EU-Bureau of the BMBFPT-DLRKönigswinterer Str. 550-55453227 BonnGermany

Phone: +49 228 / 38 21-630Fax: +49 228 / 38 21-649

eub@dlr.dewww.eubuero.de

How to write a proposal Nicole Schröder, LL.M.

INCO-NET MIRA - Training Seminar for Palestine Information Point in Cyprus

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

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

head: Dr. Andre Schlochtermeier Secretariat: Jutta Albrecht deputy: Kathrin Stratmann +49 228 3821-630

Postal address: Visitor’s address:PT-DLR, Heinrich-Konen-Str. 1 Königswinterer Str. 55053227 Bonn, Germany 53227 Bonn, Germany

EU-Bureau of the BMBF

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)

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!

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

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

Official Journal

CommissionCommission

Member StatesMember StatesResearch Institute

Local EU-officer

National National Contact Contact PointsPoints

CORDIS

EUROPE

Strategy for a successfulparticipation in FP7

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

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)

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

Stages of a EU-Project

Proposal Preparation

Proposal Submission

Project Implementation

Advice

Evaluation Final Reports

Final Payment

Checking of Reports

Interim Reports (possible interim project monitoring with expert support)

Contract Negotiation

Technical and financial audits are possible during the project and up to 5 years after its completion!

Stages of a EU Project

Preparation

Proposal submission

Evaluation

Negotiation

Project implementation

6-9 months before deadline

Calls are usually open for3 months

evaluation period and

contract negotiations

not less than 3-6 months

project duration depending on funding scheme 1-7 years

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

http://cordis.europa.eu

Structure of a Research Project

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

chart)

Structure of a Research Project

• Graphical Presentation of the interrelations of the work components

(Pert diagram)

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

Successful Proposal - Generalities

• Follow the guide for proposers strictly (no creativity here)

• Professional, attractive and clear Layout

(but don‘t overdo it)

• Good readability

- Lists (Bulletpoints)

- Tables, charts, graphics (e.g. Gantt und Pert Charts)

• Proposal language: scientific english

• Short and concise, no redundancies

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

Contact Details

www.forschungsrahmenprogramm.dehttp://www.eubuero.de/

Nicole.Schroeder@dlr.de0049-228-3821658

Thank you very much for your

attention !