Swiss research in 2017: Full access to Horizon 2020 or locked out of it?

The latest debates on what the future of UK’s science and research will look like after the post-Brexit period has shown us that the EU’s prestigious Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (worth €80 billion) is playing an important role in fostering research excellence of the EU member states. While considering the possible UK-EU potential scenarios, let’s take a closer look at the status of a non-EU country in Horizon 2020.

In July, the SERI (the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation) announced the Swiss Federal Council’s clear intention to obtain full association of Switzerland to Horizon 2020 from 1 January 2017 onwards. As you may know, Switzerland is considered as partially associated in Horizon 2020 until the end of December 2016. The condition for Switzerland to become a fully Associated Country to Horizon 2020 from January 2017 onwards¹ is to ratify the protocol extending free movement of people to Croatia that has been on hold for two years. The final decision is expected to be known at the end of December 2016.

The current status of Switzerland in Horizon 2020

You may recall that the Swiss voters backed the curbs on immigration in a February 2014 referendum and Swiss authorities declined to sign a protocol on extending the rule of free movement of persons to Croatia. As a result, the EU rejected Switzerland’s extension of participation in Horizon 2020 as a fully associated country².

However, a new agreement was signed on 5 December 2014, introducing a provisional solution by granting Switzerland a partially associated status with retroactive effect, from 15 September 2014 until the end of 2016. Under this agreement, researchers in Switzerland can participate and receive EU funding under the Excellent Science pillar (Pillar I) of Horizon 2020 (including ERC grants, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Future and Emerging Technologies and Research Infrastructures), as well as in the programme section on Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation, and in Euratom. For all other Horizon 2020 calls under the Industrial Leadership (Pillar II) and Societal Challenges (Pillar III) pillars, Switzerland is considered as an industrialised third country. In this case, Swiss participants in successful proposals do not receive EU funding, but can receive national funding from SERI on a project-by-project basis, provided they are eligible and comply with the conditions defined by SERI and following a pre-screening by Euresearch.

 

Switzerland’s participation in Horizon 2020³  (2014 – 2016)

 

The future of Switzerland in Horizon 2020

As for Switzerland’s future in Horizon 2020 after the expiration of the current agreement, if Switzerland ratifies the Protocol extending the free movement of persons agreement to Croatia before 9 February 2017, the EU-Switzerland Agreement associating Switzerland to parts of Horizon 2020 will be expanded to cover the whole of Horizon 2020, Euratom programme and activities carried out by Fusion for Energy from 1 January 2017⁴. The ratification process is already under way as the Federal Council stated its clear intention to obtain full association to Horizon 2020 for Switzerland, which would allow the Swiss researchers to claim EU funding under all H2020 pillars.

If Switzerland does not ratify the Croatia protocol by February 2017, the provisional agreement will be terminated with a retroactive effect as of 31 December 2016, and Switzerland will be automatically considered as a third country participant.

According to Michael Hengartner, President of swissuniversities, a positive decision would have a tremendous positive impact for Swiss researchers and enterprises. Swiss organisations were facing difficulties after the EU’s rejection as they were excluded to participate in certain instruments, such as the SME Instrument or the Fast Track to Innovation scheme. Uncertainties have led to limited participation in projects, drops in the coordination of projects by Switzerland, exclusion from expert groups and “big loss of influence in the definition of future scientific policy⁵”.

Swiss participants are advised to consider the following recommendations when submitting 2016/2017 project proposals.

First of all, proposals should be submitted as if the association agreement will continue to apply beyond 31 December 2016 and Switzerland will become fully associated to Horizon 2020 as of 2017. Meaning, Swiss research organisations are invited to submit project proposals for all calls for 2016/2017 (including PPPs under Art. 187 TFEU) as participants from an Associated Country. Contrary to the current practice, Swiss participants shall request the respective EU funding at the submission of proposal, by providing their full attributable research budget “Budget for the proposal” and “requested EU funding”, in order to receive a grant from the EU budget.

Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA)

Innovation Actions (IA)

Moreover, in Horizon 2020 collaborative projects, a consortium must consist of at least three independent legal entities from at least three EU Member States or Associated Countries. To be on the safe side, it is advisable to involve at least three organisations, in addition to the Swiss partner, to ensure the project’s eligibility, in case Switzerland will not gain status of associated country as of 2017.

With regards to the SME instrument, researchers from Switzerland are advised to submit proposals to the 2017 cut off dates as soon as Switzerland is fully associated to Horizon 2020.

Swiss partners will still be able to coordinate projects whatever the status of Switzerland will be as of 2017.

In the event that Switzerland will not be fully associated, it will gain the status of industrialised third country. Based on this:

• For Pillar I, Swiss project partners will receive EU funding if the grant agreement is signed before 31 December 2016. For other eventualities, e.g. when a project has been positively evaluated but the grant agreement cannot be signed before the 31 December 2016, the Swiss federal government will strive to find a solution.
• For Pillars II, III and all sections currently not associated, Swiss partners can continue to participate in collaborative projects, but they will not receive EU funding. In this case, the federal government will take the necessary measures to cover the expenses of the Swiss project partner, as is currently the case.

The official recommendation of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) can be found here: http://bit.ly/2bT2ZqV

^1. https://www.euresearch.ch/fileadmin/redacteur/SERI/2016-07-13_Information_H2020_proposal_submission_2016_2017.pdf
^2. https://www.sbfi.admin.ch/sbfi/en/home/topics/swiss-international-cooperation-in-research-and-innovation/european-union-framework-programmes-for-research/horizon-2020-_-the-european-unions-framework-programme-for-resea/swiss-transitional-measures-for-horizon-2020/switzerland_s-status-in-horizon-2020.html

^3. https://www.sbfi.admin.ch/sbfi/en/home/topics/swiss-international-cooperation-in-research-and-innovation/european-union-framework-programmes-for-research/horizon-2020-_-the-european-unions-framework-programme-for-resea/swiss-transitional-measures-for-horizon-2020/switzerland_s-status-in-horizon-2020.html.

^4. https://www.sbfi.admin.ch/sbfi/en/home/news/medienmitteilungen/test-bit.msg-id-55555.html
^5. “Horizon 2020: Not without Switzerland?”, interview with Michael Hengartner (7 June 2016). http://www.internationalinnovation.com/horizon-2020-not-without-switzerland/

Social Media and Communication Internship

Europa Media is seeking an innovative, creative, open-minded and goal-oriented intern to join our exciting and fast-growing team. We are looking for a Social Media and Communication Intern who will manage the media campaigns of our European projects on social platforms and will create new and effective ways to extend our existing social media routine with the supervision of our Marketing Specialist.

The successful candidate will manage on a daily basis the social media accounts of several EU research and innovation projects covering a wide range of topics (entrepreneurship, international cooperation, renewable energy and energy efficiency, environmental technologies, climate change, etc.) and will support our Marketing Specialist in creating innovative and compelling social media strategies that connect our partners and clients with our projects and services.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Update and improve consistency of current and outdated content.
• Help develop and execute social media strategies.
• Help develop, manage company and project websites, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts.
• Write, proofread, and edit posts, blog posts and articles.
• Write for a variety of audiences in different tones and voices.
• Collaborate with internal departments on projects.
• Demonstrate interest in social media and how media and communication strategies can continuously engage the online community.

Education, Skills and Experience:

• Experience in online communication, or pursuing a degree in either marketing or communications.
• Strong understanding of website metrics, data analysis, and reporting tools.
• Ability to multi-task, manage multiple projects and balance competing priorities.
• Self-starter with a strong work ethic and willingness to take initiative and be proactive.
• Comfortable working with different personalities, new people and subject matter experts.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft, Excel, and Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign).
• Knowledge of social media and personal experience with social media.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently on projects and also collaborate as a strong team member.

