Opportunities under FP7 Marie Curie Actions Host Actions Estelle Kane and Cecilie Hansen UK National

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Opportunities under FP7 Marie Curie Actions -
Host ActionsEstelle Kane and Cecilie Hansen UK
National Contact Point for MCAs
mariecurie-uk_at_bbsrc.ac.uk
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Arts and Humanities Research Council
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research
Council
Central Laboratory of the Research Councils
UK Research Office
Economic and Social Research Council
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Medical Research Council
Natural Environment Research Council
Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council
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UKROs Aim
promotes effective UK participation in
EU-funded research programmes, higher education
programmes, and other related activities
UK Research Office

• Based in Brussels, UKRO
• Provides early insight and briefing
• Disseminates EU funding opportunities
• Provides high quality guidance and training
• Exchanges information between the UK and EU

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UKRO Services include

• Website with information on programmes, FAQs and
  Guidance http//www.ukro.ac.uk
• Information services email updates (
  searchable database)
• Enquiry service
• Annual visit from an UKRO European Advisor
• Specialist training courses and information
  events
• Annual conference for European officers
• Meeting room in Brussels
• Monthly publication - British Council RTD
  Insight
• National Contact Point (Marie Curie and ERC)

UK Research Office
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Marie Curie NCP - helpdesk

• Web, email, telephone, visits
• Advice on applying for MC actions
• Eligibility
• Application help
• Results
• Contractual issues
• Advice to those with MC contracts
• Social security and tax
• Model agreements between host and fellow
• Contractual issues

UK Research Office MC NCP
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Outline of the session
FP7 Outline of Session
Introduction to the Framework 7 Programme
Opportunities to support training of
early stage researchers Initial Training
Networks Opportunities to support staff
exchanges and recruitment of researchers between
industry and academia Industry-Academia
Partnerships and Pathways How to apply and
tips on writing your proposals
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Introduction to FP7 and the Marie Curie
ActionsUK NCP for Marie CurieEstelle
KaneCecilie HansenUK Research Office
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Policy Background

• FP7 is designed to achieve the Lisbon and
  Barcelona objectives and to complement activities
  in Member States.
• Support to the European Research Area
• Budget of 50 521 million
• Complementarity with other EC programmes
• Competitiveness and Innovation
• Education and Training
• Structural Funds

FP7 Policy Background
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EU Countries
EU-27 Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta,
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK Associated
Countries (FP7) Croatia, Iceland, Israel,
Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey,
Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro
FP7 Participation
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International Co-operation

• Participation of international organisations and
  participants
• from third countries in addition to minimum
  requirements
• International Cooperation Partner Countries
  (ICPC)
• listed in Annex 1 of the Work Programme Western
  Balkans countries
• Mediterranean Partner countries
• Eastern European and Central Asian countries
• Africa Caribbean Pacific
• Latin America
• Asia

FP7 Participation
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ICPC countries
FP7 International cooperation
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FP7 Specific Programmes
Co-operation Collaborative Research
Framework Programme 7
European Research Council
Marie Curie Actions
Capacities Research Capacity
JRC
EURATOM
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Marie Curie Actions

• Objectives and Policy Context
• Make Europe more attractive to researchers
• Structuring effect on the European Research Area
  through transnational and intersectoral mobility
  in order to create a European labour market for
  researchers
• Strengthen human potential by
• Encouraging people to become researchers
• Encouraging researchers to carry out their
  research in Europe
• Trans-national and inter-sectoral mobility
• 4.7 Billion

FP7 People Marie Curie
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Principles

• Skills and competence development at all stages
  of researchers career
• Open to all research areas addressed under the
  Treaty plus possibility of targeted calls
• Strong participation from enterprises
• Reinforce international dimension
• Appropriate gender and work/life balance
• Good working environment, transparent recruitment
  and career development

FP7 People Marie Curie
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Overview of Marie Curie Actions
People Specific Programme
Specific Actions Marie Curie Awards,
Researchers Night
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How does this compare to FP6?
FP7 People Marie Curie
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MCA Budget breakdown
FP7 Marie Curie
Million
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MCA - Deadlines
FP7 People Marie Curie
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Central to all MC projects

• The RESEARCHER, their training and mobility
• In order to assess eligibility (for project or
  fellowship), it is essential that you consider
  the following
• The minimum or maximum amount of research
  experience stipulated for the action
• The transnational mobility
• requirements for the action

