Estland, Ungarn, Litauen, Lettland, Slowakei.

Aktualisierung 13.02.2013: Änderungen der Bedingungen (s.u.)

Aufgrund der guten bisherigen Erfahrungen empfehlen wir dieses Angebot.

Die wichtigsten Termine:

Please note that two important changes were introduced:

1.     Introduction of personal requirements

In order to better adapt the required academic profiles of the candidates to the target group of the Sciex Programme – who are “promising Junior Researchers, who (1) aim at attaining a PhD Degree or (2) pursue doctoral research, normally with the intention to qualify for professorship” – the Steering Committee has finally decided to introduce the following personal requirements in the application rules:

a)     for a doctoral fellowship, start of the fellowship at the earliest 1 year after obtaining the master’s degree;

b)    for a postdoctoral fellowship, start of the fellowship at the latest 5 years after obtaining the doctorate.

The date of the examination shall be the decisive date.

2.     Follow-up projects and extensions no longer allowed

The Steering Committee has also decided that Doctoral Candidates and/or PostDocs, who were already granted a Sciex Fellowship, do not have the possibility to apply a second time for a Sciex funding. This rule applies exclusively to the Fellows (the Mentors themselves are of course not concerned).

Furthermore, ongoing projects cannot be extended any more.

Weitere Informationen

• Information 8th call
• www.sciex.ch
• frühere Blogbeiträge zum Thema

The Advisory Groups will be composed of 20-30 individual experts and representatives of public and private organisations (universities, research, industry) having a prominent role in the related activities of each challenge/objective. Expertise is called for within the following areas:

• Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions on skills, training and career development
• Research infrastructures (including e-Infrastructures)
• Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies within the following areas:
  • Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
  • Nanotechnologies
  • Advanced materials
  • Biotechnology
  • Advanced manufacturing and processing
  • Space
• Access to risk finance (debt or equity financing)
• Innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
• Health, demographic change and wellbeing
• Food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research and the bio-economy
• Secure, clean and efficient energy (including nuclear energy)
• Smart, green and integrated transport
• Climate action, resource efficiency and raw materials
• Inclusive, innovative and secure societies

Background: Paradigm change in Horizon 2020

Horizon 2020, the European Union’s new funding programme for research and innovation for the period 2014-2020 reflects the ambition to deliver ideas, growth and jobs for the future. It represents a clear break from the past as it brings together all existing Union research and innovation funding, including the Framework Programme for Research, the innovation related activities of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), into one single framework programme.

 

In the context of the upcoming AAL Call 6 for proposals, we would like to remind you of the following information and networking events:

• Berlin, 21 January 2013: Joint AAL Information and Networking Day – Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg
• Biel/Bienne, 1^st February 2013: Swiss AAL Call 6 Information Event (the programme for this event is available here; please register by 29 January by sending an e-mail to swiss.aal”at”sbfi.admin.ch)
• Brussels, 6 February 2013: European AAL Info Day
• Luxembourg, 18 February 2013: Joint AAL Information & Networking Day – France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg

These events address all stakeholders interested in participating in the upcoming AAL Call 6; they will give an overview of the AAL Joint Programme, provide essential information on Call 6 (focus areas, application procedure, funding rules etc.) and present a showcase of a running AAL project. They further feature networking sessions to give potential project partners from different fields and countries the opportunity to discuss their project ideas and establish valuable contacts.

Finally, we are pleased to inform you that the call text is already available in a pre-published version here. The final version will be officially published on 31 January 2013.

Further Information:

• http://www.aal-europe.eu/pre-launch-aal-call-6/
• Swiss AAL website: www.sbfi.admin.ch/aal
• Call Text (final version)

NCP AAL Joint Programme Barbla Rüegg, Contact details of the Swiss AAL Office: Tel. 031 322 93 33 swiss.aal”at”sbfi.admin.ch

Further Information

• Information on the SwissCore Research & Innovation Summit
• SwissCore Research & Innovation Summit: Preliminary Programme
• SwissCore Webpage
• Previous blog posts on EU topics

Scope on medical technologies, biotechnologies and innovative software

Switzerland and Sweden are member states of the EUREKA initiative and support innovation projects through the different EUREKA instruments. Both countries collaborate continuously with the 40 EUREKA member states and support all innovation topics as EUREKA is by nature bottom-up and focussed mainly on the innovation activities of companies.

Sweden and Switzerland are jointly announcing a bilateral Call for joint innovation projects under the EUREKA and the Eurostars programmes. The Call is open for all topics, but focuses on developing innovative products within medical technologies, biotechnologies and innovative software.

The call is managed by the EUREKA offices at the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA) and the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET) in line with the EUREKA initiative (www.eurekanetwork.org).

Call Launch and Structure

The Call is launched on 10th October 2012. Eligible partners are invited to present joint proposals for innovative R&D projects according to the procedures published online (see below).

Funding from the Governments of Sweden and Switzerland will depend upon the funding framework EUREKA/Eurostars) which will be decided in the second phase of the submission process.

