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KoWi-Newsletter on EU Research & Innovation funding
18 October 2024
Dear ms MRAK JAMNIK,

This newsletter features EU research and innovation funding and policy news items. Updates on the European Research Council (ERC) are covered via the separate ERC National Contact Point (NCP) newsletter which is jointly provided by KoWi and the EU Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).


Sincerely,
the KoWi team
Calls
EIT Higher Education Institutions Initiative Call launched
RICH Europe: Database on transnational access to research infrastructures
ERDERA: New partnership on rare diseases preannounces first call
Research policy developments
High Level Group presents report on future of EU research & innovation programmes
Recommendations for a more strategic and coordinated approach to support technology infrastructure in Europe
Mutual Learning Exercise identifies key recommendations for better knowledge valorisation in the European Union
Horizon Results Booster expands services and becomes Booster
Events
Info sessions on EIC Work Programme 2025
EURESTMA programme: Applications open until 31 October
Vacancies
Current vacancies in research and administration
Calls


EIT Higher Education Institutions Initiative Call launched
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has launched a call for proposals for its Higher Education Initiative (HEI) 2024. This initiative seeks to support universities in becoming "innovation and entrepreneurship powerhouses" and to strengthen integration into innovation networks. 

The call deadline is 12 December 2024, 17:00 CET.
EIT HEI Initiative Call for Proposals 2024
Networking and matchmaking platform for the EIT HEI call
Contact at KoWi:
Isabel Herzhoff

RICH Europe: Database on transnational access to research infrastructures
RICH Europe, a consortium of National Contact Points (NCPs) for research infrastructures (RI) under Horizon Europe, provides a searchable database of opportunities for transnational access to research infrastructures. The database contains all current Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020 projects from the "Integrating Activities" funding line (of the respective RI work programmes) as well as selected European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) and e-Infrastructure projects.

The database can be filtered according to research areas and type of access (transnational or virtual). Some RIs offer access on an ongoing basis, while other RIs organise calls with specific deadlines.
RICH Europe database
Contact at KoWi:
Inga Benner

ERDERA: New partnership on rare diseases preannounces first call
The ERDERA (European Rare Diseases Research Alliance) has preannounced its first Joint Transnational Call (JTC). The newly started Horizon Europe Partnership is planning to open the JTC on "Pre-clinical therapy studies for rare diseases using small molecules and biologicals – development and validation" on 10 December 2024. It will fund collaborative proposals and will follow a two-stage review process. From Germany, the DFG and the BMBF are expected to participate in the funding of corresponding transnational consortia.

An information webinar on the JTC 2025 will take place on 17 December 2024.
Further information on the JTC 2025 on the ERDERA website
Contact at KoWi:
Inga Benner
Research policy developments


High Level Group presents report on future of EU research & innovation programmes

On 16 October 2024, the High Level Expert Group (HLEG) on the Interim Evaluation of Horizon Europe presented its report "Align, Act, Accelerate" to the European Commission. The HLEG was chaired by Manuel Heitor (former Portuguese Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Higher Education) and included, among others, Georg Schütte (Secretary-General of the Volkswagen Foundation and former German Secretary of State for Education and Research). In its report, the HLEG calls for an increased, more focused and ring-fenced budget of EUR 220 billion for the next EU framework programme (FP10).

This report will feed into the Commission's internal plans for the future of EU research and innovation funding from 2028. The Commission's proposal for this is expected to be published in mid-2025.

The report contains, among others, the following recommendations to strengthen the impact of EU research and innovation funding, which the HLEG would like to see partly implemented already during the remainder of Horizon Europe:

Establish an experimental unit to test new programmes and instruments with fast time to funding (e.g. prizes, ARPA type programmes, AI tools, innovative review methods);

Strengthen competitive excellence, in particular by expanding funding for the ERC and MSCA, and by introducing disruptive innovation programmes into the EIC;

Create an Industrial Competitiveness and Technology Council (with eminent practitioners and experts) to support pan-European collaborative research, e.g. with regard to the current thematic clusters of Horizon Europe;

Create a Societal Challenges Council (with eminent practitioners and experts) to address key societal issues, engage with philanthropy and civil society, and identify and fund research, development and innovation components of relevant missions;

Build an inclusive and attractive EU research and innovation ecosystem by securing long-term investments in research and technology infrastructures, strengthening university alliances and encouraging Member States' co-investment;

Drive simplification, user orientation and efficiency through eliminating non-core, redundant and underperforming programmes (e.g. EIE and EIT), a portfolio approach to agile project funding, and less prescriptive calls across the framework programme;

