Horizon Europe: from proposal stage to project management

Raquel Moreno - AXIA Innovation

Horizon Europe, the successor to the successful Horizon 2020 programme, starts in 2021 and runs until 2027. The EU institutions reached a political agreement on Horizon Europe on 11 December 2020 and set the budget for Horizon Europe at €95.5 billion in current prices (including €5.4 billion from the Next Generation of the EU – Recovery Fund). On this basis, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU proceed towards the adoption of the legal acts.

The programme enables cooperation and enhances the influence of research and innovation in developing, supporting, and implementing EU policies whilst addressing global challenges. It aids in the generation and wider distribution of outstanding knowledge and technologies. It focuses on generating employment opportunities, actively involves the talent pool of the EU, stimulates economic expansion, fosters industrial competitiveness, and maximizes the impact of investments within a reinforced European Research Area.

Horizon Europe, only targeting civil applications, incorporates research and innovation missions to increase the effectiveness of funding by pursuing clearly defined targets. 5 missions have been identified: Adaptation to Climate Change mission, Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities mission, Cancer mission, Soil Deal for Europe mission, and Restore our Ocean and Waters mission.

Horizon Europe is split into Defence Research Fund and the specific programme for Research and Innovation targeting Excellence (Pillar I), Global Challenges and Industrial Competitiveness (Pillar II) and Innovation (Pillar III). The Pillars are divided into clusters to address areas of intervention. The content of work programmes for Horizon Europe is prepared by strategic planning, the first Strategic Plan covers the years 2021-2024. Funding opportunities under Horizon Europe are set out in the biannual work programmes for each cluster in each of the Pillars, where destinations (expected impact), topics, scope and expected outcomes are drafted to provide guidance and requirements for the proposals and future projects.

In conclusion, there are a lot of possibilities to apply for funding within Horizon Europe, thus it is important to understand what your research and innovation is and its added value to find out what is the best fit within the existing funding scheme. A clear knowledge of the top-bottom approach and the expected impacts and outcomes is needed in order to select the right call for funding.

Laura Gómez Cuadrado - ICCRAM University of Burgos

Project management is defined as the application of methods, tools, techniques and competences to a project during its lifetime. It includes activities such as planning, organizing, securing, monitoring and managing the resources and work necessary to deliver project goals and objectives in an effective and efficient manner. The Project Management Institute was established in 1969 with the aim of fostering the use of common tools and techniques for management, regardless of the sector they are applied to. The Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide, described in 2017, provides a set of standard terminology, practices and guidelines for successful project management.

For the management of EU projects, The European Commission released a Project management methodology called PM2, that is open access since 2018 for all EU Institutions, Member States, Contractors and EU Citizens. PM2 aims to facilitate Project Managers to effectively manage and communicate their projects from initiation to closing of the project.

For a successful management of a project it is necessary to: i) define properly the governance structure: roles and responsibilities such as the Project Coordination Team, The Project Steering Committee, The Scientific and Technical Committee, The Exploitation and Dissemination Team, the Project Support Office, and the Advisory board, as well as ii) to perform all the activities defined within the Project lifecycle, which include: initiating, planning, executing and closing. Hereby we have summarised these main key aspects that need to be consider during the management of a project.

REFERENCES

1. ISO 21500 (2021). Project, programme and portfolio management - Context and concepts.

2. Project Management Institute, 2008. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 4th ed. PMI, Newton Square, PA.

3. PMBOK guide: A guide to the project management body of knowledge, Project Management Institute. Sixth edition, 2017. ISBN: 978-1-62825-184-5.

4. Casey, W. & Peck, W. (2001). Choosing the right PMO setup. PM Network, 15(2), 40–47.

5. European Commission (2021). Annotated model Grant Agreement.

Sonia Martel Martín - ICCRAM University of Burgos

Horizon Europe offers a wide range of opportunities for ambitious projects to secure competitive funding. However, drafting a competitive project proposal that stands out over the competitors and effectively managing a consortium are great challenges. This session provides a comprehensive guide to addressing these challenges and maximizing your chances of success in securing Horizon Europe funding.

To successfully launch your led project proposal, you’ll need to consider some key aspects grouped in:

Research Excellence: The technical part will answer to the scientific challenges set out in the call providing clear, quantifiable and achievable objectives, founded in a solid theoretical framework and located beyond the state of the Art.

Consortium identification and management: Identifying and engaging the right partners, fostering collaboration, and navigating the complexities of multinational consortia to maximize efficiency and cohesion are key aspects to obtain meaningful contributions and create relevant collaborations.

Budget Planning: Budget must be credible and realistic, aligned with your project's objectives, and observing Horizon Europe's funding rules and requirements.

Administrative considerations: Mastering the formalities (web platform, templates, deadlines, and providing support to those partners who are not familiar with the framework will facilitate the fulfilment of all the requirements to submit your proposal.

