TRANSNATIONAL NETWORK OF NATIONAL CONTACT POINTS (NCPS) FOR WIDENING PARTICIPATION AND STRENGTHENING THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH AREA

Project Information

NCP_WIDERA.NET

Grant agreement ID: 101055286

DOI

10.3030/101055286

EC signature date 25 March 2022

Start date 1 April 2022

End date 31 March 2027

Funded under

• Widening participation and spreading excellence

Total cost

€ 8 000 000,00

EU contribution

€ 8 000 000,00

Coordinated by

NARODOWE CENTRUM BADAN I ROZWOJU
Poland

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - NCP_WIDERA.NET (TRANSNATIONAL NETWORK OF NATIONAL CONTACT POINTS (NCPS) FOR WIDENING PARTICIPATION AND STRENGTHENING THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH AREA)

Reporting period: 2023-10-01 to 2025-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The NCP_WIDERA.NET project is dedicated to advancing research and innovation (R&I) policy across all regions, fostering excellence through shared progress. Its primary focus is to equip National Contact Points (NCPs) with effective operational tools, support services, and avenues for sharing expertise transnationally. This initiative particularly supports newcomer NCPs in Member States and Associated Countries, aiming to balance Horizon Europe funding allocation by addressing regional knowledge gaps and providing region-specific tools.

The project adopts a pan-European strategy, engaging both WIDERA and non-WIDERA NCPs to enhance the competitive standing of participating countries in Europe and globally. It places a strong emphasis on collaborative learning, aligning its activities with the priorities of the Widening and European Research Area (ERA) policies. These activities are geared towards increasing investments, elevating access to excellence, transforming R&I outcomes into economic growth, and bolstering research management skills.

The impact of the project is realised through a series of comprehensive and targeted actions that are specifically designed to engage and benefit key stakeholders. These stakeholders include WIDERA National Contact Points (NCPs), applicants, and partners integral to the project's success. The primary focus of these actions is to improve the quality of proposals submitted by applicants from Widening countries. This is achieved by providing tailored guidance, resources, and support to the stakeholders, ensuring that the proposals they develop are robust, well-researched, and aligned with the objectives of the Widening participation initiates, these actions contribute to a broader and more impactful engagement of various entities in the research and innovation landscape. By elevating the quality of proposals and strengthening matchmaking among applicants and partners, the project plays a crucial role in advancing the goals of Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area, ultimately leading to a more inclusive and effective research environment.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

1. Development of the wideraexperts.eu portal:
The Wideraexperts.eu portal is specifically tailored to meet the needs of both external experts and internal NCP (National Contact Point) partners involved in the NCP_WIDERA.NET project. It aims to improve the pre-screening process for project proposals by enabling effective communication between NCPs and external experts. The platform is used by NCPs to involve external experts in evaluating project proposals from eligible countries.
Once registered, experts can choose relevant keywords related to their expertise and detail their proficiency in the Horizon Europe programme, which includes areas like Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness (Pillar II), the European Innovation Council (Pillar III), and Widening participation. This facilitates NCPs in finding appropriate experts for pre-screening tasks based on specific keywords and Horizon Europe focus areas. The platform, created in English, offers a consistent user experience across its various sections, including those for users, administrators, and the Content Management System (CMS).
Secure, password-protected access to the expert database is available for NCPs, with administrators able to manage logins. Features like self-service password recovery and customizable password policies enhance security, while SSL certificates encrypt access to both the admin panel and the platform.

The global expert list on the platform provides easy-to-use filtering, sorting, and searching tools, allowing NCPs to find experts by various criteria.

2. Widening dashboards and statistics interactive tool:
The existence of dashboards (https://ncpwideranet.eu/dashboards) that display the involvement of Widening Countries in Horizon Europe serves as an essential instrument for observing and examining the advancement of these nations in the programme. These dashboards provide a detailed summary of the principal metrics, developments, and statistics associated with the engagement of Widening Countries, enabling policymakers and interested parties to evaluate the success of strategies and efforts put in place to assist these areas.

The platform's engaging capabilities allow users to navigate data interactively, promoting thorough examination. Power BI's compatibility with multiple data sources ensures smooth merging of information, contributing to detailed reporting.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project is expected to achieve the following impact: improving the quality and inclusiveness of applications in the EU Framework Programmes, particularly for low-performing Member States. This includes raising awareness among applicants about funding opportunities, enhancing the services of National Contact Points (NCPs), and ensuring more homogeneous skills distribution among NCPs across the EU. The goal is to increase participation in Horizon Europe (HE) actions, particularly under Pillar II, and to facilitate the implementation of funded projects. This approach aims to reduce the research and innovation divide in the EU, improve the quality of proposals submitted, and ensure a greater impact of funded projects. Additionally, it focuses on creating favourable conditions for synergies between different EU funds and raising awareness about the role of NCPs in the EU research and innovation ecosystem.

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