Share
Print
13 February 2025
HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-ERA-02
EVALUATION results
Published: 29 March 2024
Deadline: 25 September 2024
Available budget: EUR 28 million
The results of the evaluation for each topic are as follows:
|
HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-ERA-02-02 |
Number of proposals submitted (including proposals transferred from or to other calls) |
10 |
Number of inadmissible proposals |
1 |
Number of ineligible proposals |
0 |
Number of above-threshold proposals |
4 |
Total budget requested for above-threshold proposals |
24.025.765,00 |
Number of proposals retained for funding |
1 |
Number of proposals in the reserve list |
1 |
Funding threshold |
13,5 |
Number of proposals with scores lower or equal to 15 and higher or equal to 14 |
0 |
Number of proposals with scores lower than 14 and higher or equal to 13 |
1 |
Number of proposals with scores lower than 13 and higher or equal to 10 |
3 |
Summary of observer report:
The evaluation of the HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-ERA-02 Call has covered 91 proposals submitted to three Topics. A total of 34 experts (evaluators), 10 dedicated rapporteurs and one independent observer were involved in the process, which was coordinated and managed by a highly experienced team of EC staff members from the Research Executive Agency (REA).
The evaluation was a complex process that extended throughout several months and required a strong coordination between all participants. This complexity led, however, to high quality results, i.e., funding decisions taken against clearly established criteria after comprehensive and well-organised discussions.
Experts proved to be very knowledgeable on the topics under discussions. During the individual remote and the consensus phases, experts behaved very professionally and did not allow consensus to be reached without robust exchange of views. All proposals were assessed and treated in a similar way in accordance with the evaluation procedure.
The transparency of the procedures was evident throughout the process, and the throughput time was sufficient to adequately undertake the evaluation process. No specific issues were raised as regards to impartiality of the participants, and confidentiality aspects were clearly managed.
The evaluation process fulfilled the high quality standards of the Horizon Europe evaluation procedures.
-------------------------------
We recently informed the applicants about the evaluation results for their proposals.
For questions, please contact the Research Enquiry Service.
10 October 2024
Call HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-ERA-02 has closed on the 25 September 2024.
91 proposals have been submitted.
The breakdown per topic is:
HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-ERA-02-02: 10 proposals
Evaluation results are expected to be communicated in February 2025
TOPIC ID: HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-ERA-02-02
Type of grant: Call for proposals
General information
Programme: Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON)
Call: Enhancing the European R&I system (HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-ERA-02)
Type of action: HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions
Type of MGA: HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]
Status: Open for submission
Deadline model: single-stage
Opening Date: 15 May 2024
Deadline dates: 25 September 2024 17:00 (Brussels time)
Topic description
ExpectedOutcome:
Part of the ambition of the new European Research Area is to increase societal responsibility, trust and commitment in science and innovation by engaging stakeholders, local communities and citizens in the design and implementation of R&I policies and by enhancing science communication activities. This action provides a unique opportunity to cities in Member States and Associated Countries to take centre stage in implementing this vision. It allows them to bring together their citizens and R&I communities to showcase the contribution of science in addressing the needs of citizens and its contribution to improving the wellbeing of citizens on a sustainable planet together with economic prosperity. The call topic invites a small group of cities to jointly design and implement a vibrant and engaging year-long programme of activities under the label “Science comes to town 2026” with impact at local, regional and European level. The programme should connect local R&I communities with a broad group of stakeholders and, most importantly, citizens around the topic of science and its role in society.
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
Scope:
The new European Research Area (ERA) has the engagement of citizens, local communities and civil society at its core, seeking greater societal impact and increased trust in science. This action supports ERA Policy Agenda (2022-2024) action 14 – ‘Bring science closer to citizens’ through broad and inclusive engagement of all relevant stakeholders in a range of activities with a view to increasing the understanding, acceptance, uptake and impact of R&I in society.
The action supports a consortium involving cities to host a coordinated joint 1-year programme with focus on connecting citizens and scientists in the participating cities and beyond, including the following:
In addition, the programme of activities must include the following two components:
The programmed activities should target a wide population of European citizens with impact at local, regional and European level, and involve participants of different ages and across social groups and actors (students, researchers, citizens, policymakers, business and third sector organisations).
Proposals should develop and test the overall concept and brand of “Science comes to town” with a view to future editions. Proposals are invited to experiment with new interactive and engaging formats across the programmed activities. In this context, special emphasis is placed on exploring and supporting citizen science as an important dimension of open science and as a way to promote science education and various forms of public engagement with science. The programme should take place in the participating cities, but proposers are encouraged to design and implement outreach activities that reach communities beyond the ones in the cities directly participating. Wherever possible, synergies should be sought with the European Researchers’ Night, Europe's largest science communication and promotion event which brings together over 1,5 million visitors across Europe every year; as well as the Researchers at School initiative, both funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions[3].
The programme of activities must take place in at least 3 cities of 3 different Members States and/or Associated Countries, with the majority being in Member States. The consortium can comprise different types of legal entities that can represent the host cities and/or join them in designing and implementing the activities. Applicants must provide with their proposal commitment letters from the public authorities of the selected cities (city council or similar). The inclusion of local partners that provide the link to science, research and innovation is strongly encouraged.
Applicants must submit as part of their proposal the overall concept for the annual programme of activities, including the vision for content (focus and scope of activities), outreach strategy, and contribution to long-term vision for the cities. The concept has to distinguish between:
a) events, including EUCYS and TalentOn, that will be funded partially or fully by the Union contribution;
b) activities, such as the overall coordination and communication activities, that will be funded partially or fully by the Union contribution;
c) activities and events that will be financed by the participating cities; sponsorship and other resources (activities not funded by the Union contribution).
