BILAT USA 2.0 @ 56th NCURA Annual Meeting

The 56th NCURA Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. under the theme ´The Evolution of Research Administration- facing the future…together´ was an important event to share information and new developments among the research administration community. The objectives of BILAT USA 2.0 were to bring closer Horizon 2020 to the NCURA university research administrators with all its relevant characteristics, participation rules and regulations. The NCURA platform is one of the biggest and most important multiplier platforms for BILAT USA 2.0 in the US.

On August 13, 2014 BILAT USA 2.0 held its BILAT USA 2.0 Horizon 2020 workshop with two sessions and one roundtable.

The first session, ´Horizon 2020 at the end of the ocean?´,  introduced Horizon 2020 and its characteristics, participation rules and regulations.The innovation aspect was discussed as well as evaluation criteria were highlighted.

The second session, ´Openness in international cooperation and no automatic eligibility for funding are two sides of the same coin! How?´, analysed the different ways for US researchers to participate in Horizon 2020 (including Marie Sklodovska-Curie actions, European Research Council grants, etc.) and their funding possibilities. US researchers were shown how to find out if US expertise for international cooperation activities in specific research fields is sought.

The roundtable, ´Good models, bad examples! What can we learn from them?´, was represented by Viktoria Bodnarova (Euraxess Links North America), Jong-on Hahm (George Mason University), Michael Kusiak (University of California), Errol G. Levy (Delegation of the European Union to the United States of America), Tom C. Wang (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Siegfried Huemer (Vienna University of Technology), and Ralf König (Austrian Research Promotion Agency). It gave room and time for a fruitful dialog, answering the researchers´ questions on burning legal and financial issues, mainly.

Main outcome of the Horizon 2020 workshop was that more and more universities in the US are interested in transatlantic STI ´cooperation, either within Horizon 2020, either on bilateral level. In addition, NCURA members need more targeted and focused information in workshops and webinars to come in the future.