Tag Archives: Horizon2020

EC Launches Consultation on IPR

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The European Commission has launched a consultation on the evaluation and modernisation of the legal framework for the enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR).

Amongst the actions envisaged in the European Commission’s Digital Single Market strategy is the modernisation of IPR enforcement, focusing on commercial-scale infringements (the ‘follow the money’ approach) and its cross-border applicability.

The consultation consists of a set of questionnaires for different stakeholder groups, notably rightholders, the judiciary and legal profession, intermediaries, Member States and public authorities, citizens, and consumers and civil society. It will run until 1 April 2016.

Tips on Completing a H2020 Proposal – RIA Template

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If you’re looking for tips and best practice guidance for Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Actions, help is now at hand.

With input from experts and evaluators, Partners in the ​FP7-funded ‘Health2Market’ project have developed an annotated Horizon 2020 proposal template which aims to assist applicants in understanding the requirements of the scheme and show them how to better present the innovation-related sections in the proposals.

The template has been structured to guide coordinators and partners in presenting information required, focusing on the criteria of Excellence (criterion 1) and Impact (criterion 2). The Appendices include an example of a business plan executive summary and an example of work packages addressing dissemination and exploitation of results, preparation of market authorisation and market access (related to health topics).

Horizon 2020 Work Programme Changes

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Horizon20201

The UK Research Office  (UKRO) has published some useful information outlining how the recently published Horizon 2020 Work Programme for 2016-2017 differs from the 2014-2015 Programme.

Nine focus area calls have been set for 2016-17 designed to provide stronger integration on key areas of political relevance and societal concern across the different Work Programme parts (areas 7,8 and 9 below are new to 2016-2017):

  1. Automated Road Transport
  2. Digital Security
  3. Energy Efficiency
  4. Competitive Low-carbon Energy
  5. Blue Growth
  6. Sustainable Food Security
  7. Industry 2020 in the Circular Economy
  8. Internet of Things
  9. Smart and Sustainable Cities

A novelty in Horizon 2020 was the introduction of an open research data pilot aimed at improving access to and re-use of data generated by projects. The data pilot concerns selected core areas within Horizon 2020 and the number of these cores has been expanded in the 2016-2017 to cover:

Future and Emerging Technologies; Research infrastructures (including e-Infrastructures); Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Information and Communication Technologies; Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing and Processing, and Biotechnology: ‘nanosafety’ and ‘modelling’ topics; Societal Challenge: Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy Societal Challenge: Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw materials – except raw materials; Societal Challenge: Europe in a changing world – inclusive, innovative and reflective Societies; Science with and for Society; and Cross-cutting activities – focus areas – part Smart and Sustainable Cities.

The list of types of action has been expanded to include European Joint Programme (EJP) Cofund actions, designed to support coordinated national research and innovation programmes.

The wording on the aspects to be taken into account when applying the award criteria has also been updated: under ‘Excellence’, reference is now made to `interdisciplinary’ approaches (previously ‘trans-disciplinary’) and use of stakeholder knowledge; under ‘Impact’, the impact statements in the work programme topic descriptions have been given slightly more prominence; and under ‘Implementation’, it is now clearer that each partner should have a valid role, resources to match its tasks, and that over-inflated work-packages may be penalised.

Finally, for two-stage proposals, ‘dynamic’ thresholds for the first stage have been introduced whereby the overall threshold will be set such that the total requested budget of proposals admitted to the second stage is as close as possible to three times the available budget.

For further information about the changes to Horizon 2020, please contact Kelly or myself in Research Support.

Horizon 2020: ITN 2016 Guide for Applicants Now Online

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The 2016 call for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions​ (MSCA) Innovative Training Networks (ITN) opened on 14 October 2015 and has a deadline of 12 January 2016. The Guide for Applicants for this call is now available online and can be located by expanding the ‘Topic conditions and documents’ window of the call page.

 

FET Workshop in London – 24 November 2015

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The Knowledge Transfer Network, in collaboration with the UK National Contact Point for Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) in Horizon 2020, is organising a workshop in London on 24 November 2015. The focus of the workshop will be on the new Work Programme for 2016-2017. In particular, the workshop will feature presentations on:

  • the FET Open & FET Proactive schemes, their context and corresponding funding opportunities;
  • success stories from UK FET grant holders;
  • a view from a far-looking industry;
  • practical aspects on ‘How to do it’.

The event will take place at the BIS Conference Centre between 10am and 4pm.

Attendance is free of charge but the number of places is limited. Booking is essential and can be done via the event website. Further information is also contained in the workshop flyer.