including quality management and risk management
(with a mandatory joint governing structure for EID and EJD
projects)
 Appropriateness of the infrastructure of the participating
organisations
 Competences, experience and complementarity of the
participating organisations and their commitment to the
programme
Ethical Issues
Ethics Issues
Proposals must indicate:
 potential ethical issues
 How they will be handled
Horizon 2020: How to Complete Your Ethics Self-Assessment
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/grants_manual/hi/e
thics/h2020_hi_ethics-self-assess_en.pdf
Ethics Issues
Scientific Integrity
 Principles of scientific integrity must be respected
 Plan in proposal
"Implementation")
for
dealing
with
scientific
misconduct
(under
European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity
http://www.esf.org/fileadmin/Public_documents/Publications/Code_Conduct
_ResearchIntegrity.pdf
Evaluation
Overview of evaluation process
Proposal
Expert
Expert
Expert
Eligible proposal
Expert
4 experts
Individual
Evaluation
Report
Individual
Evaluation
Report
Individual
Evaluation
Report
Consensus
group
Consensus
Report
Individual
Evaluation
Report
Individual evaluation
Consensus
Central Panel Review
Schedule
Publication
Deadline for submission
Information to applicants
Indicative date for GA
15 October 2015
12 January 2015 at17:00:00 BXL time
June 2016
September 2016
Tricks and Tips
Tricks and Tips
Proposal should be coherent
Remember: No Negotiation Phase!
"Go / No Go" Evaluation
Read and follow WP and Guide for Applicants
Meet as many requirements as possible, if not explain why
Follow carefully the templates provided and check consistency
Respect PAGE LIMITS
Check Operational capacity
Resubmission (year and acronym) – 2 previous years (2014 &
2015)
 Ensure clear and detailed scientific deliverables/milestones to allow
progress assessment
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Thank you