Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MoRE2020 (Mobility for Regional Excellence 2020)
Berichtszeitraum: 2019-05-01 bis 2022-04-30
Mobility for Regional Excellence 2020 (MoRE2020) is the continuation of the successful MoRE programme, which was co-financed by the Seventh Framework Programme. MoRE2020 provided experienced researchers with the chance to develop their skills and gain valuable new experiences in internationally renowned research and innovation milieus with excellent working conditions and strong triple helix components. It increased the attractiveness of research and innovation careers in Europe, to foster excellence across the Union through smart specialization and to increase international and sectoral cooperation.
Region Västra Götaland’s (VGR) smart specialisation represents a strategy for global competitiveness through the identification of areas in which the region excels and has clear advantages over other regions. MoRE2020’s alignment with VGR’s 13 areas of strength and development anchor the programme in a wider socio-economic context.
The Regional Development Committee of VGR works to ensure a sustainable future for its residents through economic and social development. Västra Götaland, classified as an Innovation Leader by the EU Regional Innovation Scoreboard, has the possibility to become a leading knowledge region in Europe and is already home to world-class universities and global knowledge-intensive companies.
The promotion of international mobility for researchers enabled the exchange of knowledge and experience, which are key elements in the innovation process, especially when mobility encourages collaboration between academia and industry. Therefore, international mobility was an important factor for a well-functioning regional innovation system. With increased innovation comes increased competitiveness and economic growth, providing opportunities for the residents of West Sweden both inside and outside of the research laboratory.
The MoRE2020 programme were affected by one unforeseen critical risk, the Covid-19 pandemic. Fellows were granted extended time, but due to restricted travel arrangement and visa applications, some fellows could not start or fulfil their project as planned.
Region Västra Götaland’s (VGR) smart specialisation represents a strategy for global competitiveness through the identification of areas in which the region excels and has clear advantages over other regions. MoRE2020’s alignment with VGR’s 13 areas of strength and development anchor the programme in a wider socio-economic context.
The Regional Development Committee of VGR works to ensure a sustainable future for its residents through economic and social development. Västra Götaland, classified as an Innovation Leader by the EU Regional Innovation Scoreboard, has the possibility to become a leading knowledge region in Europe and is already home to world-class universities and global knowledge-intensive companies.
The promotion of international mobility for researchers enabled the exchange of knowledge and experience, which are key elements in the innovation process, especially when mobility encourages collaboration between academia and industry. Therefore, international mobility was an important factor for a well-functioning regional innovation system. With increased innovation comes increased competitiveness and economic growth, providing opportunities for the residents of West Sweden both inside and outside of the research laboratory.
The MoRE2020 programme were affected by one unforeseen critical risk, the Covid-19 pandemic. Fellows were granted extended time, but due to restricted travel arrangement and visa applications, some fellows could not start or fulfil their project as planned.
The MoRE2020 programme was comprised of two components: the recruitment period and the project implementation period. The programme’s three planned calls for proposals were released in quick succession, with 20 researchers having received grants by Month 21, January 2019. The period between Month 22 and Month 60, which was planned for the completion of the projects, was affected by the situation with the Covid-19 pandemic. Fellows were granted extended time, but due to restricted travel arrangement and visa applications, a few fellows could not start or fulfil their project as planned. Therefore, it was 18 researchers in total that received grants.
The application, evaluation and selection process of the three calls for proposals were undertaken without incidents, including thorough ethics checks performed by the MoRE2020 Ethics Board. Of the 21 applications received during the first call, 19 were eligible for evaluation, of which 17 received scores high enough to be considered for funding. Of the 21 applications submitted to the second call for proposals, all were considered eligible for evaluation, and 19 received scores high enough to be considered for funding. Of the 25 applications submitted to the third call for proposals, 22 were eligible for evaluation, of which all received scores high enough to be considered for funding.
Out of the 67 submitted applications, 24 were deemed Excellent (the highest possible category) by the expert evaluators, while 18 were deemed Good. Four applications were considered ethically unsuitable for implementation under the MoRE2020 programme. The MoRE2020 Programme Board ranked the applicable proposals according to the scores given by the experts, considering the ethical evaluation, the gender distribution of the applicants, as well as the applying milieus and research areas. Following this ranking, the proposals were submitted to the Regional Development Committee of Region Västra Götaland for the final decision.
Throughout the programme, the MoRE2020 Management Team implemented various communications activities to promote the programme, ensuring that the most important target group of researchers and West Swedish R&I milieus were reached. Activities included direct outreach to research groups and faculties, targeted informational meetings organized with the help of the local Grants Offices’ personnel, as well as the usage of social media to reach an even wider network of potential applicants. The number of high-quality applications was a testament to these targeted activities.
