How to write a proposal

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How to write a proposal

• Nicole Schröder, LL.M.
• INCO-NET MIRA
• - Training Seminar for Palestine Information
  Point in Cyprus

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Content

• National Contact Point for FP 7 in Germany
• Strategy for a successful participation in FP7
• Reasons for participation in the Research
  Framework Programme
• Project Preparation
• Successful Proposal Relevance and Excellence
• Nine deadly sins in project preparation

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EU-Bureau of the BMBF
head Dr. Andre Schlochtermeier
Secretariat Jutta Albrecht deputy
Kathrin Stratmann 49 228 3821-630
Postal address Visitors
address PT-DLR, Heinrich-Konen-Str.
1 Königswinterer Str. 550 53227 Bonn,
Germany 53227 Bonn, Germany

• National Contact Points
• European Research Council (ERC)
• Research Infrastructures
• Regions of Knowledge
• Research Potential
• Science in Society
• International Cooperation
• ERA-Net
• Joint Research Centre
• Legal and administrative matters

• General Tasks
• Co-ordination of the NCP network
• Initial Contact Point for FP7
• Training seminars for applicants
• Contact Point Women into
• EU-Research
• Public relation
• Website German Portal for FP7
• Participation in EU-projects
• Support to the Federal Ministry of Education and
  Research Statistics, Implementation of FP7

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The German Network of National Contact Points

• National Level
• National Contact Points (NCPs)
• Liaison Office of German Research Organisations
  located in Bonn and Brussels (KoWi)
• Regional / Local Level
• EU-officers at universities and research
  institutes (multipliers of information)

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The German Network of National Contact Points

• Appr. 25 NCPs for the different areas of FP7
• Financed by the German Government
• Located at Project Management Organisations
• Expertise of Project Management Organisations in
  different research areas
• Synergies with national research funding
  programmes and FP7
• Complex but pragmatic system!

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The German Network of National Contact Points
Tasks of NCPs

• Applicants
• Targeted information and advice
• Pre-screening of proposals
• Organisation of information days
• Ministry
• Statistics and analysis of calls for proposals
• Support in preparation and implementation of FPs
• Commission
• Coordinators act as experts in Programme
  Committees and Working Groups
• ? Interface between applicant, ministry and
  Commission

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The German Network of National Contact Points

• Close cooperation with national programmes
• Close contact with the Commission
• Networking
• National level (German NCPs, Liaison Office,
  EU-Officers at universities, research institutes,
  industry)
• International (NCPs of MS and AS)
• Active Members in Programme Committees and
  Working Groups

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Strategy for a successful participation in FP7
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Reasons for participation in the Research
Framework Programme

• Joint solution of common problems
• Participation in EU-Projects often paves the way
  to new cooperation partners in new research areas
  or sectors or to new markets
• Cooperation with experts from universities,
  research centers or enterprises often opens
  access to new techniques, methods, views or
  equipment
• Mutual access to intellectual property within
  the consortium
• Financing of Research or Demonstration projects

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Reasons against the participation in the Research
Framework Programme

• Organisational and financial efforts in project
  preparation are often higher than in national
  projects due to
• large number of project partners with different
  cultural backgrounds
• Communication and proposal writing in english
  being a foreign language for most of the
  partners
• New rules and procedures (if first project in 7th
  Framework Programme)
• Work load for coordinator is especially high
• High Oversubscription (on average 5-6 times)

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First consideration

• Does the EU-Funding Programme offer the right
  instrument for the aims of the enterprise (or
  department, institute etc.)
• Will expected costs and use or efforts and output
  be balanced?
• Costs for the preparation of a project proposal
  cannot be refunded by the EU

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Stages of a EU-Project
Advice
Interim Reports (possible interim project
monitoring with expert support)
Final Reports
Evaluation
Start
End
Project Implementation
Checking of Reports
Proposal Preparation
Contract Negotiation
Proposal Submission
Final Payment
Technical and financial audits are possible
during the project and up to 5 years after its
completion!
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Stages of a EU Project
Preparation
6-9 months before deadline
Proposal submission
Calls are usually open for3 months
evaluation period and contract negotiations not
less than 3-6 months
Evaluation
Negotiation
Project implementation
project duration depending on funding scheme 1-7
years
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Project Preparation- Preliminary phase

• Consultation of Experts
• EU-advisers located at the institutions
• National Contact Points (NCPs)
• Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)
• Scientific Officers of the EU-Commission
• Evaluators
• Successful proposers

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Project Preparation - Early Phase

• Analysis/Screening of specific programme, work
  programme and calls for proposal
• Screening of the Cordis Project Data Base
  (cordis.europa.eu)
• Open questions - When can a relevant call for
  proposals be expected?- What topics could be
  covered? - Which amounts of funding can be
  expected?