FP7 People Marie Curie
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Definition of researchers
FP7 Marie Curie Actions
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Transnational Mobility Requirements

• Must not have been resident in host country for
  more that 12 months in the last 3 years
  immediately before reference date time of
  appointment for ITNs, and IAPP, application
  deadline for all other actions
• Cannot be a national of host country unless
• European researcher working outside EU for 3 of
  the last 4 years
• Dual nationality and have not resided in a
  country of nationality for the last 5 years
• International organisation
• Return and reintegration grants

FP7 People Marie Curie
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Marie Curie Initial Training Networks UK NCP
for Marie CurieEstelle KaneCecilie HansenUK
Research Office
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Host Actions

• ITNs and IAPPs are Host Actions
• This means
• Host institutions/network applies for a number of
  fellows/researchers
• Hosts proposal is evaluated
• Selected host/network advertises fellowship
  position and selects fellows/researchers
• Contract duration with host, usually 4 years
• Fellows stay depending on Action (up to 3 years)

FP7 Marie Curie Host Actions
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What is an ITN?

• An ITN aims to
• Strengthen Early Stage Training at EU level
• Attract people to scientific careers
• Improve career perspectives by development of
  broad skills (including needs of industry)

FP7 Marie Curie - ITN
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What is an ITN?

• By
• Offering a series of fellowships to ESR and EXR
  through a Joint Training Programme including
  complementary skills modules
• And, as an option, hold short training events
  open to researchers outside the network
• As an option, recruit visiting scientists
• ITNs are in
• Defined scientific fields as well as
  inter-disciplinary, new and emerging
  supra-disciplinary fields

FP7 Marie Curie - ITN
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Who can participate in an ITN?

• At least 3 different research groups from Member
  or Associated States, of which 2 must be Member
  or Candidate Countries
• BUT ALSO it can be single or twin sites (in
  Member or Associated States) if the international
  context is strong
• Third country partners are eligible, in addition
  to the minimum requirements. International
  Co-operation Partner Countries (ICPC) may receive
  funding, whilst those in non-ICPCs may receive
  funding if absolutely essential for the project

FP7 Marie Curie - ITN
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Who participates in an ITN?

• An ITN has both industrial and academic partners.
  Industry must be in involved at one of three
  levels
• As a full partner
• Provider of specific training or secondment
  opportunities
• On the Advisory Board
• An ITN must have
• Coherent quality standards and mutual recognition
  of training/ diplomas

FP7 Marie Curie - ITN
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What is industry?

• In the implementation of this programme, the
  definition of "industry" is to be seen in a wider
  scope than just the traditional manufacturing
  and/or production industries and is to comprise
  enterprises in the general sense of commercial
  economic actors.
• Evaluated at second-stage - under
  Implementation and impact

FP7 Marie Curie - ITN
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Who can you recruit to an ITN?

• An ITN supports researchers
• With up to 5 years FTE
• From all over the world
• For periods of 3 - 36 months (ESRs)
• For periods of 2 24 months (EXRs)
• As well as visiting scientists (optional)
• To carry out teaching and supervisory work
• For a period of at least 1 month

FP7 Marie Curie - ITN
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The size of an ITN

• The size of the network should reflect your needs
  and the aim of the project, but
• Indicative number of partners (Guide for
  Applicants) 6 10
• FP6 indicative number of researcher monthsEST
  72 999 (average 300) (last call)
• 80/20 EST / ER split

FP7 Marie Curie - ITN
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Definition of Fellows Allowances

• These are all flat rates
• Living
• Basic salary
• Varies according to research experience
• Mobility
• Relocation costs including language courses
• Varies according to family situation
• Travel
• Every 12 months travel from location of origin to
  fellowship location
• Career exploratory
• Fellowships at least 1 year to spend on career
  development activities

FP7 Marie Curie - Allowances
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Community Contribution - ITNs

• Includes
• Salary costs (living, mobility, travel and career
  exploratory allowance)
• Contribution to research costs, networking and
  organisation of conferences
• Contribution to management costs
• An overhead

FP7 Marie Curie - Money
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Researcher Salaries for ITNs
FP7 Marie Curie - Rates
Salaries are inclusive of all compulsory
deductionsCorrection factor applied for cost of
living (UK Coefficient 110.2)
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Allowance rates