Further information

• Complete call information (PDF)
• Information on Eureka funding mechanisms
• Information on Eurostars funding
• EUResearch information on the bilateral call
• Swiss-Swedish Innovation Initiative Homepage

Die Anträge werden gemäss den Vorgaben des SCIEX Programms zunächst intern evaluiert. Diese Evaluation muss bis Januar 2013 abgeschlossen sein. Dann werden die Anträge durch das SCIEX Evaluation Committee Ende März 2013 abschliessend begutachtet.

Von der sciex.ch-Website:

Within the « Scientific Exchange Programme between Switzerland and the New Member States of the European Union » (Sciex-NMSch), the seventh regular call is now launched and open.

The programme aims at facilitating research stays in Swiss research teams to Doctoral Candidates and PostDocs from the 10 New Member States of the EU (BGR, CZE, EST, HUN, LTU, LVA, POL, ROM, SVK, SVN). The Sciex Fellows will be fully integrated in the on-going research work, contribute their own ideas and results and benefit from specific knowledge through exchanges with experienced professionals and young researchers.

Doctoral Candidates and PostDocs will be able to develop a research project under the joint supervision of the Mentor at their own institution and the Mentor at the Swiss institution.

For this seventh regular call, researchers from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Romania are invited to compete for researcher fellowships of between 6 and 18 (PostDocs) / 24 (Doctoral Candidates) months in the framework of this programme.

The Sciex-NMSch programme is open to all scientific disciplines. Qualified researchers with a concrete research project will identify the Swiss researchers, who are interested in their project and who are best suited for supporting them. The participants from both the home country and Switzerland submit together an application.

The criteria for assignment of Fellowships focus on the Fellow’s and Mentors’ professional commitments, the specific objectives and the quality of the research project, the mutual benefit of the collaboration with the Swiss team and the degree of support assured by both partner institutions.

The deadline for submission is set by November 1st 2012 (24:00 pm).

Weitere Informationen

• Informationen zum 7. Call (sciex.ch)
• Allgemeine Informationen zu SCIEX (PDF)
• Frühere Beiträge zum Thema SCIEX

Sciex is the promotion tool for research teams from all disciplines, consisting of team-members from the EU10 and Switzerland. Sciex Fellows from the EU10: BGR, CZE, EST, HUN, LTU, LVA, POL, ROM, SVK, SVN pursue their research in cooperation with Swiss researchers in Swiss research institutions. Ideal working and framework conditions support the success of their research. Sciex is part of the Swiss Contribution to the New Member States of the EU.

The programme is designed for doctoral candidates (duration min. 6 to 24 months) and post doctoral fellows (6 to 18 months).

For this new call, researchers from Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia are invited to submit their application until April 1st 2012.

You will find more precise information and details on this call on www.sciex.ch under Sciex News.

Timeline and Deadlines:

• 1.4.2012  submission proposals
• 20.06.2012 Scoring (Scoring Committees ZHAW and host institutions)
• 13.07.2012 Evaluation Committee
• 31.08.2012 Fellowship Assignment

Aktualisierung 5.9.2012: Ergebnisse der 6. Ausschreibung verfügbar: 70 Projekte mit einer Gesamtfinanzierung von 5.7 Mio. CHF ausgewählt

Die sechste Ausschreibung, an welcher Bulgarien, Ungarn, Litauen, Rumänien, die Slowakische Republik und Slowenien teilgenommen haben, wurde am 1. April 2012 beendet. Diese Auschreibung verzeichnet eine erneute Zunahme an Projektanträgen. 166 Projektanträge wurden eingereicht und von erfahrenen Experten in einem Evaluationsverfahren begutachtet, das auf wissenschaftliche Qualität fokussiert.

Insgesamt wurden Projekte von 70 Nachwuchsforschenden ausgewählt: 1 aus Bulgarien, 16 aus Ungarn, 5 aus Litauen, 35 aus Rumänien, 9 aus der Slowakischen Republik und 4 aus Slowenien. Von den ausgewählten Forschenden sind 27 Doktorierende und 43 PostDocs – und 33 sind Frauen. Obwohl das Sciex-NMSch Programm allen Disziplinen offen steht, stammt die Mehrheit der ausgewählten Projekte aus den Technischen und Natur-Wissenschaften: Chemie (11 Projekte), Ingenieurwissenschaften (9 Projekte), Biologische Grundlagenwissenschaften (9 Projekte), Physik (8 Projekte) und Umweltwissenschaften (6 Projekte). 15 Projekte entstammen den Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften.

Die 70 ausgewählten Projekte teilen sich auf Universitäten (38), die ETH (21), Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalten (9) und Fachhochschulen (2) auf.

1. Introduction of personal requirements

In order to better adapt the required academic profiles of the candidates to the target group of the Sciex Programme – who are “promising Junior Researchers, who (1) aim at attaining a PhD Degree or (2) pursue doctoral research, normally with the intention to qualify for professorship” – the Steering Committee has finally decided to introduce the following personal requirements in the application rules:

a) for a doctoral fellowship, start of the fellowship at the earliest 1 year after obtaining the master’s degree;
b) for a postdoctoral fellowship, start of the fellowship at the latest 5 years after obtaining the doctorate.

