Annual Report
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Contents Foreword 4 The Year in Review 5 Mission and Vision 6 Services 7 Introducing the UKRO Team
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Policy Developments and External Liaison
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Sponsors and Subscribers 12 Annual Conference 14 Training 15 National Contact Points 16 The Office
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Foreword Research and innovation is an agenda at the heart of both the UK’s and the EU’s vision for increased growth and competitiveness, and we have the statistics to prove it. With less than 1% of the world’s population and just 4% of the world’s researchers, the UK earns 12% of international citations and 16% of the most cited papers. The UK research base is highly productive and has a global reputation for excellence.
However, we cannot stand still if we want to remain competitive. Global competition is increasing, with America and the developed Asian economies, such as China and South Korea, investing heavily in research and innovation and attracting some of our best researchers. This means that UK universities must make the best use of existing research funding. In this context, European research funding is key given that it now accounts for up to 15% of some UK universities’ research budget. UKRO’s contribution has been vital; it has helped the UK win more than £5 billion from the EU’s ‘Framework Programme 7’
research funding programme and more funding that any other Member State in 2012-13. Turning to Horizon 2020, we can see UK academics and companies collaborating with their counterparts from across Europe in thousands of projects from forecasting ozone trends to new antibiotics, hybrid car engines or improved urban planning. Listing facts and figures tells barely half the story. UKRO’s real added value is the help they give to participants to navigate through the difficult terrain of identifying the most appropriate EU funding for their projects and translating EU jargon into
English. They help researchers understand what JTIs (joint technology initiatives), JUs (joint undertakings), RSFF (risk sharing finance facility) and countless other acronyms mean. As a result, over the last thirty years, ever since the very first European framework programme for research was launched, UKRO has been helping our research community to take part successfully in European research programmes. And UKRO continues to evolve, delivering excellent results year on year, helping UK research and innovation to remain pivotal to growth and competitiveness. That is the real success story behind their 30th Anniversary, for which they deserve the strongest congratulations.
Shan Morgan Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the EU
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The Year in Review 2014 marked an important milestone in the history of UKRO as we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Office. The EU policy and funding landscape has dramatically evolved and expanded over the past 30 years. During the past year UKRO has played an instrumental role in facilitating the dialogue between the UK research community and EU institutions, and we have been delighted to see that UK contributions have helped to shape Horizon 2020 implementation. We take pride in helping the academic research community navigate and understand this complex landscape.
UKRO specialises in providing reliable support primarily for funding managers and research administrators across its member organisations. We ensure that our members have access to the latest news and guidance, to enable them to make informed decisions about applying for funding and engaging in policy. With the launch of the new programmes, special attention has been given to lessons learnt from the first calls of Horizon 2020. UKRO has worked closely with its members to identify challenges and share emerging best practice. Working in close collaboration with UK Government and all relevant stakeholders, UKRO has played a key role in ensuring that the views and experiences of the academic sector and the Research Councils are taken into account in emerging policy and programme implementation debates. Behind the scenes, it has been a busy year for the Office: in partnership with key stakeholders UKRO has refreshed its Strategic Plan, with unanimous agreement that the overarching role of the Office should remain unchanged. The new Strategic Plan enables the Office to build on the past 30 years of
successful operation, while also allowing us to adapt and respond to a rapidly changing landscape. The Office received ‘Full Assurance’ on its internal governance and management following a technical audit carried out by the Research Councils’ Audit and Assurance Services Group, which confirmed our confidence in the effectiveness of our internal systems and processes. Development is underway on the new UKRO Portal, designed to provide easy access to the most relevant and interesting information for our members. UKRO’s services continue to be in high demand, and it has been highly motivating to consistently receive excellent feedback from subscribers and colleagues across the Research Councils. I would like to congratulate my colleagues on their achievements and their role in creating a thoroughly enjoyable and inspirational working environment. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank friends and colleagues from across the EU institutions and stakeholder organisations in Brussels and the UK for being so generous with their time and
expertise, and for their contribution to the continued success of the Office. It has been an exciting year, and I hope that you will enjoy reading about our activities and achievements.
