Category / EU

Welcome to the EU section of the blog! Emily Cieciura (BU’s Research Facilitator – EU and International), Jo Garrad (Funding Development Manager) and Dianne Goodman (Funding Development Co-ordinator) together try to take the pain out of finding and applying for EU funding by horizon scanning many sources and placing the most important information on this page.

We blog as often as possible on everything from calls for proposals and partner searches, to networking event opportunities, all the latest on Horizon 2020 and international funding. We also use the blog to disseminate information on EUADS (BU’s EU academic training initiative), how to write brilliant proposals, how to find partners and other top tips!

I’ve got a draft copy of the FP7 ICT Work Programme for you!

EU

I’ve managed to obtain a draft version of the FP7 ICT Work Programme which features the calls for proposals to be released in 2012. This is just a draft and therefore subject to change but it gives you a great idea as to what the European Commission are looking to fund. The Work Programme is a tedious read so I’ve summarised the info on funding in there for you; the aim of the call etc. I have bookmarked the document so you can jump straight to the call that interests you from the front page.

As this document is highly confidential I have placed it on our I drive; it is strictly forbidden to circulate this outside of BU! I:\R&KEO\Public\RDU\Draft Work Programmes for 2012-13

There are also the drafts for Environment, Health and Food, Agriculture, Fisheries & Biotechnology in there too which I’ve blogged about previously.
The final official version of the Work Programmes aren’t released until July 2012 so this gives you a fantastic head start to preparing a submission.

I will summarise the other themes as soon as I get the drafts through so keep your eyes peeled on this blog for them!

 

EU top tips from our academics, funding opportunities and cake THIS FRIDAY!

EU

Are you curious to uncover the secret of our academics success with EU funding? Do you like cake? Well the EU Showcase Event THIS FRIDAY is a must-attend morning for you!

In a very bright, lively and informal event , several of our most EU-active researchers will be sharing information on their brilliant projects and their experiences on how they embarked on the EU funding world.

Presenters will be from a range of Schools and the day will begin by an introduction from PVC Research, Enterprise & Internationalisation Prof. Matthew Bennett. I will also be giving you more info on our fantastic EU Networking fund and EU Academic Development Schemes which will help you in your EU funding endeavours.

The event is a half day (9-12) in Kimmeridge house and tea, coffee and cake will be provided.  This is a great opportunity to see the excellent EU work some of our researchers are doing, but also to find out more about how you too can get involved.

In order to ensure we order plenty of cake and refreshments, we are asking you to register here by Thursday (which takes 10 seconds).

OK, I know China isn’t the EU but this is a great nursing opportunity!

EU

 The British Council are hosting a unique meeting to support China-UK nursing collaboration. The Chinese Ministry of Health, Guanghua Nurse Fund (GNF) of China Guanghua Science & Technology Foundation is in the process of establishing arrangements for a specific initiative intended significantly to enhance the education and training of nurses in China.  The objectives of this scheme is to ensure standards that must be met by trainee nurses are equivalent to those that prevail internationally and appropriate to the needs of the Chinese Government’s 12th Five Year Plan as well as to ensure that post-qualification continuing professional development (CPD) standards for those who are currently qualified nurses or who will become so during the period covered by the Plan are appropriate, rigorous and internationally-benchmarked.

As part of the scheme, a pilot involving 20 Chinese universities and 5 pre selected UK universities will be implemented in 2012-13. The selected universities will take trainee nurses in the academic year 2012-13 such that they can gauge, and inform the review of, existing standards. Opportunities will shortly be available to apply for participation in these scheme in 2013.To learn more about the scheme and meet delegates from the 20 Chinese Universities involved, you can apply to attend a meeting to be held in Manchester 20-21st February. Places are extremely limited and on a first come first serve basis. A draft programme will be available towards the middle of January 2012; contact the British Council  if you are interested in attending

Become a part of the new EU e-Health stakeholder group

EU

The European Commission has launched a call for expressions of interest from both user and industry representatives to form a new eHealth Stakeholder group for 2012.

