MARIE SKLODOWSKA-CURIE ACTIONS CONFERENCE - MSCA2019 SUPPORTING EXCELLENCE THROUGH MOBILITY OF RESEARCHERS ACROSS BORDERS, SECTORS AND DISCIPLINES

Project Information

MSCA Bucharest 2019

Grant agreement ID: 847457

DOI

10.3030/847457

Project closed

EC signature date 6 February 2019

Start date 1 January 2019

End date 31 August 2019

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 150 000,00

EU contribution

€ 150 000,00

Coordinated by

UNITATEA EXECUTIVA PENTRU FINANTAREA INVATAMANTULUI SUPERIOR A CERCETARII DEZVOLTARII SI INOVARII
Romania

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MSCA Bucharest 2019 (MARIE SKLODOWSKA-CURIE ACTIONS CONFERENCE - MSCA2019 SUPPORTING EXCELLENCE THROUGH MOBILITY OF RESEARCHERS ACROSS BORDERS, SECTORS AND DISCIPLINES)

Reporting period: 2019-01-01 to 2019-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

•What is the problem/issue being addressed?
MSCA2019 provided the forum for open discussions in order to identify how to support excellence through mobility of research across borders, sectors and disciplines.
•Why is it important for society?
The MSCA2019 promoted, disseminated and improved the European initiatives to create internationally competitive conditions to support excellence in science with the purpose of reinforce the European Union’s scientific leadership and high-quality skills development. All relevant stakeholders addressed topics as research mobility and career development at European level, widening participation and sharing excellence, improving and facilitating synergies between Horizon Europe and ESIF, Inter-sectoral mobility, widening participation in HE.
•What are the overall objectives?
The main objectives for the Bucharest event were:
- facilitating the participation of a broad and balanced number of key stakeholders, individual researchers, Marie Curie fellows, alumni, research representative organisations, policy makers, research funding agency and delegates from universities and private sector to share relevant experience;
- acknowledging the European Framework for research careers;
- promoting regional policies for research and education;
- actively engaging researchers in policy discussions, allowing them to formulate practical solutions and recommendations to consolidate the overall conclusions for the upcoming MSCA Programme;
- identifying and awarding the most promising researchers among those funded so far under MSCA.

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

The MSCA2019 Conference concept was presented, discussed and refined at several meetings of the partners (UEFISCDI, MCI and European Commission representatives). Further to refinements of the concept, these discussions resulted in recommendations for excellent, internationally-recognised experts as speakers.
The Award competition was organized as important part of the Romanian Presidency MSCA2019 Conference. In line with the general aim of the event, these awards offer to MSCA Fellows (current or alumni) the opportunity to share their work to a large group of researchers and decision-makers and to pinpoint those researchers who are most promising and who were funded so far under MSCA. The aim was to let the applicants choose between three categories which illustrate the richness of MSCA projects: I. Scientific Careers for Policy Making/ II. Sharing excellence/ III. Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
A central conference webpage was established as a platform to communicate information to participants and future actors interested in MSCA actions. All conference information was published and made available on the conference website.
In addition to the static information page, where all aspects of the conference were presented, several posts were published and disseminated via social media. A press release was also published before the conference on UEFISCDI’s website. Furthermore, a central conference email account was set up to answer inquiries.
The registration for the MSCA2019 was made through the conference web page for all the participants and had two steps. There was a pre-registration period and then free registration for all participants. And for the period of Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, every participant had to do the accreditation on a special platform.
The MSCA 2019 in a glance: 244 registrations out of which 201 participants.
Conference participants received an information package comprising of conference agenda and Block Notes.
During two days, around 200 researchers from all over the Europe, discussed how to support excellence through mobility of research across borders, sectors and disciplines in the context of the new Framework Programmme for Research and Innovation – Horizon Europe.

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 overall strategy for MSCA 2019 was to create a sound basis for dissemination and awareness of challenges on research career development to the broadest range of stakeholders.
The EU Presidency of Romania offered a unique opportunity for our team to host this event dedicated to EU policy for research career and mobility of researchers. The input of local expertise brought added value to this remarkable event.
This high-level conference was one of the events organized by UEFISCDI and the Romanian Ministry of Research and Innovation under the EU Presidency with the kind cooperation of the European Commission.

The Ministry of Research and Innovation has delegated the Executive Agency for Higher Education Research Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI) to ensure all needed organisational tasks (preparation, implementation and follow-up) for MSCA 2019.
The implementation of the event was supported and steered by the Management Committee comprised of representatives from the European Commission, Romanian Ministry of Research and Innovation, national delegate in the MSCA Programme Committee, MSCA NCP’s and alumni, UEFISCDI being active and responsible for the entire organisation of MSCA 2019.

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