Christina Miller Director, UK Research Office
Mission and Vision UKRO is the UK’s leading information and advice service on European Union funding for research, innovation and higher education. Established in Brussels in 1984, UKRO is the European office of the UK Research Councils. It delivers a subscription-based advisory service for over 140 research organisations principally in the UK, and provides National Contact Point services on behalf of the UK Government.
Mission UKRO’s mission is to maximise UK engagement in EU-funded research, innovation and higher education activities by:
Enabling sponsors and subscribers to participate confidently in EU programmes and fully exploit the opportunities available to them;
Supporting UK input into European research, innovation and higher education policy development by informing, advising and liaising with the appropriate bodies both in the UK and the EU;
Delivering a set of unique, specialised services that are tailored to meet the evolving needs of sponsors and subscribers.
Vision During the period 2015-2020, UKRO aims to maintain its position as the leading provider of information and impartial support with respect to the EU’s research, innovation and higher education programming and policy, for the research and higher education sector both in the UK and beyond. The objectives set out in UKRO’s Strategic Plan will enable the office to build on the past 30 years of successful operation, while also allowing UKRO to adapt and respond to a rapidly changing landscape.
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Services
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UKRO offers a suite of bespoke services. Open to subscribers: UKRO Portal: always up to date with the latest in EU funding and policy The UKRO portal provides tailored news articles which communicate the latest EU funding and policy developments, as well as clear and accessible web pages on the different strands of EU research, innovation and higher education activities.
Enquiry service: individual support and advice, all year round All subscribers have a named contact at UKRO, who provides guidance, information, and advice on EU policies, programmes and funding opportunities.
Annual visit: a tailored event for your institution Each UK-based subscriber is entitled to an annual visit from their UKRO European Advisor, who will provide expert training, information, and/or one-to-one sessions tailored to the requirements of the institution.
Training and Development Programme: primarily designed to support European officers Specialist training courses, focus groups and information events, providing in-depth insight into EU programmes.
Meeting room in Brussels: a venue in Brussels UKRO’s meeting room is located within easy walking distance of most European Commission buildings, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. It is regularly used by staff from subscribing institutions, for example, for European project meetings. Subscribers can also use ‘hot desk’ facilities.
Open to everyone: Annual conference for European officers, with the latest information on programmes and policies presented by European Commission staff and other speakers.
UK National Contact Points for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and the European Research Council (ERC), each providing a dedicated helpdesk, website and specialised information and training events.
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Introducing the UKRO Team UKRO is a friendly and dynamic team bringing together a wide range of skills and experiences from across the research and innovation community. Christina Miller Director +32 2 286 9054 christina.miller@bbsrc.ac.uk
Inga Benner Deputy Director +32 2 286 9023 inga.benner@bbsrc.ac.uk
European Advisors European Advisors provide expert advice and guidance to UKRO’s sponsors and subscribers on EU-funded research, innovation and higher education programmes and their accompanying policies. Liaison work in Brussels and the UK and staying up to date on the latest policy developments are central to the work of the European Advisor team. Together, they ensure that subscribers and sponsors receive the best possible insights into future calls and high-quality
Alexandra Berry European Advisor +32 2 286 9053 alexandra.berry@bbsrc.ac.uk
Małgorzata Czerwiec European Advisor +32 2 286 9055 malgorzata.czerwiec@bbsrc.ac.uk
Maribel Glogowski European Advisor +32 2 286 9052 maribel.glogowski@bbsrc.ac.uk
Phil Holliday European Advisor +32 2 286 9056 phil.holliday@bbsrc.ac.uk
practical advice on all aspects of implementation. In addition to providing an email and telephone query service, UKRO’s European Advisors work closely with sponsors and subscribers to prepare and deliver bespoke training through briefing visits. Each sponsor and subscriber institution has a named contact within the UKRO European Advisor team.
