Goal
Special attention will be given to help less experienced NCPs which are requiring the know-how accumulated in other countries and access to wiring resources in the network, through mentoring visits, a learning platform for trans-national activities of the Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation NCPs, and to create a network of NCPs exploiting the synergies of distributed knowledge, collective development and trainings. The network will develop high quality services provided to Widespread beneficiaries i.e. regional stakeholders participating in Teaming, Twinning, ERA Chairs and COST activities.
Methodology
- transfer of knowledge,
- capacity building,
- of stakeholders satisfaction,
- workshops and trainings addressed to NCP needs expressed during the self-evaluation exercise,
- networking meetings,
- trans-national collaborative events, as well as mentoring visits dedicated to less experienced NCPs
We also believe that a flexible management structure will enable to coordinate smoothly the activities and actions undertaken. That is why a core group of 17 NCPs has been established and that synergies among NCPs will be promoted effectively mainly through benchmarking and monitoring of NCP competencies and tailored activities, exchange of know-how and experience, trainings and mentoring visits. Monitoring and assessment of stakeholder satisfaction will ensure the best quality standards of the activities provided by the project and adequate level of services offered by the NCPs, whereas trainings and mentoring will create within the EU a more consistent level of services provided and bring less experienced NCPs to the level of those more experienced. Another crucial element is support for trans-national collaboration in order to enhance cooperation among potential participants and boost strategic and sustainable partnerships for the sake of Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation activities.
Work packages
- WP1 is focusing on the management and coordination of the project. The necessary exchange of information between the project participants and ensuring the successful animation and coordination of the consortium is the main target of this work package.
- WP2 aims at improving the WIDESPREAD NCPs’ work effectiveness and quality of services, ensuring a consistent level of services provided across Europe. With this objective, special attention will be given to the identification of their needs, strengths and weaknesses in order to properly design the content of workshops, mentoring and training activities.
- WP3 puts emphasis on improving the expertise and knowledge base of success stories and best practices on Widespread activities such as Teaming and Twinning, ERA-Chairs, COST
- WP4 corresponds to the need for effective collaboration with many different external partners which affect the performance of the NCPs. In fact, the WP4 is aiming at improving, creating and coordinating collaboration opportunities.
- WP5 is dedicated to dissemination and promotion in order to increase the visibility of the Network and to raise the awareness of the opportunities offered by the Widespread activities under Horizon 2020. The dissemination activities will proceed through various tools such as the Project Portal, promotional materials, social media and promotion during events.
Our expected impacts are as follows:
- An improved and professionalized NCP service across Europe, thereby simplifying access to Horizon 2020 calls, lowering the entry barriers for newcomers, and raising the average quality of proposals submitted, increased application levels as well as improved quality of proposals particularly from newcomers.
- A more consistent level of NCP support services across Europe. Addition: NCPs from less advanced countries will raise their level of knowledge towards Horizon 2020 in the Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation issues as well improve their capacity delivering services of the best quality.
European Advisory Board
- monitoring and improving process of WIDESPREAD NCPs capacity building and level of services offered;
- supporting the best quality standards of the project management;
- improvement in the NCP_WIDE.NET project implementation;
- enhancing NCPs collaboration and fostering synergy for the sake of the Widespread activities and better services qualit .
EAB will consist of 7 internationally renowned experts representing research sector and institutions:
- Prof. Stanisław Banaś, Provost of the Lodz University of Technology, Poland
- Prof. Rafael Rodriguez, Director of the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish Council for Scientific Research – Chairman of the Advisory Board
- Prof. Rui Reis, Director of the 3Bs Institute in Universidade do Minho, Portugal
- Prof. Costas Fotakis, President of the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas, Greece
- Dr Janis Alnis, Max-Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany/ Latvia
- Dr Uwe Sassenber, Deutches Elektronensynchrotron DESY, Germany
- Ms. Georgia Tzenou, National Documentation Centre, Greece – Secretary of the European Advisory Board
Partners
We are 37 NCPs from the EU and the Associated countries who are the NCP.WIDE.NET members. We will focus on widespreading the NCPs’ capacity building and exchange of practices, as well as supporting NCP expertise on widespread activities. We plan to enhance NCP collaboration and foster synergies for the sake of the Widespread activities and better quality of services. Lastly, we put an emphasis on dissemination activities regarding the project through the Project Portal, promotion via social media, promotion during trans-national brokerage events, joint workshops and cooperation with other networks.