The group will provide a platform for the development of legislation or policy related to eHealth and will have two main objectives:
•provide input into design and implementation of eHealth policy activities, in particular the Digital Agenda for Europe on eHealth, and the implementation of the eHealth Action Plan; and
•deliver independent, sound and transparent advice, drawing on their knowledge and research.
The deadline for applications of interest is 30 January 2012, and those appointed will be expected be an active member of the group for three years.

New EC Justice website and funding

EU

DG Justice has a new and improved websitewhich now has two particularly useful new pages: one containing an oversight of its 6 funding programmes, and one summarising open calls for grant proposals.

There are also separate web pages giving details of each of the funding programmes, including Daphne III, the Civil Justice Programme, the Criminal Justice Programme and the Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Programme. Currently open calls with forthcoming deadlines are:

Linked to Horizon 2020 changes, the 6 Programmes within DG Justice will be condensed to just two:

  • Justice Programme: concerned with judicial co-operation in civil and criminal matters (€472m budget)
  • Rights & Citizenship Programme  concerned with the development of an area of freedom, security and justice, by promoting and supporting the effective implementation of a Europe of rights (€439m budget)

To complement this, DG Home Affairs are replacing their current schemes with an Asylum & Migration Fund (worth €3.9b) and a Internal Security Fund  (worth €4.65b).

 DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion are launching a Programme for Social Change and Innovation . This contains three Programmes:   Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity (worth €574m),  European Employment Services (worth €143.7m) and European Progress Microfinance Facility (worth €191.6m).

Why not take a few minutes to have a peek…?

Calls related to Health Policy released & InfoDay live online!

EU

The Executive Agency for Health and Consumers (EAHC) has issued calls for proposals, based upon the Directorate for Public Health and Consumers (DG Sanco) Work Programme for 2012. This Programme supports the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, and the calls cover a wide area of public health issues. The deadline for these proposals is 09.03.12. Funds are available for projects, conferences, operating grants and joint actions, available through calls under the following headings:

      • 3.1.1. Protect citizens against health threats – Develop risk management capacity and procedures, improve preparedness and planning for health emergencies;
      • 3.1.2. Protect citizens against health threats – Develop strategies and mechanisms for preventing, exchanging information on and responding to health threats from communicable and non-communicable diseases and health threats from physical, chemical or biological sources, including deliberate release acts;
      • 3.1.3. Improve citizens’ safety – Scientific advice;
      • 3.1.4. Improve citizens’ safety – Safety and quality of organs and substances of human origin, blood, and blood derivatives;
      • 3.2.1. Increasing healthy life years and promoting healthy ageing;
      • 3.2.2. Identifying the causes of, addressing and reducing health inequalities within and between Member States in order to contribute to prosperity and cohesion; supporting co-operation on issues of cross-border care and patient and health professional mobility;
      • 3.2.3. Addressing health determinants to promote and improve physical and mental health and taking action on key factors such as nutrition and physical activity, and on addiction-related determinants such as tobacco and alcohol;
      • 3.2.4. Prevention of major and rare diseases;
      • 3.3.1. European Health Information System;
      • 3.3.2. Dissemination, analysis and application of health information; provision of information to citizens, stakeholders and policy makers; and
      • 3.3.3. Analysis and reporting.

Take a look at the DG Sanco web page for more information on the calls.

There is also an Information Day in Brussels on 11.01.12 where you will be offered the opportunity to clarify queries concerning the administrative procedure and the technical contents of the call, as well as network with others in the same field. The deadline for registration for this event is 09.01.12 January 2012 but don’t worry if you can’t make it as the Infoday will also be web-streamed, and the link to this will be available on the EAHC website in advance.

Insight into FP7 Environment next round of funding & Info Day next month

EU

We have managed to obtain information related to the FP7 Environment funding theme for 2013. This information indicates what areas may be funded, so gives you a real head start to make contacts and develop a cohort of researchers for a submission. This is highly sensitive information and not to be circulated outside of BU, which is why I have placed this info on the I drive: I:\R&KEO\Public\RDU\Draft Work Programmes for 2012-13

 

The UK National Contact Point (NCP) for the Intelligent Energy Europe is holding an information day on the 2012 call on 1st Feb in London. Places are limited and in order to ensure that as many key market actors (the Commission’s target audience for the IEE II Programme) as possible can attend the NCP will review the registration requests on January 20th prior to sending out confirmations the following week. You can register for the event here.