Emma Carey1 European Advisor +32 2 286 6125 emma.carey@bbsrc.ac.uk
Ian Devine European Advisor +32 2 286 6122 ian.devine@bbsrc.ac.uk
Victoria Hayward European Advisor +32 2 286 9050 victoria.hayward@bbsrc.ac.uk
Błażej Thomas European Advisor +32 2 286 9057 blazej.thomas@bbsrc.ac.uk
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Cindy Mertens IS Manager +32 2 286 9051 cindy.mertens@bbsrc.ac.uk
Sophie Newlands Office Manager
Office Management UKRO’s services depend on the smooth running of the Office, management of training events, and reliable information systems. Guests are welcome to use the meeting room or ‘hot desk’ facility, which are available free of charge to sponsors and subscribers. If you have any questions about training events, accessing the UKRO website or using the meeting room, please contact us at: ukro@bbsrc.ac.uk
+32 2 289 6124 sophie.newlands@bbsrc.ac.uk
Marta Hernández Ramón Administrative Assistant +32 2 289 6120 marta.ramon@bbsrc.ac.uk
Nashwan Salman IT & Administrative Assistant +32 2 286 9058 nashwan.salman@bbsrc.ac.uk
1. Inga Benner was on maternity leave from June 2014 until March 2015. Emma Carey was appointed Interim Deputy Directory during this period
Policy Developments and External Liaison
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The UK academic community has a strong track-record of engagement in European research, innovation and higher education programmes. While much of UKRO’s work is naturally hidden behind the scenes, the Office has had an important role to play both in assisting with the transition between FP7 and Horizon 2020 and in wider policy developments.
Horizon 2020 18 months in and it is now possible to look back at the first outcomes of Horizon 2020: as at March 2015, over 26,000 proposals were submitted to the first two rounds of calls, just under 26,000 proposals had been evaluated and over 1,400 grant agreements are now signed. So far, the UK comes second after Germany in terms of the EU financial contribution and first in terms of the number of participations. During the past year, UKRO supported the research community by providing information and advice, and bringing together focus groups of experts to share their experiences. In particular, these activities have sought to tackle some of the trickier aspects of engaging in Horizon 2020, including the increased focus on the innovation dimension and adapting to the new legal and financial rules. As a result, a number of important clarifications and changes were made on implementation aspects of Horizon 2020, including on the Declaration of Exclusivity and the guidance on evaluation. There is a strong appetite to engage with Horizon 2020, although some frustrations remain, especially for first time applicants who find it difficult to navigate their way around the opportunities. The new Research and Innovation Participant Portal, which now provides a single entry point to Horizon 2020 calls and related initiatives, is widely recognised as an improvement to previous systems.
This ambitious project has had to overcome a number of challenges, and the involvement of experienced research administrators throughout the process has been warmly welcomed. Furthermore, UKRO proactively shares the experiences of the academic community with the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS), the primary UK policy lead for Horizon 2020, and facilitates a fast turnaround to requests for input to help inform policy and programme discussions. Similarly, UKRO maintains excellent links with a wide range of Brussels-based stakeholders, including the office of the UK Permanent Representation, devolved administrations, Innovate UK, UK Regional Offices, and other colleagues representing organisations from around the world. UKRO achieved even greater added value and impact through close collaboration and open dialogue with other stakeholder organisations, including Science Europe,
Universities UK and the International Unit, and the European University Association. UKRO is an active member of the Informal Group of RTD Liaison Offices (IGLO) in Brussels. Together with colleagues from across this network, the Office has sought to maximise the benefit of lessons learnt from the Horizon 2020 first calls. A highlight of this project was an IGLO ‘ERA-in-Action’ workshop, bringing together funding managers from across Europe to discuss their experiences from the first round of Horizon 2020 calls. The first projects are only just beginning, and it will be a while until the first reporting phase, for which more guidance may be needed. As before, UKRO will therefore work closely with subscribers, stakeholders and contacts in the European Commission to ensure issues are identified and solutions are found in a timely manner. UKRO also continues to be an active member of the Member State Expert Group on the Model Grant Agreement.
11 Continued support for implementation of FP7 Although Horizon 2020 has naturally been in the spotlight over the past year, it is important not to lose sight of FP7. With the largest number of grants funded in the later years of FP7, a significant proportion of projects are underway. UKRO provides ongoing support to member organisations on implementation aspects, for example through bespoke training for new research administrators. The recently-launched FP7 ex-post evaluation provides an opportunity to reflect on the successes from FP7 and is a springboard to the mid-term review of Horizon 2020.
