Horizont četvrtkom
MultiWaveS
PROJECT
FP7 – Marie Curie Actions
International Research Staff Exchange Scheme
Prof Vesna Crnojević-Bengin
University of Novi Sad, Serbia
MultiWaveS
Multiband Electronically Reconfigurable Microwave Devices and
Antennas for a New Generation of Wireless Systems
Call: FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IRSES
Duration: April 1 2010 – April 1 2013
• Bottom-up approach
• Third countries
• Only contribution to mobility
and networking costs
• early stage researchers,
experienced researchers
Envisaged Impacts
SCIENTIFIC
STRATEGIC
SOFT
• Transfer of specific knowledge into Europe
• Quality of research
• Development of lasting collaborations
• Diversity of environment
• Experience of excellence
• Reward for complementarity
• Inter-cultural exchange
Project Timeline
Success
Thrill
Hard
work
Apathy
Drama
Get
serious
The road hasn’t been covered with roses
Obstacles & Solutions
Personnel
• Key person from one institution left at the very beginning of the project
• Partners not ready to actually commit to the project
• Pre-financing delayed for 9 months (!)
Financial
Institutional
Consequence
Solutions
• PO changed several times
• No local experience with IRSES
• 49% or placements executed by mid-term
• Mid-term payment suspended
• 3rd year performed from own funds
• Good management: Coherent and detailed plan of mobilities
• Mid-term funding received after year 3
• Last (and first) PO extremely supportive
Success
Scientific Results in a Nutshell
100 papers
published:
• 30 in leading journals
with the impact
factor,
• 71 on international
conferences.
One book
chapter (invited)
in Wiley
Encyclopedia of
Electrical
Engineering
F P 7
A book for
Cambridge
University Press
‘’Advances in
Multi-Band
Microstrip
Filters’’
P r o j e c t
Workshop held
at EuMW
M u l t i W a v e S
Industrial
contracts
Scientific Results
Special Award by the European Commission
“Marie Curie Actions for an Innovative Europe:
Excellence, mobility and skills for researchers”,
December 2010, Brussels
Beyond Serbia
• USA, Great Britain, Russia, South Africa – four very
different systems (wrt. work environments,
procedures, costs)
• High level of understanding from all institutions
(willingness to learn and adapt, practical help
- accommodation & visas, no overheads)
• Highly positive experience for all
• Strong willingness to commit to joint work again
Before & After
•
•
•
Mature research topic
Difficult to obtain funding
Fragmented research
•
•
Excellent scientific results
Improved teaching
•
Rare lasting scientific
collaboration
•
•
Established lasting global
collaborations
New industry contracts
•
Limited experience,
especially of ESRs (‘90s)
•
•
•
New working environments
Inter-cultural exchange
Prevention of brain-drain
•
•
One of first FP7 projects
First IRSES in Serbia
•
•
Built internal capacity
Many FP7s that followed
Institutional Challenges
• Excellent science, development of lasting
collaborations, soft skills… That was the easy part!
• Underdeveloped administrative capacity of Serbian
institutions
• Lack of coherent regulatory framework
– Poor understanding of benefits of int. coop., esp. MCA
– National legislation does not recognize placements
– Money transfers and the National Bank of Serbia
• Across all EU projects:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Mobility allowance (e.g. in ITN)
Personnel cost rates
Type of contract
Public procurements
Employment of new staff
Difficult participation of the public sector
Current Support and Beyond
 Very significant support exists from the Ministry of
Education, Science and Technological Development
 Interactions are still needed with the Ministry of
Finance, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran
and Social Affairs, with all stakeholders:
• To establish an institutional mind set which
encourages international scientific cooperation and
fully recognizes its benefits and actors
• To recommend procedures and provide an efficient
regulatory framework for all stakeholders
– Employment, procurements, placements, payments…
– Personnel & mobility costs, co-financing, overheads…
Conclusion
Multiple positive effects of MultiWaveS:
• On our institution(s) and individuals
• On our research
• On the courses we teach
Long-lasting links established due to:
• Creation of high-impact scientific results
• Good project management
• Mutual trust
• Long-lasting collaborations created
Life after death:
• Strong willingness to work together
• Industry contacts
• New projects
Future work:
• Developr policies and strategies to Serbian institutions to foster their full inclusion into ERA
Horizont četvrtkom
Thank you
FP7 – Marie Curie Actions
International Research Staff Exchange Scheme
Prof Vesna Crnojević-Bengin
University of Novi Sad, Serbia
bengin@uns.ac.rs