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Involvement ofthe own institution/enterprise

• Early backing for the project in the own
  enterprise, institution, working group
• Early involvement of all relevant departments
  (legal department, finance department etc.)
• Are there sufficient resources for a project
  participation?
• Man power (experts)
• Space (laboratory space, offices etc.)
• Financial resources for own part of the project
  costs

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Partner Search

• Early formation of a core team and preparation of
  a project layout
• Partner search via
• Existing contacts
• Conferences
• (Scientific) literature
• Cordis Project Data Base
• Cordis Partner Search Data Base
  (cordis.europa.eu/partners-service)
• National Contact Points or EEN
• Partner Databases are often of only limited use

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Roles within a Consortium

• Coordinator the manager, leader, guide of the
  project
• Should only be taken over by an expert with
  substantial EU-experience
• Previous participation in EU-projects is a real
  prerequisite
• Substantial work load in project preparation (3
  person months average)
• Work Package Leader the coordinator of a more or
  less substantial part of the project
• EU-experience is a plus but not a prerequisite
• Medium work load in preparation (0,5 1 person
  month depending on work package size)
• Other Project Partners participants with a
  defined role but without coordination tasks
• Small work load in preparation

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The Coordinator

• Central contact for the Commission
• Acts on behalf of the Commission
• Signs the grant agreement with the Commission and
  organises the access of the partner to the grant
  agreement (via form A)
• Receives all payments from the Commission
• Transfers payments to his project partners
• Collects, checks and integrates the project
  reports
• Monitors the implementation of the project

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Documents

• work programme
• call text
• guide for applicants
• rules for participation
• rules for submission, evaluation, selection,
  award
• standard model grant agreement
• guide to financial issues
• guide to intellectual property rules
• negotiations guidance notes
• General version of all documents
• CORDIS Find a document
• www.cordis.europa.eu

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http//cordis.europa.eu
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Structure of a Research Project

• Concept and Goals
• Time flow of the work package and their
  components (Gantt chart)

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Structure of a Research Project

• Graphical Presentation of the interrelations of
  the work components (Pert diagram)

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Structure of a Research Project

• Detailed Description of the work packages
• Profiles and Roles of the Participants
• Consortium and Ressources
• Expected impact of the project
• Use / Dissemination of the results

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Successful Proposal - Generalities

• Follow the guide for proposers strictly (no
  creativity here)
• Professional, attractive and clear Layout (but
  dont overdo it)
• Good readability
• Lists (Bulletpoints)
• Tables, charts, graphics (e.g. Gantt und Pert
  Charts)
• Proposal language scientific english
• Short and concise, no redundancies

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Successful Proposal Relevance and Excellence

• Pay full attention to the evaluation criteria
• Relevance Scope of the project must correspond
  completely to the topics addressed in the work
  programme
• Scientific Excellence Concept, methodology and
  work plan are scientifically convincing

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Successful Proposal Consortium and Participants

• Each participant has a indisputable expertise for
  his work package / his role in the project
• The Consortium is well balanced and convincingly
  assembled for the attainment of the project
  goals- Complementarity and synergies-
  integration of users (e.g. SMEs) into the
  project- no alibi partners!
• Adequate professional Management- coordination-
  Flow of information- decision making structures
  - advisory boards / steering committees
• Consortium has the necessary ressources (human
  ressources, equipment)
• Adequate realistic Budget

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Successful Proposal Impact and IPR

• Expected use/impact of the project corresponds to
  the goals described in the work programme
• If possible and relevant present the project
  goals in a broader context of European
  priorities, actual political developments,
  societal challenges etc.
• Convincing concept for use and dissemination
• Concept for IPR Management

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Budgetary Planning

• What cost categories are involved?
• Personell costs
• Equipment
• Consumables
• Travel costs
• What are the own resources that can be integrated
  into the project?
• Can the project be broken down into defined
  subprojects that could be covered by different
  research programmes?

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Adequate funding programmes

• If the division of work with European Partners
  makes sense European Programmes should be
  checked out!
• What types of costs can be covered
• What level of funding can be expected
• What funding rates are applied
• The further a project is away from the market the
  greater is the chance of funding from public
  sources!
• The European Union does not support individual
  research and innovation needs but research and
  innovation that has a European dimension or a
  European added value

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Nine deadly sins in project preparation

• Late start of project preparation, partner
  search, proposal writing
• Project only partially fits to the content of the
  call for proposals
• Selection of unsuitable partners
• Missing expertise in the field of the project
• Missing synergies with the other partners
• Lack of experience in International Cooperation
• Low commitment of participants
• Weak (or too forceful) Coordination

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Nine deadly sins in project preparation

• Proposal only comprehensible to few experts in
  that specific field of research
• Project proposal put together from incompatible
  elements delivered by different project partners
  without adequate adjustment no clear structure
• Budget to small to keep all participants working
• Budget too high for the described work or not
  adequately justified
• Delay of legal and financial questions to project
  start

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Lobbying

• Influence on Work Programmes during preparation
  phase via Commission or Contact Points
• Early contact with Commission and Contact Points
• No Lobbying possible after proposal submission!
• No bargaining in Programme Committees

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Professional Assistance

• A network of National Contact Points located in
  each Member State or Associated Country
• offering information, advice and support
• free of charge
• cordis.europa.eu/fp7/get-support_en.html
• Enterprise Europe Network special support for
  enterprises
• Local EU-advisers

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Contact Details

• www.forschungsrahmenprogramm.de
• http//www.eubuero.de/
• Nicole.Schroeder_at_dlr.de
• 0049-228-3821658

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• Thank you very
• much for your
• attention !