Intervju z dr. Rodrigom Guiterrez-Dominguez iz Evropske raziskovalne agencije o razpisu MSCA izmenjave osebja

Dr. Rodrigo Guiterrez-Dominguez bo 4. decembra 2023 aktivno sodeloval na delavnici o pripravi projektov MSCA izmenjava osebja na MVZI. V pripravah na delavnico sem z njim opravil naslednji razgovor: 

1.    At the beginning, I would like to ask you if you could briefly introduce yourself and explain your function and the role you play in REA in MSCA SE projects?

 

I am Head of Sector for Project Management at European Research Executive Agency (REA) since June 2021. Previously Research Programme Administrator (2017-2021) at REA and Project Officer at European Union Agency for Railways (ERA). I hold an M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Executive Master in Public Administration (with Honors) from IE Business School. Completed PhD courses in Automation and Robotics. My responsibility entails supervising the implementation of projects financed by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe MSCA Staff Exchanges, specifically within the scientific panels of Engineering, Chemistry, and Environment. In this capacity, I coordinate a team comprising 14 project officers, and I oversaw the annual evaluation of proposals. Currently, within the Unit, we manage approximately 500 projects, encompassing projects from the predecessor H2020 RISE program and recently projects funded under the MSCA Staff Exchanges calls for 2021 and 2022.

 

2.    European Commission this year published an interesting SE impact analysis on the high innovative potential of MSCA SE projects. In the study are many arguments why researchers should apply for MSCA SE calls. Which arguments should convince Slovenian researchers to apply for this call?  

 

The RISE impact analysis conducted last year reveals that RISE, as a precursor to the MSCA Staff Exchanges, significantly contributes to various aspects of the MSCA and H2020 research and innovation landscape. Key findings include RISE's substantial role in generating innovations and patents, its dynamic contribution to global R&I collaborations, increased participation and commitment from business partners during H2020, fostering multidisciplinary dimensions and enduring research collaborations in MSCA, positive impacts on careers and employment, promotion of gender balance in research consortia, and the provision of essential skills and networking opportunities through training activities. RISE stands out as a unique and leading contributor within the MSCA family, fostering tangible innovations with economic and societal value and leaving a lasting impact on research staff careers and global collaborations.

 

MSCA Staff Exchanges aims to replicate these benefits, driven by program continuity and minor changes for streamlined project implementation. The second aspect involves the introduction of flexibility, allowing interdisciplinary secondments within the same sector for up to one-third of the total budget in the new Staff Exchanges framework. I am confident that the arguments outlined below will convincingly demonstrate to Slovenian applicants the advantages of applying for MSCA Staff Exchanges grants.

 

3.    Preparing a project proposal for the MSCA SE is not easy, as the evaluation criteria are very comprehensive and diverse. When we analysed the reviewers' evaluations of Slovenian applications, we found that their descriptions of the project objectives in particular scored poorly on the excellence criterion. What should an excellent project objective look like?

 

An excellent project objective in a MSCA SE proposal should address the following aspects:

·         Relevant to Research and Innovation Goals: The research and innovation objectives should be well detailed. The proposal shouls explain how to measure them and they maust be relistic.

·         Scientifically Ambitious: Showcase a level of scientific ambition that goes beyond incremental advancements. Highlight the project's potential to make a significant contribution to the field.

·         Innovative and Original: Emphasize the novelty and originality of the project objectives. Clearly state how the project fills a gap in existing knowledge and what makes it stand out from previous research.

·         Feasible Methodology: Present a feasible and well-defined methodology for achieving the objectives. Convince reviewers that the proposed approach will enable the consortium to deliver the project’s objectives , and that challenges have been identified with corresponding solutions.

·         Interdisciplinary Considerations: If applicable, highlight how the project objectives embrace interdisciplinary perspectives. The proposal has to justify why the project can be considered interdisciplinary, i.e., the expertise and methods from different disciplines should be brought together and integrated to pursuit the project's objective.

·         Are the gender dimension and other diversity aspects relevant in the project’s research and innovation content? If not, the proposal has to well justify why this is not applicable.

·         Are the mandatory open science practices well integrated in the methodology and adapted to the proposed work? If not, the proposal must justify why they are not appropriate for the project.

·         Is the management of research data and other research outputs in line with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)?

·         Is the use and/or development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems and/or AI-techniques relevant to the project? If yes, the proposal should provide clear explanations on technical robustness of the proposed system(s).

 

By addressing these aspects, your project objective will have a better chance of being evaluated positively for the excellence criterion in an MSCA SE proposal.

 

4.    Slovenian applicants also did not do a very good job of describing the expected economic and social impacts of the project. Project impacts are very important for the European Commission as they are already defined in the MSCA Work programme, which sets out the funding framework. What advice would you give to Slovenian researchers to better describe the economic and social impacts in the future?

 

To better describe the impacts of their projects, Slovenian researchers should consider the following advice:

 

·         The proposal must delineate activities that result in the development and sustainability of new, enduring research collaborations.

·         It should elucidate how the project will facilitate knowledge transfer for the benefit of participating organizations.

·         Clearly outlining how the project will enhance research and innovation potential within Europe and/or globally is essential.

·         The proposal needs to clarify how the project contributes to unlocking the potential of individuals, enabling staff members to acquire new skills and improve their knowledge and career prospects.

·         Detailed measures outlining how the project's impact will be maximized, including an initial draft of the dissemination and exploitation plan tailored to the proposal and strategically planned, should be included.

·         The proposal must incorporate planned measures for the management of intellectual property.

·         Applicants should explicitly state whether the project is expected to have a lasting scientific impact beyond its scope and duration.

·         Assessing whether the project will create enduring economic/technological impacts beyond its scope and duration is crucial.

·         Consideration should be given to whether the project is anticipated to have societal impacts beyond its scope and duration.    

 

By incorporating these considerations into their project proposals, Slovenian researchers can enhance their descriptions of the proposal impacts, increasing the likelihood of success in MSCA applications. Furthermore, before finalizing their proposal, they should seek feedback from colleagues, mentors, or experts in the field. Incorporate their insights to ensure that the description of the impacts is clear, compelling, and aligned with MSCA expectations.

 

 

5.    It is probably not surprising that Slovenian researchers also received a very high number of weaknesses in the implementation criteria in terms of risk assessment and mitigating measures. The weaknesses in risk assessment are repeated from call to call. How do you think risk assessment and mitigating measures should be written? Do you have any good examples?

 

Effective risk assessment and mitigating measures in project proposals are imperative to showcase a comprehensive understanding of potential challenges and a proactive strategy for addressing them. Therefore, the consortium must demonstrate in the proposal that potential risks hindering the project from achieving its objectives are well-identified, and corresponding mitigation measures (contingency plans) are in place.

For instance, if the project involves exchanges with entities from third countries, the consortium should recognize the potential risk of a funding shortage for these partners and provide a mitigation measure. In this specific case, as funding is only available for third country partners from certain countries, others will actively seek alternative funding sources (e.g., national funds) and ensure knowledge transfer for their proposed activities. Additionally, signing a Partnership Agreement with third country partners enhances measures to secure these arrangements.

Another example pertains to the average duration of an MSCA SE project being four years, posing a potential risk of participant withdrawal. In this scenario, the consortium should outline a mitigation measure to minimize the impact. For instance, if feasible, another participant from the consortium could assume the tasks or work packages of the withdrawing participant. Alternatively, if needed, a new entity possessing the same specific expertise could be incorporated into the project with the approval of the REA.