Place and Duration of the Internship:

• The place of the internship is Europa Media’s offices in Graphisoft Park in Budapest, Hungary.
• This is a 6 months full-time internship with a possibility of full-time hire at the completion of the internship period.

What we offer:

• Remuneration to contribute to covering the intern’s living expenses.
• Great working environment within a young and international team.

To apply to the position, please send your CV and a creative introduction about yourself, your motivation for applying and a summary of your past achievements in any format you find suitable. Send your application to hr@europamedia.org with the subject “Social Media and Communication Internship”.

Closing date of application: 19 September 2016

By: Krisztina Tóth

Transforming food waste into treasure: PlasCarb goes to industry

Geonardo, in conjunction with its partners Centre for Process Innovation Ltd., the French National Centre for Scientific Research and GAP Waste Management, presented the PlasCarb project with an exhibition stand at the 7^th International Conference on Advanced Nanomaterials (ANM2016) on 25-27 July 2016 in Aveiro, Portugal.

Funded under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) of the EU, the three-year PlasCarb project has aimed to transform biogas generated by anaerobic digestion of food waste using an innovative low energy microwave plasma process to split biogas (methane) into high value graphitic carbon and renewable hydrogen (RH2). As the project will conclude in November 2016, the consortium partners can look back on a wide range of activities as well as results achieved which have been presented at this conference.

Over the three days of the conference PlasCarb’s partners provided the visitors with a wealth of informative and interactive materials, personal discussions as well as two oral conference presentations about its ongoing research ventures.

Visitors had the chance to receive first-hand information about PlasCarb, its progress and results to date, not only through slide shows and the information fact sheets, but also through personal discussions with our experts.  

 Moreover, a variety of exhibition samples from PlasCarb’s products were presented.

Renewable PlasCarbon (RPC) is one of these products, generated by the PlasCarb technology through the cleavage of biogas which originates from food waste. RPC is produced from a renewable resource (waste) and has the potential to compete against conventional carbon products from fossil origin and is now being tested in a range of industrial applications.

The exhibition samples, with RPC as the basis for materials like conductive inks, rubber, or filaments for 3D printing, arrived freshly from the scientific laboratories of the PlasCarb partners CNRS, FR and Abalonyx, NO. Interested visitors had the chance to investigate the samples directly at the PlasCarb booth and observe the outstanding properties of RPC.

                                                                                                       

For instance, visitors probed pens containing conductive ink from RPC. Any hand-writing or -drawing could be tested on electric conductivity by simply applying a voltage on either end of the drawn line. The conductivity of the ink became apparent through visualization on the display of a multi-meter.

With these and other illustrations at the PlasCarb booth, the consortium partners highlighted the results and achievements of the project. At the same time, they sought to establish contacts for potential future collaboration with interested people to follow up research and development as well as commercialisation of the PlasCarb technology.

As a next step, the project partners are looking forward to introducing PlasCarb to the industrial resource efficiency and waste management sector with a stand at the upcoming RWM event during 13-15 September in Birmingham, UK.

by: Daniel Frohnmaier

Practical tips for organising brokerage events in EU projects

Dissemination and exploitation related activities have always been a focal issue for all EU funded projects. Apart from the traditional ways of disseminating the project results via newsletters, flyers and presenting the results in conferences, it’s worth considering bringing together the key stakeholder groups in either a specialised conference organised within the frame of the project, or host a brokerage event where the various parties could liaise with each other in a rather informal manner.

In one of our recently completed projects, we tried to combine a small-scale specialised conference with such a brokerage event to be able to reach out to a wide group of stakeholders, offering them a full package of information and networking opportunities. Although we did not plan to host hundreds of guests, the organisation process, logistics, identifying target groups and promoting the event took a lot of efforts, and planning had to start way before the event itself. The description of the preparation process below will cover this one specific event; however there are a number of general firsthand experiences included, which you may find useful when aiming to organise a similar event.