• Travel costs depending on distance
• 250 - 2500
• Mobility allowance
• Without family 500 per month
• With family 800 per month
• Correction factor applied for cost of living
• Career Exploratory allowance
• 2000 for stays of more than one year
• Training / research costs of eligible researchers
  (ITNs only)
• Lab-based research 600 per month
• Non-lab-based research 300 per month

FP7 Marie Curie - Rates
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Benefits for the institution - ITN

• Research Training
• 600 (ITN) per month
• Organisation of international conferences etc
• 300 per researcher per day for those outside ITN
• Management Activities
• maximum 7 (ITN) of the total EC contribution
• Contribution to overheads
• 10 of direct costs except for subcontractors
• Other types of eligible expenses
• N/A

FP7 Marie Curie - Rates
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Marie Curie Industry Academia Pathways and
Partnerships UK NCP for Marie CurieEstelle
KaneCecilie HansenUK Research Office
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What is an IndustryAcademia Pathways and
Partnership?

• It is a two-way partnership with at least one
  commercial enterprise and one academic
  organisation in two different Member or
  Associated Countries
• An IAPP aims to increase industry-academia
  co-operation by
• Supporting the creation, development,
  reinforcement and execution of strategic
  partnerships
• Creating diverse career possibilities and
  experience for researchers
• Knowledge sharing/cultural exchange, especially
  SMEs
• Aiming for longer term co-operation between both
  sectors

FP7 Marie Curie - IAPP
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What can you do with an IAPP?

• Recruit experienced researchers for between 2
  months and 2 years
• Staff exchange early stage or experienced
  researchers (and possibly technical staff and
  research managers!) for between 2 months and 2
  years
• Organise common workshops/conferences
• Inter-sectoral mobility possible, within
  framework of whole project, in same country up to
  a maximum of 30 of total researcher months
• For SMEs, a contribution towards small equipment
  costs (up to 10 of project total)

FP7 Marie Curie - IAPP
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Activities - IndustryAcademia Pathways and
Partnerships
FP7 Marie Curie - IAPP
Member/ Associated State 1
Member/ Associated State 2
Host 1 Industry /Academia
Host 2 Academia/ Industry
?? ??
?? ??
NEW RECRUITS ?? ??
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Community Contribution

• Includes
• Salary costs (living, mobility, travel and career
  exploratory allowance)
• Contribution to research costs, networking and
  organisation of conferences
• Contribution to management costs
• Other eligible costs possible for SMEs only in
  IAPPs
• An overhead

FP7 Marie Curie - Money
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Researcher Salaries for IAPPs
FP7 Marie Curie - Rates
Salaries are inclusive of all compulsory
deductionsCorrection factor applied for cost of
living (UK Coefficient 110.2)
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Allowance rates - IAPP

• Travel costs depending on distance
• 250 - 2500
• Mobility allowance
• Without family 500 per month
• With family 800 per month
• Correction factor applied for cost of living
• Career Exploratory allowance
• 2000 for stays of more than one year
• Training / research costs of eligible researchers
  (ITNs only)
• N/A

FP7 Marie Curie - Rates
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Benefits for the institution - IAPP

• Research Training
• 800 (IAPP) per month
• Organisation of international conferences etc
• 300 per researcher per day for those outside
  IAPP
• Management Activities
• maximum 3 (IAPP) of the total EC contribution
• Contribution to overheads
• 10 of direct costs except for subcontractors
• Other types of eligible expenses
• For SMEs only, up to 10 of total community
  contribution (IAPP only)

FP7 Marie Curie - Rates
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How to apply for a Marie Curie ActionUK NCP
for Marie CurieEstelle KaneCecilie HansenUK
Research Office
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Proposal Submission

• All submission is online
• Contact the EC if there are compelling reasons
  for why you are unable to submit online
• Electronic Proposal Submission Service (EPPS)
• should be available at least a month before the
  deadline
• In the meantime, use the templates in the Guide
  for Applicants
• Two-stage submission for ITNs
• Stage 1 7 May address 2 criteria
• Stage 2 25 September full proposal
• One-stage submission for IAPPs
• Deadline likely to be 31 May
• !! MEET THE DEADLINE !!

FP7 Marie Curie How to apply
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Process Overview
Call
One/two stage e-submission
Eligibility Check
Individual Evaluation
FP7 Marie Curie How to apply
Consensus
Panel Review
Feedback (ESR)
Commission Ranking
Negotiation of Proposals
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Who evaluates?