Adopt a nuanced, granular and purpose-driven approach to international cooperation with a utilitarian (asking "Who are our partners for which research, development and innovation domain or question?") and purpose-oriented (asking "Why?") approach to such collaborations;

Embrace the fact that dual use occurs naturally given the ubiquitous nature of modern technology and administer programmes as "military research, development and innovation" and "everything else" (i.e., civilian, dual use).
Contact at KoWi:
Martin Winger

Recommendations for a more strategic and coordinated approach to support technology infrastructure in Europe

Technology infrastructures are considered as essential enablers for Europe’s capacity to develop, mature and market innovative products and services or – in other words – ensure the European Unions’ strategic autonomy. However, the technology infrastructure landscape at European level consists of a mix of different strategies, policies, programmes and funding streams that are often not aligned with each other.

A recent Independent Expert Report published by the European Commission provides an overview of technology infrastructures at regional, national and EU level, as well as twelve recommendations to support discussions on developing a more strategic and coordinated approach to their development and use. The recommendations are focussed on:
Fostering European scale collaborations for support, multi-level coordination and alignment;
Improving the availability of funding streams;
Fostering complementarity and interconnections between funding instruments and schemes supporting technology infrastructures.
Report "Policy landscape supporting technology infrastructures in Europe"
Contact at KoWi:
Dr. Bettina Schelkle

Mutual Learning Exercise identifies key recommendations for better knowledge valorisation in the European Union

Knowledge valorisation is a key objective of the European Unions’ research and innovation policy to ensure research results translate into concrete benefits for the economy and society in alignment with the goals linked to the green and digital transition. A report based on a Mutual Learning Exercise led by the European Commission and joined by 18 countries has now identified a number of requirements for better knowledge valorisation in the EU. Amongst others, a collective understanding of key concepts of knowledge valorisation that go beyond traditional technology transfer is needed, as well as a knowledge valorisation strategy that is underpinned by implementation roadmaps, incentives and support instruments.
Report "Mutual Learning Exercise on Knowledge Valorisation – Focus on Skills, Intersectoral Cooperation, and Incentive Systems"
Contact at KoWi:
Dr. Bettina Schelkle

Horizon Results Booster expands services and becomes Booster

Booster, previously known as Horizon Results Booster, is an initiative providing a set of free dissemination and exploitation services to EU-funded projects on behalf of the European Commission. The aim of Booster is to help researchers translate project results into concrete benefits for society. The Booster's free services are based on three pillars:
Personalised support, e.g. on transfer strategies for research results, incl. follow up mentoring services, if needed;
Services to support dissemination and exploitation activities, such as coaching and go-to-market analyses;
Add on measures to support dissemination and exploitation activities, such as intellectual asset management and portfolio analysis to improve impact.
More information
Contact at KoWi:
Dr. Bettina Schelkle
Events

Info sessions on EIC Work Programme 2025
The next Work Programme for the European Innovation Council (EIC) will be presented during two webinars on 5 and 6 November 2025. Presenters will come from the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) of the European Commission and from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

This time, Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) Scale Up will be introduced in the EIC Work Programme alongside the established programme parts EIC-Pathfinder, -Transition and -Accelerator. 

The EIC Work Programme 2025 is expected to be published before the event.
EIC infodays
Contact at KoWi:
Inga Benner

EURESTMA programme: Applications open until 31 October
The EURESTMA (European Research and Transfer Management) certification programme by the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück supports the professionalisation of European Research Management and fosters the development of a dynamic, international community of research managers.

Key Benefits:
Networking Opportunities: Participation is limited to 20 professionals, providing an exclusive chance to connect with peers in the field;
Certification: The programme offers a certification worth 15 ECTS credits from the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück;
Practical Application: Participants will implement a change management project within their respective institutions.
Applications will be accepted until 31 October 2024.
Programme details and application
Kontakt bei der Hochschule Osnabrück:
Niklas Rauterberg
Vacancies


Current vacancies in research and administration
Please find new job offers under the following link:
Vacancies

Co-Leitung (m/w/d/k.A.) Nationaler Diskriminierungs- und Rassismusmonitor (Elternzeitvertretung), Deutsche Zentrum für Integrations- und Migrationsforschung, Berlin
Junior Research Group Leader in the new competence center "Landscape resilience", Georg-August-University Göttingen
Fully funded PhD positions at the Max Planck School of Photonics, Max Planck School of Photonics, Jena
Koordination des EU-Projekts SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies) (m/w/d), LMU, München
Co-Leitung (m/w/d) Nationaler Diskriminierungs- und Rassismusmonitor (Elternzeitvertretung), Deutsche Zentrum für Integrations- und Migrationsforschung, Berlin


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