• If possible, plan your event towards the end of your project (not only you’ll have solid results to disseminate and discuss, but you may also utilise more effectively any “remaining” funds (due to potential under-spending of some partners) to make it bigger with more significant penetration potential or even better in terms of overall quality.
• Consider initiating a meeting with the key partners well in advance of the event to develop a joint strategy and concrete plans and to allocate various tasks and responsibilities internally.
• Invest enough time and effort into identifying your target groups to inform about the event and into contacting those potential speakers who will bring value to it; you may achieve better results if you offer them reimbursement on their travel and accommodation expenses (provided you have the sufficient financial background available).
• As your invited speakers start confirming their participation, be prepared to draft a preliminary agenda and disseminate it heavily in order to trigger additional interest towards the event. Keep this agenda up-to-date and make sure the latest version is available easily at the event’s dedicated site.
• This site can be incorporated within the project’s or your organisation’s own web page but there are a number of service providers specialised in the IT needs of organising match making and brokerage events (such as online registration, facilitating networking efforts, setting up meetings between the registered participants, indicating interest towards each presentation etc). Previously we worked with the Austrian company B2Match to our greatest satisfaction.
• Customise and tailor your letter of invitation dedicated to each of your target groups pointing out and highlighting the potential benefits they may have by participating in the event. The single-invitation-fits-all approach usually doesn’t deliver the hoped results.
• Be prepared that your initial calculations regarding the number of total participants might prove to be overly optimistic and you’ll end up having less attendees than you predicted based on your background research and on the feedbacks of the extensive mobilisation campaign.

It is hard work to bring together such an event, and unless it is planned in advance and budgeted in the proposal preparation phase, it might be very challenging to find sponsors to aid your efforts. On the other hand, it helps enormously to introduce your project to a wider audience, most of them with a relevant background, and disseminate your results which eventually may culminate in another proposal or new partnerships.

By: Istvan Pari

Graphic design for Horizon 2020 projects: what difference can it make?

What is the starting point for your dissemination work package? At Europa Media, our very first thought is always on branding: creating a familiar and consistent image of the project, so that it is recognisable by all audiences and on all media and devices.

In order to obtain a professional result, you really want to resort to a professional design agency, or competent graphic designer. Although this may affect your budget, costs for dissemination, including the creation of a visual identity, merchandise and other promotional materials, are eligible and can be planned under the category “Other Costs for goods, works and services”, or they can be subcontracted. You should resort to sub-contracting whenever the good, work or service is required to implement a task indicated in your Description of Action. Beware: the price of the subcontracts will not be taken into account for the application of the flat-rate for indirect costs.

At Europa Media, we have an in-house graphic design department, and today I decided to interview the head of this department, Angela, a graphic designer who has been working in EU research and innovation projects since the very beginning of FP7. I hope her experience and tips will inspire you for your next Horizon 2020 project.

What kind of graphic design products are needed in Horizon 2020?

At proposal stage, I usually prepare the PERT diagram and the Gantt chart, showing the interrelations amongst work packages and their timing, and figures for the Management structure, highlighting the overall governance of a project. Sometimes it can also be valuable to create a map of Europe showing the geographical coverage of partners, and mock-ups for specific technical tasks.

The Commission doesn’t require a project logo at this stage, but if there are no time constraints, it can give an additional touch of carefulness.

Once the project starts, the first products I develop for a project are the logo and the visual identity, in cooperation with the project coordinator and with the approval of all partners. Once these are settled, I can further create templates for internal and external communications: Power Point presentations, Word documents for deliverables, and so on. The website design is the next step, realised together with our IT department. According to the different needs and plans of a given project, I design printed dissemination material, such as leaflets, posters, roll outs, business cards, and sometimes more original merchandise or stationary. It really depends on the individual project, its audience and content!