The consortium has to quantify in their proposal their commitment to mobilise substantial resources beyond the Union contribution. Monetary or in-kind sponsorships are encouraged to support and broaden the programmed activities, and further increase the impact of the action. Already established activities of the participating cities and other partners are encouraged to be included in the programme, but are excluded from funding under this action. The consortium has to report on the implementation of the activities and events not financed by the Union contribution, but not the related costs.
If participating cities wish to further expand the collaboration by engaging with other cities, e.g., with satellite events, they can consider to include them as partners without declaring costs in order to limit the administrative effort for them.
Priority activity for the successful applicants will be to co-design the detailed draft programme of activities. This will be a deliverable, due not later than 3 months before the formal launch of the “Science comes to town 2026”, subject to the approval of the Granting Authority.
This action allows for the provision of financial support to third parties in the form of prizes to the total amount of:
The amount awarded to individuals must not exceed €60 000.
The expected duration of the project is between 24 and 30 months.
[1]https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/funding/funding-opportunities/eucys_en.
[2]https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/eu-talenton_en.
[3]https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/msca-citizens
Topic destination
Reforming and enhancing the EU research and innovation system (2023/24)
Introduction
Horizon Europe has a new level of ambition – to maximise the impact of the European Union's research and innovation funding for European science, the economy and the wider society. It marks a paradigm change in the design of the European R&I framework programmes (FP) from an activity-driven to an impact-driven programme. Coupled to this ambition is the relaunch of the European Research Area (ERA) as described in the Commission Communication “A new ERA for Research and Innovation” (COM/2020/628 final of 30.09.2020).
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of R&I cooperation to provide solutions to society’s most demanding needs. With the priority on delivering Europe’s recovery as well as on the green and digital twin transitions, a new level of ambition, linking R&I better with the economy, and with education and training, is needed to match these challenges and put scientific knowledge to work.
The new ERA calls for deepening existing priorities and creating new initiatives by strengthening the mobility of researchers and the free flow of knowledge and technology, to improve access to excellence, boost market uptake and prioritise investment and reform. Working together has been the philosophy of the ERA since its launch; however, the green and digital transitions and the COVID recovery call for more and closer cooperation between the Commission, the Member States and stakeholders. They require the setting of new priorities, launching ambitious joint initiatives and developing common approaches between policies.
To address these requirements, Destination 3 of part 11 of the Horizon Europe work programme will support efforts to reform and enhance the European R&I system. Destination 3 is built around four strands corresponding to the four objectives set out in the ERA Communication:
The principle of excellence, meaning that the best researchers with the best ideas that offer the best solutions to the societal challenges obtain funding, remains the cornerstone for all investments under the ERA.
Strand 1 recognises the importance of prioritising investments and reforms to accelerate the green and digital transformation and to increase competitiveness as well as the speed and depth of the recovery. It offers support for policy-makers and addresses the need for better analysis and evidence, including simplifying and facilitating the inter-play between national and European R&I systems.
Strand 2 addresses the need to improve access to excellence and to increase the performance of R&I systems, building on dedicated Horizon Europe measures as well as complementarities with smart specialisation strategies under the Cohesion Policy.
Strand 3 focuses on the importance of translating R&I results into the economy. R&I policies should aim to boost the resilience and competitiveness of our economies and societies.
Strand 4 addresses the challenge of deepening the ERA and includes Open Science, Higher Education and Researchers, Citizen Science, Science Education, Gender and Ethics. It aims at underpinning a new ERA benefitting from knowledge creation, circulation and use. This empowers higher education institutions and research organisations to embrace a transformative process; where a highly skilled workforce can circulate freely; and where research outputs are shared; where gender equality is assured; where the outcomes of R&I are understood, trusted and increasingly used, by educated informed scientists and citizens to the benefit of society.
Expected impact:
Proposals for topics under this Destination should set out a credible pathway to contributing to the following expected impacts, focussing on those that are most relevant to the respective topic:
1. Admissibility conditions: described in Annex Aand Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System
2. Eligible countries: described in Annex Bof the Work Programme General Annexes
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3. Other eligibility conditions: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes
The following additional eligibility criteria apply: Applications must be submitted by a consortium including at least three legal entities, independent of each other, established in three different Member States or Associated countries, of which at least two are different Member States.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes
5.Evaluation and award:
Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex Dof the Work Programme General Annexes
Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes
This action allows for the provision of financial support to third parties in the form of prizes. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60 000.
Subcontracting is not restricted to a limited part of the action.
7. Specific conditions: described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Start submission
To access the Electronic Submission Service, please click on the submission-button next to the type of action and the type of model grant agreement that corresponds to your proposal. You will then be asked to confirm your choice, as it cannot be changed in the submission system. Upon confirmation, you will be linked to the correct entry point.
To access existing draft proposals for this topic, please login to the Funding & Tenders Portal and select the My Proposals page of the My Area section.
Get support
Online Manualis your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant.
Horizon Europe Programme Guidecontains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ– find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management.
Research Enquiry Service– ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular.
National Contact Points (NCPs)– get guidance, practical information and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe. There are also NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries (‘third-countries’).
Enterprise Europe Network– contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding.
IT Helpdesk–contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc.
European IPR Helpdeskassists you on intellectual property issues. CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk–the European Standards Organisationsadvise you how to tackle standardisation in your project proposal.
The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment– consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers.
Partner Search Serviceshelp you find a partner organisation for your proposal.