All change in 2014 2014 was a year of political change. It all started with the European elections in the summer, and a new European Parliament formed in July. The European Commission followed in the autumn with the nomination of Jean-Claude Juncker as President. On 1 November, 28 European Commissioners took office, with Commissioner Moedas now responsible for Research, Science and Innovation. Ten priorities have been defined which will guide the work of the Commission for the next five years. In addition to supporting programme developments, UKRO has concentrated efforts on helping its sponsors and subscribers understand the potential impact of, and relationship between, the emerging EU policy discussions and funding programmes.
It has been an important year in terms of policy developments that could shape the future of the research and innovation landscape. The consultation and validation exercises on Science 2.0 launched the Open Science debate across Europe, and the Open Research Data Pilot was first launched in Horizon 2020. Last year provided an opportunity to take stock of progress towards the European Research Area (ERA). Member States, through the
European Research Area and Innovation Committee (ERAC), worked on the future ERA-roadmap. The proposal for the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), initiated by President Juncker to boost growth within the EU economy and encourage investment, has dominated the debate both in Brussels and in the UK. Right across the academic community there has
been concern over how the guarantee fund will be financed and extensive discussion on the extent to which the research and innovation community may be able to engage with EFSI. UKRO’s sponsors and subscribers receive regular updates on relevant EU policy developments through daily news items, factsheets, an EU Research Policy Highlights newsletter designed specifically for Research Councils and regular news bulletins for European Liaison Officers. Working in close partnership, UKRO and the Research Councils UK (RCUK) Strategy Unit ensure that UK Research Councils are engaged in the policy debates, and that collective RCUK views are represented, be it through formal consultations or in other forms of dialogue.
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Sponsors and Subscribers UKRO is sponsored by the seven UK Research Councils. • • • •
Arts and Humanities Research Council Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Economic and Social Research Council Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
• Medical Research Council • Natural Environment Research Council • Science and Technology Facilities Council
Beyond this, the Office operates on a membership basis, receiving subscriptions from universities and other research organisations in the UK, as well as from some non-UK organisations. The opposite 146 institutions, 11 of them new, subscribed to UKRO in 2014-15. Subscriber Representatives UKRO would like to thank its subscriber representatives for their continuing work and commitment during 2014-15. They play a key role in the management of the Office and recruitment of UKRO staff. Subscriber representatives have an opportunity to shape the development of services provided by the Office and can be contacted by those wishing to provide feedback or input into these developments:
“The University of the West of England (UWE) has been a subscriber to UKRO since 1991 when it was still a polytechnic. Throughout this time UKRO has provided UWE with a consistently high level of service; providing timely information and insight about European research funding, and supporting us when we need to link in to specific areas of the Commission. Part of UWE’s strategy has been to build a particularly strong relationship with its local region and industry. As Horizon 2020 aligns itself much more closely with industry and SMEs, we feel that UKRO’s service will help us to make the most of this opportunity and build on our strength in this area, allowing us to consider how as an institution we position ourselves for the future. I decided to nominate myself for the role of a Subscriber Representative as I am highly appreciative of the work of UKRO, having worked with them for a number of years in various roles, and have always enjoyed liaising with the EA’s. Now at an Alliance University, I felt it important that this type of institution
Angela Noble University of Edinburgh
angela.noble@ed.ac.uk
Xavier Rodde University of Birmingham
x.rodde@bham.ac.uk
Philippa Shelton University of West of England
philippa.shelton@uwe.ac.uk
was represented on the Board to ensure it is representative of the wider community that UKRO serves. As an institution based firmly in the region it serves I can also represent the interests from a regional rather than sector perspective. In this context I am really enjoying my role as a ‘Subscriber Rep’ on the Board. This requires me to attend a couple of meetings a year both in the UK and Brussels, giving me a deeper understanding of the work of UKRO at a more strategic level, as well as how the Office is run. Attendance at Board Meetings not only gives me the opportunity to network with others involved in European funding both from the UK and the Commission; but more importantly it has developed my understanding of the issues and solutions from groups of higher education institutions, not just my own. I look forward to continuing this work, and meeting more subscribers with time.” Philippa Shelton, University of the West of England