• Selected from a wide pool from a database
• Minimum 3 evaluators per project
• Selected per call
• Replace about ¼ in any given area annually
• Sign confidentiality and conflict of interest
  declarations
• Names published after evaluation (though not a
  call or proposal level)
• Target at least 40 female
• Mix of geographical location and background
• To register   https//cordis.europa.eu/emmfp7

FP7 Marie Curie How to apply
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Key documents
FP7 Marie Curie How to apply
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Proposal Submission Forms

• Part A
• Set of forms on administrative information about
  the proposal and the proposers (pre-prepared
  form), and general budget information (e.g.
  number of researchers)
• Part B
• Free-text description of the research project
• Series of headings and explanatory notes based
  on the evaluations criteria
• Limits on font size, size of PDF file

FP7 Marie Curie How to apply
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Who submits?

• Technically co-ordinator manages the proposal
  application by
• Obtaining a user-name and password
• Co-ordinating completion of A Forms for each
  participant
• Co-ordinating drafting of Part B
• Pressing the SUBMIT button!
• Prepare application on-line before deadline date

FP7 Marie Curie How to apply
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Tips on writing your MCA proposals UK NCP for
Marie CurieEstelle KaneCecilie HansenUK
Research Office
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Your project is mainly defined in .

• PART B of the proposal forms
• PART B addresses the evaluation criteria
• which vary according to MCA
• and have different weightings and thresholds
• General structure of Part B for ITNs and IAPPs
  is
• Cover Page, Table of Contents
• S T Quality
• Training/Transfer of Knowledge
• Implementation
• Impact

FP7 Marie Curie Your Proposal
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What does the Commission want to see?

• A project that matches their objectives

Marie Curie Whats required
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ITNs

• Remember ITNs is two-stage submission
• Stage 1
• S T Quality
• Training/Transfer of Knowledge
• Stage 2
• S T Quality
• Training/Transfer of Knowledge
• Implementation
• Impact

FP7 Marie Curie Your Proposal
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Planning your proposal writing

• In planning, have an understanding of
• Overall objective of an ITN
• All 4 criterion science, training,
  implementation and impact
• Financial issues
• Role of participants

FP7 Marie Curie Your Proposal
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Weightings and thresholds for ITNs
FP7 Marie Curie ITNs
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S T Quality criteria

• ST objectives of the research programme,
  including in terms of inter/multi-disciplinary,
  intersectoral and/ or newly emerging
  supra-disciplinary fields
• Scientific quality of the research programme
• Appropriateness of research methodology
• Originality and innovative aspect of the research
  programme
• Knowledge of the state-of-the-art

FP7 - Marie Curie ITN criteria
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S T Quality tips

• Science is well specified and relevant
• Cutting edge research setting it apart from the
  competition and clear
• Each specific aim is well supported
• Innovative element is clear
• Clear potential of the research
• Size of network
• References
• Unclear research methodologies

FP7 - Marie Curie ITN criteria
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Training criteria

• Quality of the training programme
• Consistency with the research programme
• Complementary skills offered Management,
  Communication, IPR, Ethics, Grant writing,
  Commercial exploitation of results, Research
  Policy, entrepreneurship, etc. .
• Importance and timeliness of the training needs
  (e.g. multidisciplinary, intersectoral , and
  newly emerging supra-disciplinary fields)

FP7 - Marie Curie ITN criteria
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Training criteria

• a) For multi-site proposals Adequate
  combination of local specialist training with
  network-wide training activities
• b) For mono-site proposals Adequate
  exploitation of the international network of the
  participants for the training programme
• Appropriateness of the size of the requested
  training programme with respect to the capacity
  of the host

FP7 - Marie Curie ITN criteria
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Quality of training - tips

• Impact of training is clear, including for both
  short and long term fellowships
• Training programme is clear and well described
• Profile of researchers well described
• Several methods of training
• Detailed and exhaustive (credible activities)
• Detail on collaborations between ESR and ER
• Flexible, adaptable and well monitored
• Balance of training across partners
• Conferences and training courses part of training
  package

FP7 - Marie Curie ITN criteria
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Quality of training - tips

• Training in research methods and techniques
• Personal Development Plan
• Complementary skills training ethics, research
  management
• Transferable skills training cf Roberts
• Graduate School Provision including RC courses
• Conferences, seminars, public fora etc
• Any other suggestions?