The date of the examination shall be the decisive date.

These new application rules will enter into force as from the 7th Sciex Call (Deadline: November 1st 2012).

2. Follow-up projects

The Steering Committee has also decided that Doctoral Candidates and/or PostDocs, who were already granted a Sciex Fellowship, do not have the possibility to apply a second time for a Sciex funding.
This rule applies exclusively to the Fellows and the Mentors themselves are not concerned.

This decision was taken with regard to the constant increase of submitted proposals – including follow-up projects – and with regard to the final aim of the Sciex Programme that as many Fellows as possible benefit from this opportunity to conduct a research project in collaboration with a Swiss research team.

This new rule will enter into force as from the 7th Sciex Call (Deadline: November 1st 2012).

3. Next Sciex Fellows Event & Training Session: October 22nd and 23rd 2012 in Lausanne

The next Sciex Fellows Event will take place on October 22nd 2012 (afternoon) in Lausanne, at EPFL – Rolex Learning Center (http://www.rolexlearningcenter.ch/ ).
The Training Session for Coordination Bodies and Regional Offices will take place on October 23rd 2012 at the University of Lausanne.
Information concerning the precise organization and the programme of these two events will follow in the coming months.

Weitere Informationen:

• SCIEX Blogbeiträge
• http://www.sciex.ch/

The Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020: Commission’s proposals 29 June 2011
Key challenge: stabilise the financial and economic system while taking measures to create economic opportunities.

What is Horizon 2020

• Commission proposal for a 80 billion euro research and innovation funding programme (2014-2020)
• A core part of Europe 2020, Innovation Union & European Research Area:
  - Responding to the economic crisis to invest in future jobs and growth
  - Addressing people’s concerns about their livelihoods, safety and environment
  - Strengthening the EU’s global position in research, innovation and technology

What’s new

• A single programme bringing together three separate programmes/initiatives*
• Coupling research to innovation – from research to retail, all forms of innovation
• Focus on societal challenges facing EU society, e.g. health, clean energy and transport
• Simplified access, for all companies, universities, institutes in all EU countries and beyond.

*The 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7), innovation aspects ofCompetitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), EU contribution to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

Priority 1. Excellent science

Why:

• World class science is the foundation of tomorrow’s technologies, jobs and wellbeing
• Europe needs to develop, attract and retain research talent
• Researchers need access to the best infrastructures

Priority 2. Industrial leadership

Why:

• Strategic investments in key technologies (e.g. advanced manufacturing, micro-electronics) underpin innovation across existing and emerging sectors
• Europe needs to attract more private investment in research and innovation
• Europe needs more innovative SMEs to create growth and jobs

Priority 3. Societal challenges

Why:

• Concerns of citizens and society/EU policy objectives (climate, environment, energy, transport etc) cannot be achieved without innovation
• Breakthrough solutions come from multi-disciplinary collaborations, including social sciences & humanities
• Promising solutions need to be tested, demonstrated and scaled up

Simplification

• Single set of simpler and more coherent participation rules
• New balance between trust and control
• Moving from several funding rates for different beneficiaries and activities to just two
• Replacing the four methods to calculate overhead or «indirect costs» with a single flat rate
• Major simplification under the forthcoming financial regulation
• Successful applicants to get working more quickly: reduction of average time to grant

Next steps

• Ongoing: Parliament and Council negotiations on the basis of the Commission proposals
• Ongoing: Parliament and Council negotiations on EU budget 2014-2020 (including overall budget for Horizon 2020)
• July 2012: Final calls under 7th Framework Programme for research to bridge gap towards Horizon 2020
• Mid 2013: Adoption of legislative acts by Parliament and Council on Horizon 2020
• 1/1/2014: Horizon 2020 starts, launch of first calls

Switzerland and FP7 Challenges

• Participation of private sector: bigger companies (SME on average 15.27%)
• Positioning of universities towards societal challenge approach
• Capacities, International Cooperation
• SSH in ERC, Security, Space
• Women participation

cited by a presentation of Robert-Jan Smits (DG Research and Innovation), held in Lausanne 1 June 2012.

Further Information: www.ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020

COST joins the visionaries and makes it happen.

Every year hundreds of organisations and individuals in over 30 countries support this week to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. Find out more about COST Actions on sustainable energy.

The EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is a core activity of the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign organised since 2005 by the European Commission.
Every year hundreds of organisations and individuals participate in the EUSEW by hosting Energy Day events and activities that promote energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.

From 18 to 22 June 2012 organisers of EUSEW Energy Days will connect directly with citizens and energy stakeholders at local, regional and national level. The combined results of EUSEW efforts are helping Europe reach its energy goals.

COST for energy

Sustainable and renewable energy is a core focus of COST scientific networking. Several COST Actions are working towards providing funding for science and technology cooperation in the domains for Earth System Science and Environmental Management; Forestry, their Products and Services; and Transport and Urban Development.

Further information:

http://www.cost.eu/library/newsroom/EUSEW