13 UKRO subscribers and non-UK associate members A University of Aberdeen University of Abertay Dundee Aberystwyth University Anglia Ruskin University Universiteit Antwerpen Aston University B Babraham Institute Bangor University Bar-Ilan University University of Bath Bath Spa University University of Bedfordshire Universitetet i Bergen Birkbeck, University of London University of Birmingham Bournemouth University University of Bradford University of Brighton University of Bristol British Academy Brunel University Vrije Universiteit Brussel C University of Cambridge Cancer Research UK Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff University University of Central Lancashire University of Chester City University London Coventry University University of Cyprus D De Montfort University Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs University of Derby University of Dundee Durham University E University of East Anglia University of East London Edge Hill University University of Edinburgh Edinburgh Napier University University of Essex The European Bioinformatics Institute University of Exeter F Food Standards Agency G Genome Analysis Centre Universiteit Gent University of Glasgow Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow School of Art Goldsmiths, University of London University of Greenwich
H Universiteit Hasselt Helsingin yliopisto Heriot-Watt University University of Hertfordshire Higher Education Funding Council for England University of Huddersfield University of Hull I Imperial College London Institute of Cancer Research Institute of Education, University of London Institute of Food Research ISERD - The Israel-Europe R&D Directorate J John Innes Centre K Keele University University of Kent King’s College London Kingston University L Lancaster University University of Leeds Leeds Beckett University University of Leicester Katholieke Universiteit Leuven University of Limerick University of Lincoln University of Liverpool Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine University College London London Business School London School of Economics & Political Science London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine London South Bank University Loughborough University M University of Manchester Manchester Metropolitan University Middlesex University London N Natural History Museum Newcastle University Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet Northumbria University University of Nottingham Nottingham Trent University O The Open University Universitetet i Oslo Oulun yliopisto University of Oxford Oxford Brookes University P Pirbright Institute Plymouth University University of Portsmouth Public Health England
Q Queen Mary University of London Queen’s University Belfast R University of Reading University of Roehampton Rothamsted Research Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London Royal College of Art Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Society Royal Veterinary College S University of Salford The Scottish Government University of Sheffield Sheffield Hallam University SOAS, University of London University of Southampton Southampton Solent University University of South Wales University of St Andrews St George’s, University of London University of St Mark and St John Staffordshire University Universitetet i Stavanger University of Stirling University of Strathclyde University of Surrey University of Sussex Swansea University T Tampereen teknillinen yliopisto University of Teesside U University of Ulster Universities UK W University of Wales Trinity Saint David University of Warwick Weizmann Institute of Science Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute University of the West of England University of West London University of the West of Scotland University of Westminster University of Wolverhampton Y University of York
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Annual Conference In 2014, UKRO organised a special 30th anniversary edition of its Annual Conference, which took place on 26 and 27 June in Bristol. The event, organised in co-operation with the University of Bristol, attracted over 220 delegates from European research support teams in universities and research institutes, the Research Councils, and government departments. The delegates came from nine countries, including Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, Israel, Finland, the Republic of Ireland and Kazakhstan.
2014 Annual Conference UKRO’s Annual Conferences tackle topics put forward by its subscribers and sponsors; in 2014, the focus was on summarising the first semester of Horizon 2020 by analysing the results of its first calls for proposals, as well as on preparing UK stakeholders for future opportunities through sharing of experiences with the new programme and exchange of best practice.
then Commissioner Máire GeogheganQuinn, David Wilson from the International Knowledge and Innovation Unit at the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, and Professor Shearer West from the University of Oxford delivered speeches that provided the basis for discussions on the first experiences with Horizon 2020 during a subsequent panel debate.
The UKRO team was delighted to welcome excellent speakers representing the EU institutions, UK Government and key stakeholders from across the UK. The Conference commenced with an opening plenary session, during which Keith Sequeira, Member of Cabinet of
The two-day programme of presentations and discussions covered a wide range of topics including ICT across Horizon 2020, managing Intellectual Property, proposal evaluation, Horizon 2020 focus areas, as well as business and academia research and innovation partnerships.