The first part of the project was comprised of the launching of the programme, as well as the three calls for proposals. The second period from April 2019 was dedicated to follow up on all the projects to finish and support the fellows, especially them with difficulties due to the pandemic. By the end, 18 researchers were awarded MoRE2020 grants. Of the awarded proposals, 7 are outgoing and 11 are incoming from 5 of the region’s 6 universities and from 1 of the region’s research institutes. The thematic research areas represented by the fellows are urban development, life science, marine environment and the maritime sector, information and communication technology, green chemistry, sustainable production, food production/agriculture and forestry and material sciences. The ratio of male to female researchers were 50/50 %.
The MoRE2020 programme offered tools and support to fellows to disseminate and exploit results, and some of the venues for reaching out to different audiences. The participating fellows generated significant scientific output with participation at scientific conferences and publishing more than 50 journal articles. Outcomes from the reports from the fellows concluded that participants shared both a high level of satisfaction from collaborating with the research and innovation milieus and end-users as well as the assistance in administrative procedures from the management team.
The application, evaluation and selection process of the three calls for proposals were undertaken without incidents, including thorough ethics checks performed by the MoRE2020 Ethics Board. Of the 21 applications received during the first call, 19 were eligible for evaluation, of which 17 received scores high enough to be considered for funding. Of the 21 applications submitted to the second call for proposals, all were considered eligible for evaluation, and 19 received scores high enough to be considered for funding. Of the 25 applications submitted to the third call for proposals, 22 were eligible for evaluation, of which all received scores high enough to be considered for funding.
Out of the 67 submitted applications, 24 were deemed Excellent (the highest possible category) by the expert evaluators, while 18 were deemed Good. Four applications were considered ethically unsuitable for implementation under the MoRE2020 programme. The MoRE2020 Programme Board ranked the applicable proposals according to the scores given by the experts, considering the ethical evaluation, the gender distribution of the applicants, as well as the applying milieus and research areas. Following this ranking, the proposals were submitted to the Regional Development Committee of Region Västra Götaland for the final decision.
Throughout the programme, the MoRE2020 Management Team implemented various communications activities to promote the programme, ensuring that the most important target group of researchers and West Swedish R&I milieus were reached. Activities included direct outreach to research groups and faculties, targeted informational meetings organized with the help of the local Grants Offices’ personnel, as well as the usage of social media to reach an even wider network of potential applicants. The number of high-quality applications was a testament to these targeted activities.
The first part of the project was comprised of the launching of the programme, as well as the three calls for proposals. The second period from April 2019 was dedicated to follow up on all the projects to finish and support the fellows, especially them with difficulties due to the pandemic. By the end, 18 researchers were awarded MoRE2020 grants. Of the awarded proposals, 7 are outgoing and 11 are incoming from 5 of the region’s 6 universities and from 1 of the region’s research institutes. The thematic research areas represented by the fellows are urban development, life science, marine environment and the maritime sector, information and communication technology, green chemistry, sustainable production, food production/agriculture and forestry and material sciences. The ratio of male to female researchers were 50/50 %.
The MoRE2020 programme offered tools and support to fellows to disseminate and exploit results, and some of the venues for reaching out to different audiences. The participating fellows generated significant scientific output with participation at scientific conferences and publishing more than 50 journal articles. Outcomes from the reports from the fellows concluded that participants shared both a high level of satisfaction from collaborating with the research and innovation milieus and end-users as well as the assistance in administrative procedures from the management team.
The awarded projects have all been deemed by both the expert evaluators and the MoRE2020 Programme Board to illustrate the state of the art and to address various social challenges in their respective fields of research.
The programme increased international collaboration between the participating research and innovation milieus, adding value not only to the research groups but also to the public and private sectors through the participation of industry or public sector end-users in each project. Potential impacts may be seen through collaboration with Sahlgrenska University Hospital and large multinational companies such as Volvo Cars and Mölnlycke Health Care AB. On a more Nordic geographical and Swedish national level with collaborating end-users such as the Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, ICES Baltic Cod working group, The Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, agriculture or on a smaller scale working with local energy companies or municipalities.
The programme increased international collaboration between the participating research and innovation milieus, adding value not only to the research groups but also to the public and private sectors through the participation of industry or public sector end-users in each project. Potential impacts may be seen through collaboration with Sahlgrenska University Hospital and large multinational companies such as Volvo Cars and Mölnlycke Health Care AB. On a more Nordic geographical and Swedish national level with collaborating end-users such as the Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, ICES Baltic Cod working group, The Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, agriculture or on a smaller scale working with local energy companies or municipalities.