EC funding for anti-corruption network

EU

The Directorate-General for Home Affairs invites proposals for the provision of technical assistance and support for establishing and coordinating a network of local research correspondents on corruption. The tenderer will coordinate the collection and processing of up-to-date, objective and reliable relevant information within the network and the analyses regarding the state of play of anti-corruption policies in EU member states. Funding is worth approximately €4 million over 48 months. For more info see their website.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

EU

The EU blog will be very quiet over the festive period as I will be taking a couple of weeks off to indulge in a lot of food and an occasional Glühwein. I hope you have a great Christmas break and I will be back with all the latest EU related news on January 3rd 🙂

UK does brilliantly in FP7, so why not be part of it…?

EU

The UK success rate for proposals submitted to FP7 is around 24%, compared to an average across the EU Member states of 21%. The UK is the second most successful participant both in terms of the budget share (behind Germany), so we are continually fighting our corner for funding.

The top collaborative links within FP7 for the UK are with researchers from Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, you can see the country success rates and statistics  on the country profile section of the Commission’s new website on which also contains examples of FP7 projects that each country is involved in.

The BU EU Showcase Event – free information, cake and advice!

EU

Are you curious to uncover the secret of our academics success with EU funding? Do you like cake? Well the EU Showcase Event is a must-attend morning for you!

In a very bright, lively and informal event on January 13th, several of our most EU-active researchers will be sharing information on their brilliant projects and their experiences on how they embarked on the EU funding world.

Presenters will be from a range of Schools and the day will begin by an introduction from PVC Research, Enterprise & Internationalisation Prof. Matthew Bennett. I will also be giving you more info on our fantastic EU Networking fund and EU Academic Development Schemes which will help you in your EU funding endeavours.

The event is a half day (9-12) in Kimmeridge house and tea, coffee and cake will be provided.  This is a great opportunity to see the excellent EU work some of our researchers are doing, but also to find out more about how you too can get involved.

In order to ensure we order plenty of cake and refreshments, we are asking you to register here (which takes 10 seconds).

useful European energy policy and research funding landscape meeting notes available

EU

Our contact in Brussels, UKRO has updated its briefing note on the European energy policy and research funding landscape. The briefing will be useful to any of you researching in the area of energy as it gives key insights into future policy, funding opportunities and provides detail on ways of engaging with key European players.

briefing covers the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) and related initiatives which include the European Industry Initiatives (EIIs), the Joint research Programmes (JPs) of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) and the European Universities Association European Platform of Universities Engaged in Energy Research (EPUE). It also includes updated Questions and Answers, including how they relate to FP7 and Horizon 2020, and links to further sources of information and newsletters.

You can read the notes from the meeting on the UKRO webpages.

Interested in applying for FP7 ICT? this is a must-attend event!

EU

The European Commission will hold an information day on FP7 Information Communication Technologies (ICT) Call 9, specifically focusing on the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) strand. This will take place on 18 January 2012 in Brussels. This is a critical opportunity to not only get top tips on your application, but is a key networking opportunity

The programme will include detailed sessions on the FET Call 9 objectives, providing up-to-date and first-hand information on the four FET initiatives in FP7 ICT Call 9. Sessions will also cover the contractual, legal and administrative aspects of the application process.

The following FET themes will be addressed:

  • FP7-ICT-2011.9.9: Quantum ICT (QICT) including ERA-NET-Plus
  • FP7-ICT-2011.9.10: Fundamentals of Collective Adaptive Systems (FOCAS)
  • FP7-ICT-2011.9.11: Neuro-Bio-Inspired Systems (NBIS)
  • Co-ordinating Communities, Identifying New Research topics for FET Proactive initiatives and fostering Networking of National and Regional Research Programmes.

The event will also include a brokerage session where participants will be invited to share their research ideas. It is being held in Brussels on January 18th

Participants must register in advance for this free event. Due to limited space and high demand it is strongly recommended that you register as soon as possible.

Green Engineering Camp call for ideas from Early Stage Researchers

EU

The Green Engineering Camp  (don’t worry there are no tents involved) aims to engage early stage researchers and investigators in real-life applications using green ICT (Information and Communication Technologies). Focusing on green engineering in the forest sector, this initiative is intended to boost knowledge transfer and come up with intelligent and innovative ways to make a wide range of forest-related activities more environmentally friendly by the use of ICT.