The event would not have been possible without the invaluable contributions made by the speakers and delegates, or the support received from the University of Bristol before and during the conference. UKRO would like to thank the University for sponsoring the drinks reception, colleagues from the Research and Enterprise Development team for their support, as well as all speakers and delegates for making this a highly successful event.
This year’s programme, designed in collaboration with members, will focus on showing how to better respond to the research and innovation agenda of Horizon 2020, how to work with business and most importantly, how to adapt to new approaches and policy orientations in EU research funding. Structured around panel debates the sessions will cover a wider range of topics, including innovative aspects
of Horizon 2020, preparing for the 2016 call for new EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, research infrastructures, Open Science, Open Access and Open Innovation, as well as specific Societal Challenges. To complement the primary programme, this year’s conference will, for the first time, also feature opportunities to exchange best practice through workshops on practical aspects of EU engagement.
2015 Annual Conference UKRO Annual Conference 2015, entitled ‘Horizon 2020 – Bridging Research and Innovation’, will take place on 18 and 19 June in Birmingham and will be organised in co-operation with Aston University.
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Training Demand for UKRO training remained high throughout the past year. The Office continues to offer a well-established, unique approach where subscriber and sponsor organisations work with their dedicated European Advisor to create a ‘tailor-made’ programme for their annual briefing visit. This type of training enables organisations to integrate the UKRO visits into their wider support and training programmes and meet individual organisational needs.
Having now been established for over 30 years, UKRO is building on its experience and past success to deliver a portfolio of specialised training events for European Liaison Officers, adopting an approach which allows for information multiplication and encourages networking and the sharing of best practice between subscribers. For example, UKRO’s Brussels-based training in 2014-2015 saw the continuation of the well-established ‘New European Liaison Officers’ workshop and the introduction of a new workshop on EU funding opportunities other than those directly under the three pillars of Horizon 2020. The workshop for new European Liaison Officers, which was held in December 2014, provided a comprehensive introduction to EU research, innovation and higher education
programmes and included sessions with Commission speakers. The workshop on opportunities beyond the three pillars of Horizon 2020, aimed at more experienced European Liaison Officers, was held in March 2015 and covered a broad range of EU funding programmes. It featured facilitated discussions with representatives from EU institutions on schemes such as Creative Europe, Erasmus+ and the 3rd Health Programme. With the launch of Horizon 2020, UKRO has endeavoured to interpret and communicate legal and financial matters for subscribers, including similarities and novelties with previous frameworks programmes. Three UK-based training sessions aimed primarily at research managers and administrators attracted over 270 delegates.
“Many thanks for running this programme again this year, I have found that it has helped to ‘gel’ together both new and existing knowledge and put the various schemes into context. Meeting the UKRO team, as well as representatives from the ERC and MSCA (which was quite unexpected) was invaluable, as I feel better prepared to utilise the services and support offered. Moreover, making new contacts with other ELOs has helped to better understand the challenges and opportunities we are all faced with.” Nicole Dixon, University of Bristol
UKRO would like to thank all external speakers for their contribution to the Office’s training programmes and subscribing organisations for their active participation and generosity in hosting UKRO events. As part of the cross-cutting training activities for the year ahead, UKRO will continue to work on developing knowledge and confidence across the sector on the practical implementation aspects of Horizon 2020 and will continue to support the diverse needs of subscribing and sponsor organisations.
“The content and pace of delivery was just what was required. Whilst it was helpful for the presenters to go through the facts in sufficient detail – which they did – I found the real benefit came from the additional perspective and advice that they gave. The questions from the floor were interesting and were answered well. I also appreciated being given personal feedback on the questions I had sent in advance.” Nick Myer, Science and Technology Facilities Council
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National Contact Points European Research Council and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions National Contact Points UKRO is contracted by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills to run the UK National Contact Point (NCP) service for the European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020. These are particularly important funding streams for the UK, with over 40% (€2.795 billion) of FP7 income coming from these two programmes alone.
