Transcript University College London

EC funding programmes:
UCL’s Strategy,
Challenges and Experience
Greta Borg-Carbott
European Research and Development Office
University College London
19th November 2009
University College London: A brief overview
UCL – London’s Global University
• Employs over 4,000 academic and research staff in over
50 departments and institutes; 11 associated teaching
hospitals including Great Ormond Street Hospital,
Moorfields Eye Hospital and Royal Free Hospital;
• Over 22,000 students from 140 countries worldwide;
• Ranked fourth in the world and second in the UK (the
Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings
2009); Second most highly-cited European university
(Thomson Scientific Citation Index);
• 21 Nobel Prize winners among UCL community.
EU funding experience
• 468 EU-funded projects since 2005 with a total budget of
approx €140 million;
• 212 active EU-funded projects (mainly EC FP6 and 7
projects) with a total value of over €90 million (UCL's
budget alone) including:
- 141 FP6 and FP7 collaborative and other projects;
- 46 Marie Curie fellowships;
- 15 European Research Council Grants (9 Advanced
and 6 Starting Grants).
UCL EU funding experience
• Success rate for FP7 in general: Between 25 to 30%
• 28% success rate for ERC grants
• EU-funded projects account for 7% of UCL’s researchfunding income
• Main areas of activity: Health, ICT and Physical Sciences
UCL’s Research Management Strategy
UCL’s Research Strategy
• Increase and strengthen
thematic, inter-disciplinary
research: creation of facultycrossing research hubs and
centres;
• Identification of 4 Grand
Challenges with a societal focus:
– Global Health
– Sustainable Cities
– Intercultural Interactions
– Well-Being
Research Planning Strategy
• Vice Provost for Research chairs the Research Strategy
Committee responsible for determining UCL’s over-arching
research agenda.
• Research priorities are determined at the Faculty level by
the Dean in consultation with Heads of Divisions and
Institutes, and Departments, senior principal investigators
and the Vice Deans for Research.
• All EU funding applications are evaluated by the Vice
Deans for Research to ensure compliance with strategy.
UCL Research Management Structure
Provost
Vice Provost for Research
UCL Director of Research Planning
UCL Research
Facilitator for Life and
Medical Sciences
UCL Research
Facilitator for the Built
Environment,
Engineering,
Mathematical and
Physical Sciences
UCL Research
Facilitator for Arts and
Humanities, Laws,
Social and Historical
Sciences, Slavonic and
Eastern European
Studies
European Research and Development Office
Head of European
Research and
Development
2 European Contracts
Executives
(centrally-funded)
3 Project Managers
(funded by projects)
• Research and information;
• Vetting of project costings and
advice on applications;
• Contract negotiation;
• Consortium Agreements;
• Liaison with the EC, programme
bodies and Coordinators
• Legal, financial, administrative
support;
• Project management and
monitoring;
• Contract negotiation;
• Consortium Agreements;
• Financial Reporting
European Contracts Executives Role
• Act as a one-stop shop for the provision of specialised
information on EU funding programmes
• Liaise with EU funding bodies and information providers, as
well as Coordinators
• Ensure costs and project applications are in line with EC
guidelines, legislation and UCL policy, including Intellectual
Property Rights
• Develop and distribute templates, factsheets, information
material
• Provide Legal, administrative and contractual support (preaward)
Project management service at ERDO:
Self-sustaining service which ensures that a high level
of project management expertise is developed and
retained at UCL;
•
• Provides flexible and comprehensive legal,
administrative and contractual support to principal
investigators, allowing them to focus more fully on their
research thereby fostering excellence;
• Tailor-made support provided to each project. Costs
funded by project’s management budget (160% EC
contribution under FP7 collaborative projects).
Pre-award procedures
Researcher discusses call with
European Research and
Development Office (ERDO).
Preparation of Project costing
using Project Financial Appraisal
Researcher requests
Departmental and Faculty
authorisation
and Costing tool
Costing report sent to ERDO for
vetting and feedback.
Application compiled
and submitted
Contract negotiation procedures
• UCL European Research and Development Office
manages the Grant Agreement negotiation process,
providing guidance, collecting, vetting and signing
documents including the Consortium Agreement and
project budget;
• The Researcher is responsible for revising and negotiating
the project’s description of work.
• UCL ERDO provides ongoing support until project is set up
and guidance during project implementation. Reporting is
taken over by UCL Research Administration.
Challenges…
• Large number of guidance notes and programme
documents for reference;
• Large volume of individual applications and
costings submitted close to deadlines;
• Applications for funding programmes with lower
funding rates or different financial and audit rules;
• Applicants who fail to follow the correct UCL
internal approval procedures;
• Transfer of grants, amendments to contracts;
• Tight time-frames for negotiation;
Successful solutions…
• Preparation and development of factsheets and
summaries;
• Flagging up projects or programmes which are not
cost-effective in terms of contribution rate or
administrative demands;
• Distribution of checklists to enable researchers to
ensure their costings and applications are broadly
in line with EC rules and guidelines;
Successful solutions…
• Organisation of seminars and application-drafting
workshops;
• Exchange of experience between Principal
Investigators and potential applicants;
• Liaison with UK Research Office (UKRO), UK
national contact points and other networks and
helpdesks for additional support.
Thank you for your attention