FP7 - Marie Curie ITN criteria
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Weightings and thresholds for IAPPs
FP7 Marie Curie IAPP
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S T Quality

• ST objectives of the research programme,
  including in terms of intersectoral issues
• Scientific quality of the research programme
• Scientific quality of the joint collaborative
  research programme
• Appropriateness of the research methodology
• Originality and innovative aspect of the research
  programme. Knowledge of the state-of-the-art

FP7 - Marie Curie IAPP criteria
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Training

• Quality of the transfer of knowledge programme
• Consistency with the research programme.
• Importance of the transfer of knowledge in terms
  of intersectorality
• Adequacy of the role of researchers exchanged and
  recruited from outside the partnership with
  respect to the transfer of knowledge programme.

FP7 - Marie Curie IAPP criteria
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Implementation

• Capacities (expertise / human resources/
  facilities /infrastructures) to achieve the
  research and exchange of know-how and experience
• Complementarities between the partners and its
  relevance in the research project
• Appropriateness of the plans for the overall
  management of the training programme (demarcation
  of responsibilities, rules for decision making,
  etc.)
• Clarity of the recruitment strategy (including
  time table), based on competitive international
  recruitment and incorporating an equal
  opportunity policy. Coherence of the conditions
  of recruitment and employment with the
  principles of the "Code of Conduct for the
  recruitment of researchers"

FP7 - Marie Curie IAPP criteria
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Implementation

• Clarity in the lay out of IPR issues linked to
  this collaboration
• Adequate exploitation of complementarities and
  synergies among partners in terms of transfer of
  knowledge
• Appropriateness of the size of the requested
  training programme with respect to the capacity
  of the host
• How essential is non-ICPC Third Country
  participation, if any, to the objectives of the
  research training programme
• Relevance of the proposed partnership to the area
  of collaboration

FP7 - Marie Curie IAPP criteria
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Implementation - tips

• The match of the targeted researchers profile to
  the knowledge transfer is clear
• Recruitment processes and coordination between
  partners are well specified
• Mention adherence to principles of Code of
  Conduct of the Recruitment of Researchers
• Detailed management processes and plan Clear that
  an experienced team is in place for managing
  project

FP7 - Marie Curie IAPP criteria
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Implementation - tips

• High level commitment from the host institutes
  and its collaborating partners.
• The practical arrangements for the implementation
  of the joint research programme and the
  management structure are described, including the
  sharing of intellectual property rights.
• The host provides accommodation, and visiting
  positions will be properly advertised

FP7 - Marie Curie IAPP criteria
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Impact

• Provision to develop new intersectoral and
  lasting collaboration
• Strategy for the dissemination and facilitation
  of sharing of knowledge and culture between the
  participants and external researchers (including
  international conferences, workshops, training
  events).
• Extent to which SMEs contribute to the project.
• In case of SMEs participation Adequacy of the
  available infrastructures for the performance of
  the project. In case extra equipment is
  requested, necessity and justification in the
  context of the partnership.

FP7 - Marie Curie IAPP criteria
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Impact - tips

• Long term and stable integration of the
  partnership beyond the IAPP contract
• Mutual balance in expertise
• Well balanced between different R D activities

FP7 - Marie Curie IAPP criteria
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MCA - Deadlines
FP7 People Marie Curie
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Other Opportunities through MCAs

• Support your
• recruitment strategy
• research training strategy
• knowledge transfer strategy
• career development strategy
• European or International collaboration strategy
• By
• Supporting applications for short or medium term
  secondments on FP6 (and FP7) host actions such as
  Research Training Networks, Host Fellowships for
  Early Stage Researcher Training and Transfer of
  Knowledge Actions
• Supporting applications for post-doctoral
  individual fellowships (more later this
  afternoon)

FP7 Marie Curie
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Links

• UK National Contact Point for Marie Curie
• http//www.ukro.ac.uk/mariecurie
• CORDIS
• http//cordis.europa.eu/mariecurie-actions/
• The Charter and the Code
• http//europa.eu.int/eracareers/europeancharter/
• UK HE Sector analysis http//www.rcuk.ac.uk/news/
  gapanalysis.htm
• European Researchers Mobility Portal
• http//ec.europa.eu/eracareers/index_en.cfm
• Marie Curie Vacancies
• http//mc-opportunities.cordis.lu/
• Queries
• mariecurie-uk_at_bbsrc.ac.uk

FP7 People Marie Curie