The initiative focuses in particular on promoting contributions from early stage researchers, female participation and transdisciplinarity. The full Call for Ideas title is: ‘Intelligent Use and Development of ICT to Increase Environmental Efficiency: the Case of Production and Logistics in the Forest Sector.’

With a two stage assessment process, the initial stage (consisting of a one-page outline) is open for submissions until 31 January 2012. Successful applicants will be invited to present their ideas at the Green Engineering Camp (GEC) taking place in Plitvice National Park, Croatia from 2 to 6 July 2012.

 

Reminder of amazing EU funding opportunities from BU!

EU

Just a reminder to you all about our fantastic two EU funding opportunities from BU which have already had an overwhelming response.

The BU EU Academic Development Scheme (EUADS) is for all newbie’s in EU research, comprising of an amazing training and mentorship programme and a personal budget to help you create a proposal. The deadline for this scheme is 13.01.12

The BU EU Networking Fund (EUNF) is for anyone who wants to travel to network with potential partners. There isn’t a deadline for this but the funds are limited so be quick and don’t miss out!

More details on both schemes as well as application forms can be found in my previous blogpost.

New Horizon 2020 website launched

EU

To celebrate the planned developments in Horizon 2020, the EC have launched a brand spanking new set of webpages. I’m not going to lie, visually it’s not the most attractive site I’ve ever been on, but it does have a FAQ section, a timeline for Horizon 2020, a calendar of events, and a new video will be added each day until the launch from various stakeholders providing their views on the plans.

EU funding available for higher education and training between the EU, Australia and Korea

EU

Industrialised Countries Instrument Call for Proposals: Co-operation in higher education and training between the EU and Australia and The Republic of Korea
The ICI-ECP Education Cooperation Programme refers to EU cooperation with Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the Republic of Korea in the field of higher education and vocational education and training. The programme includes regional and bilateral cooperation projects based on joint EU – Partner Countries funding and mutual agreement on the selection of higher education partnerships.

This 2011 ICI-ECP Call for Proposals supports co-operation with Australia and the Republic of Korea by means of Joint Degree and Joint Mobility projects. Such projects focus on structured exchanges of students and faculty members; and on the joint development of joint, or shared curricula and joint study programmes, as well as on the award of joint or double degrees in the case of Joint Degree projects.

All Joint Degree and Joint Mobility projects must address: development of innovative international curricula; student services, language and cultural preparation; organisational frameworks for student mobility and faculty members’ mobility; evaluation; sustainability and dissemination.

The Call is open to consortia of higher education institutions in the case of Joint Degree Projects or vocational and training institutions in the case of Joint Mobility Projects. The total budget available amounts to approximately EUR 2.3 million.

 You can contact the dedicated Industrialised Countries Selection team for further information.

New Belgian Marie Curie Fellowships available

EU

The Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) has launched the first call for its new funding programme for postdoctoral researchers: PEGASUS Marie Curie Fellowships. These fellowships are co-funded by the FP7 Marie Curie Programme. The goals of PEGASUS are:

  • to attract excellent postdoctoral researchers to Flanders in order to contribute to the advancement of Flemish science
  • to provide the selected fellows with optimal conditions to further develop their research career in Flanders or abroad

PEGASUS aims at incoming mobility and/or reintegration of researchers working abroad. Candidates have to hold a PhD and should not have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the start of the fellowship.

Within PEGASUS two options are possible:

  • Pegasus-long: Postdoctoral fellowships of 3 years at a Flemish university. The fellowship is renewable once in open competition with the regular FWO postdoctoral fellows. 30 Pegasus-long fellowships are available, to be granted in a single call.
  • Pegasus-short: Postdoctoral fellowships of 1 year at a Flemish university. The fellowship is not renewable, but candidates can apply afterwards in the open competition for a regular postdoctoral fellowship. This short fellowship is available under the form of an employment contract (standard option) or a stipend (exceptional cases).
  • More information on this programme and on the submission of proposals are available from the FWO Pegasus Programme Website.