What is the advantage of having a visual identity?

A clear visual identity is key to convey a strong, consistent and unique image of every EU project, increasing the consortium’s ability to communicate their mission, objectives and achievements. Such a visual identity connects all of the project partners together and makes the project more recognisable and understandable by the wider public.

The fact that many different people are often involved in communication activities of a project poses the risk that just as many different images and perceptions will be conveyed of the same project, making it harder for the outside world to recognise the project as one only. For example, if the website design had different colours and design from the printed material, people would never realise it is the same project!

What elements does a visual identity include?

There is no one-size-fits-all visual identity. For Horizon 2020 projects, I usually establish:

• A logo, for which I provide structure, proportions, and its black and white version.
• Fonts to be used both online and on printed materials. A tip: fonts chosen for a project should be free, you cannot really expect people to download or even buy new fonts. Again, there is no rule to choose a font, each project has its own values and conveys different emotions or ideas, so the first question I ask myself is on the style that would best emphasise the project itself; only later I can choose the font accordingly.
• Colour Palette, including a number of colours that will be used for all dissemination and communication purposes. I always use Pantone colours, and provide the CMYK and RGB codes to partners, to make sure there is a clear understanding.
• Templates and examples: within a visual identity, I usually include examples of posters, flyers, roll-outs, websites etc., to better give an idea to partners of what that design will look like on the real materials, and also because sometimes other graphic designers are involved, so it’s a good idea to make sure we are all on the same page.

How do you create a logo?

It’s very important to be completely aware of the project’s objectives and scope, so the starting point for me is to read the proposal and discuss with the project manager what values and impressions the project should convey. I also ask a brief from project managers: a short document with the essential keywords. The personal taste of the individual project manager of course is always crucial – but here I’m lucky! (most of the times :))

I always start by making some hand-made sketches on paper, then I transfer them into digital format. I create three versions and send them out to the partners – the decision process then depends on the partner responsible for this, and on how easily partners can find an agreement.

How do you choose colours?

They are really related to the topic. For example, I created the visual identity of one of Geonardo’s projects on creating graphene from food waste. The topic was hardcore chemistry, and the main goal was creating something completely innovative and valuable from food waste. So I decided to choose green, which reminds of recycling, and purple, which represents the perfect colour for transitions and transformations; it’s a mystical colour, coming from red and blue together, and allowing very different shades with just small additions of each component.

What about fonts?

I use mostly grotesque fonts, because these are innovative projects and modern fonts fit them better. For example, sans-serif fonts are better for traditional, conservative purposes. But actually in graphic design everything is possible, you can still use serif fonts for modern projects, it’s really up to the designer’s taste!

Are there strict rules for visual identities?

No, there are no strict rules under Horizon 2020, so the designer is totally free. Other grant authorities and schemes sometimes provide strict rules, for example in terms of templates, and designers can only design a logo, but the templates for all dissemination materials and colour palettes are fixed.

What is your favourite task as a graphic designer for EU projects?

Creating a logo is the most creative task, where you can show your own ideas and your own taste. The same applies for the creation of icons, leaflets, and web design!

What are the deepest personal satisfactions in being a graphic designer for EU projects?

Printed material gives me great satisfaction: when materials arrive from the print house and I unpack and check them, it’s a really a magical moment: it’s like unwrapping presents! I feel satisfied because working on these projects has allowed me to create visual messages that are used for many years and help disseminate important messages.

What is the most important thing that a proposal writer or a project manager should know about the use of graphic design under Horizon 2020?

The logo should be really simple and it should have clear quality both in small and large formats, since it will be used on many different formats, from digital to analogue materials. Also, I think it shouldn’t be the visual translation of the project description, but an uncomplicated way of conveying values and ideas, which invites people to learn more about the project and to be involved in it.

By: Valentina Zuri