These aspects are considered in detail in this training, including transversal topics (Technology Readiness Level, Innovation and Risk Management, Responsible Research and Innovation, or FAIR principles for data sharing)

By following the guidelines and best practices outlined in this chapter, aspiring Horizon Europe applicants can enhance their project proposal's competitiveness, making a meaningful impact on European research and innovation.

Additional resources:

Persuasive Writing: How to Harness the Power of Words. Frederick, Peter. ISBN 10: 0273746138 / ISBN 13: 9780273746133. Pearson Business, 2011

Laura Gómez Cuadrado - ICCRAM University of Burgos

In this chapter you will navigate through the grant management tasks during the lifecycle of the EU project.

First of all, you will learn key websites where to find all the relevant reference documents necessary for the grant preparation, from legislation, work programme & call documents, to grant agreement & contracts, cost decisions and templates & forms, among others. You will gain insights into how to identify the different calls, as well as tips to look for a consortium in Horizon Europe.

Once your proposal has been awarded, the first step of the Project Coordinator (PC) is to prepare the grant and consortium agreements in order to initiate the project. The PC will supervise the overall activities and organise periodic meetings to ensure the project objectives are being accomplished. There will be a continuous monitoring of the project implementation using the System for Grant Management (SyGMa) platform, which is used for EU project reporting and communication with the Project Officer. Hereby we explain the main differences between continuous and periodic reporting, and you will learn which information is necessary to report Horizon Europe projects to the European Commission and its novelties compared to H2020.

Raquel Moreno - AXIA Innovation

European-funded projects often involve cutting-edge research and innovation, which demands a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively exploit project results and manage associated intellectual property. By understanding and implementing these fundamental principles, project partners can optimize the value generated from their research and innovation endeavours for achieving maximum research, societal and economic impact.

This MOOC provides an overview of the fundamental principles and strategies involved in the exploitation of project outcomes and knowledge management within the context of European-funded projects.

The exploitation strategy involves identifying, protecting, and commercializing project results for maximum societal and economic impact. It includes stages like early planning, prioritizing exploitable results, market analysis, business models, technology transfer, and partnerships. Understanding the market and end-users is crucial for tailored exploitation and outcome uptake.

Intellectual Property-IP management involves controlling and protecting intellectual assets through patents, copyrights, trademarks, etc. Effective IP management entails identifying, evaluating, and protecting assets based on business interests. IP ownership allows participants to retain control, negotiate licenses, and prevent unauthorized use. Clear agreements among partners are necessary for fair rights distribution and smooth collaboration and exploitation.

In conclusion, effective exploitation strategies, combined with robust IPR management, ensure that project outcomes are successfully valorised and brought to the market, benefiting both the project participants and society at large.

Some Definitions…

Project result

· “Any tangible or intangible output of the action, such as data, knowledge and information whatever their form or nature, whether or not they can be protected, which are generated in the action” (EC)

Key Exploitable Results

• Extracted from the Expected Results list are those results that have an impact and added value, whether commercial or not, and will be included in the exploitation plan.

Background

• According to GA Article 16, it is a tangible or intangible input (data, know-how, information) which is held by the project partners before they accede to the GA and is needed to implement the action and exploit the results.

• Includes IPR such as copyright, patents/ patent applications (filed before access to GA).

• Rule: taking part in Horizon Europe does not have any influence upon the ownership of background = your background remains yours!

Access Rights

• Right to use the knowledge under the terms and conditions agreed by the beneficiaries.

• In Horizon Europe, there are two types of access rights for beneficiaries: (1) access rights to background, and (2) access rights to results. The access right is a request made in writing and granted by other parties. Access right last one year after the project has ended, but this can change.

• Partners have the right to access the results as far as they need them for exploitation and dissemination.

Research output

• Results generated which access can be given in the form of scientific publications, data or other engineered outcomes and processes such as software, algorithms, protocols and electronic notebooks.

Research output

• Results generated which access can be given in the form of scientific publications, data or other engineered outcomes and processes such as software, algorithms, protocols and electronic notebooks.

Beatriz Lapuente de Ojeda - ICCRAM University of Burgos

It is mandatory to include a communication and dissemination work package in your project proposal, and you need to know the keys to its development. In this chapter, you will learn to differentiate between communication and dissemination, without forgetting that exploitation is also related to this part. It is important to know when you have to carry out your actions and to whom the information is addressed and why. Here you will find basic tips to create your plan and strategy.

In short, communication is the act of informing, promoting and communicating activities and results, addressing a general public (not only scientific audiences) from the beginning to the end of the project. Did you know that communication brings different stakeholders together? Discover the essential role of your work in this area when it comes to obtaining EU funding.

Dissemination means making knowledge and results public, free of charge, targeting technical audiences and those who can benefit from the results, as soon as the results are available. In this respect, we must follow the EU's open science policy, a priority for the European Union. One of the keys is that publications should always be made available in open access to maximize the impact of the results and make scientific results a common good.

There are different tools and channels to carry out your actions, from the project website to scientific events and public databases. The European Commission helps you with its own tools that you can complement with the possibilities of artificial intelligence.