The main role of the NCPs is to inform and advise UK applicants on submitting applications for funding under each scheme, as well as on results and grant management issues. This includes keeping up-to-date web pages for both programmes, maintaining an efficient
and proactive helpdesk which responds to queries by telephone or email, and running a series of information and proposal-writing sessions around the UK which coincide with the launch of each major ERC and MSCA call.
UKRO has established strong links with ERC and MSCA NCPs across Europe and contributes to joint activities with other UK National Contact Points covering all aspects of Horizon 2020.
17 ERC NCP highlights Helpdesk activities in 2014-2015 •
Answered approximately 2,200 queries.
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Held eight information and proposal writing events around the UK for around 750 participants.
•
Attended the ERC Programme Committee meetings alongside the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills.
•
Attended the ERC NCPs meetings held in May and December 2014.
UK success in 2014 ERC Calls1 •
Some 67 Starting Grants, 86 Consolidator Grants, and 20 Proof of Concept Grants were awarded to UK host institutions (respectively around 18%, 23% and 17% of all awards in each call).
New members of the ERC Scientific Council •
Two new ERC Scientific Council members based at UK institutions were appointed by the European Commission. They are Professor Tomáŝ Jungwirth (Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and University of Nottingham, UK) and Professor Dame Janet Thornton (European Molecular Biology Laboratory - European Bioinformatics Institute, UK).
MSCA NCP highlights Helpdesk activities in 2014-15 •
Answered approximately 3,000 queries.
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Held seven information events around the UK for approximately 490 participants.
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Attended three MSCA Programme Committees alongside the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills.
UK success in 2014 MSCA Calls2 •
For the Innovative Training Networks (ITN) call there were 160 successful UK participations in retained proposals, 27 UK co-ordinators out of a total of 121 (~22%) and an average UK success rate of 10.9% (overall success rate 10.8%).
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The UK had a total of 57 participations in retained list proposals for the new Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) scheme, with 13 UK organisations co-ordinating. The UK success rate was 46.3% (overall success rate 43%).
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The UK is the top destination for Individual Fellowships with 28% of all proposals submitted by UK host organisations to both the European and Global Fellowships.
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UK proposals to the new Doctoral Programme of the COFUND scheme made up 12% of all submissions and 6% of proposals submitted to the COFUND Fellowships Programme were from UK organisations.
1.Information as at 7 April 2015 | 2. Information as at 1 April 2015
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The Office Development of the UKRO Portal In 2014, 2,200 new users set up a profile to receive targeted information on EU funding and policy via the Office’s website, the UKRO Portal. This is an increase of 19% compared to the previous reporting year, and the audience of the UKRO Portal has now grown to well over 11,000 users. The effect of the launch of easy-to-read UKRO factsheets is clear. The summaries of the main features of Horizon 2020 and other funding programmes proved to be very popular downloads for UKRO sponsors and subscribers alike.
Meanwhile, UKRO is working on the development of a new UKRO Portal. The platform and design will provide users with streamlined navigation and will be suitable for a wide range of devices. A simple but very powerful search function will allow subscribers to narrow down search results with quick filters and refiners. Portal content is also being re-written, so that different types of users can be directed to relevant information more quickly. The new Portal will be launched during 2015, but a sneak preview is already available:
A snapshot of UKRO activities in 2014-15 •
Produced 1,229 articles covering EU funding opportunities and insight into policies and programmes.
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Carried out 109 briefing visits to subscribing organisations.
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Received around 1000 visits in Brussels.
•
Ran five UKRO training courses for European Liaison Officers, seven information sessions for the MSCA NCP and eight information sessions for the ERC NCP.
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UKRO was sponsored by the seven UK Research Councils.
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Received 146 subscriptions from higher education institutions and other research organisations.
Income and expenditure 2014-15 Total Expenditure £1,004,109
Total Income £1,004,109
Staff Costs
Other Costs
Subscription & Sponsor Income
ERC & MSCA NCP Contracts
£785,960
£218,149
£858,509
£145,600
UK Research Office
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Fax: +32 2 230 4803
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Email: ukro@bbsrc.ac.uk
Belgium
Web: www.ukro.ac.uk