Training and capacity building on Horizon 2020 for Mediterranean and Middle
East NCPs and Research Managers
& MedSpring Science Café

Fairmont Nile City
Cairo – Egypt
28-30 October 2015

the program of the event

Rationale

The “Mediterranean Science, Policy, Research & Innovation Gateway” (MEDSPRING) project is financed by the European Commission (DG Research and Innovation) under Capacities – INCO Programme of FP7 to strengthen Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in R&I, in relation to three societal challenges: Resource efficiency (particularly Water), High Quality Affordable Food and Energy (particularly renewable energies).

The INCONTACT2020 project, funded by the European Commission (DG Research and Innovation) under Capacities – INCO Programme of FP7, has supported Horizon 2020 awareness activities around the world by providing training and tools for capacity building and directly supporting the work of NCPs in third countries. The event is the third one planned in the frame of the Capacity Building programme set by MedSpring on the new EU Research Framework programme Horizon2020 and the second one planned within the series of regional workshops and Info days organized by the INCONTACT2020 project for Med researchers and NCPS. It is scheduled to be held from 28 to 30 October, in Cairo, Egypt.

The workshop draws on the training needs analysis, which was previously carried out by MedSpring and INCONTACT2020 and – most important – on inputs and suggestions provided by Mediterranean National Contact and Focal Points participating in the last MED SPRING training events held respectively in Amman – Jordan, in December 2013 and in Marrakesh – Morocco, in June 2014, in synergy with INCONTACT2020. Following the success of the workshop in Morocco, the workshop will bring NCPs and administrators together in order to increase the awareness of their role and their interdependencies in securing reliable project participation and management.

Building on the synergies established with other regional initiatives, this event will be held in cooperation with INCONTACT2020 and MERID projects. This will allow enlarging the target group of the training, including also participants from non-MPCs.

The training is structured on a three-day setting and will be addressed to over 40 participants (identified and nominated by MedSpring, MERID and INCONTACT2020 projects):

 

Day 1, the plenary session of the workshop will familiarise participants with the overall programme design of H2020 and its novelties in comparison with FP7. The Work Programme 2016-2017 of H2020 will be outlined, with a  particular reference to the most relevant calltopics for the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.
Day 2 will provide in-depth training on proposal writing and project management/implementation for separate working groups as well as specific sessions on the roles and responsibilities for NCPs and thematic focal points. The Day 2 workshops may foresee different working groups formed with people having similar expertise, background or knowledge of H2020. Groups will be formed in Day 1 based on a self-assessment of participants.
Day 3 (half day) will be dedicated to MedSpring ScienceCafé. MedSpring ScienceCafé aims at strengthening Euro-Mediterranean STI cooperation through sharing the knowledge and research outcomes of certain topics with mutual interest and shared benefit among societies of the Euro-Mediterranean region. MedSpring Science Café in Cairo will be addressing the topic of “Local Innovation and its role in Sustainable Development in the Euro -Mediterranean Region”.

Target Subject and Objectives
Training target: Trainees are research managers, thematic focal points, NCPs from Mediterranean Partnering Countries and the Middle East.
Subject of the Course: Participation in H2020 calls for proposals, roles and responsibilities of NCPs and thematic focal points
Date and Venue: Cairo, 28-30 of October 2015

Objectives of the course:

  •  To improve the quality of the Mediterranean Partner Countries ’ participation in the H2020 Programme
  •  To increase skills and level of understanding of the administrative and technical issues related to the management of H2020 projects
  • To encourage the enhancement of research resulting from international cooperation projects