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Call key data
Western Balkans Mobility Scheme
Funding Program
Western Balkans Info Hub
deadlines
Opening
28.03.2024
Deadline
31.05.2024 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 100,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 5,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
This pilot regional mobility scheme launched by POLICY ANSWERS has a call budget of EUR 100,000. It should build the foundation for a follow-up measure to be funded by regional, economy-level or international stakeholders.
Call objectives
The aim of this scheme is to enhance regional cooperation and sustained support in mobility-driven R&I and - by fostering the interconnectedness of the WB – to support sustainable economic growth, a common regional market, societal resilience and convergence of the WB with the EU. Enhanced cooperation and sustained support in mobility-driven R&I are also pivotal for equipping the WB with the requisite tools and knowledge to address shared challenges, such as climate change and digital transformation, while fostering a generation of innovators who can reshape the region's future.
Expected effects and impacts
These aims should be achieved by fostering brain circulation and encourage brain retention within the WB at an early stage of the researchers’ careers. The young researchers will initiate new contacts and networks to strengthen the links between the regions’ economies and build new bridges between them. Additionally, this scheme will support excellence in research in the WB. Furthermore, it will promote and support the Open Access use of the huge amount of underused research infrastructure (facilities, resources and services) across the WB. This mobility scheme is supported by the Danube Rectors’ Conference (DRC, https://www.drc-danube.org) and the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans (RF SEEWB, https://www.uni-lj.si/study/rectors-forum-SEE-WB).
Expected results
A project within this scheme must fulfil each of these three criteria: It must use (1) short term mobility within the WB and (2) specialised equipment or facilities (research infrastructures) in another WB economy in order to (3) do research. Only mobility projects in the field of research will be funded.
Mobility must comprise the physical presence of an early-career researcher - as the recipient of the financial support - for a duration of between two weeks and two months at a location in a different WB economy, that allows access to a research infrastructure. The overall duration of the project must be between two weeks and six months, which allows enough time for the exploitation of the results of the mobility. During the project several visits to the same RI are eligible, but not to a different RI in the same or in another WB economy.
This scheme addresses early-career researchers (ECR) only, which means that only PhD students and Postdocs, whose doctorate was awarded no longer than seven years before the deadline of this call, are eligible as applicants. The ECR must be affiliated to a home institution, which must be located in the WB. The home institution must be a research performing organisation (RPO) or higher education institutions (HEI) (public or private) that has to be registered and accredited in the WB. Companies are not eligible as home institution. In order to initiate a sustainable and long-term cooperation between the home and the host institution, it is encouraged that the ECR be involved in accompanying activities at the host institution like training, capacity building, soft skill development etc.
By definition, a research infrastructure is a set of facilities, resources and services that are used by the research communities to conduct research and foster innovation in their respective fields. It includes: major scientific equipment (or sets of instruments), knowledge based resources such as collections, archives and scientific data, e-infrastructures, such as data and computing systems and communication networks and any other tools that are essential to achieve excellence in research and innovation.
All public or private RPOs or HEI in the WB that are registered in one WB economy under the respective law and provide research infrastructures (as defined above) are eligible as host institution for the recipient; this includes virtual research infrastructures, if an added value of the mobility is evident. The hosting institution is obliged to provide a counsellor (which could be a mentor or a peer) as central contact person for the ECR.
In order to boost the regional cooperation, all thematic research areas are eligible (including Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) and arts-based research). Applications that address the twin transition (green and digital) of the WB and priorities mentioned in research strategies of the WB economies (respective Smart Specialisation Strategies/S3) are particularly welcome. The project must have a civilian purpose.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
eligible entities
Education and training institution, Natural Person, Research Institution incl. University
Mandatory partnership
No
Project Partnership
The financial support will be given as a grant with a maximum sum of EUR 5,000 per project. The funding will be given as non-refundable grant in two instalments, with a first share as pre-financing (75%), and a second share after approval of the final report (25%).
Eligible costs are supported by:
- an “allowance unit cost” of EUR 75 per day of the stay – resulting in EUR 2,250 per month (30 days) – to compensate for all travel costs and living allowances of the recipient (including cost for visa etc.);
- any cost that occurs at the host institution like accession fees, consumables etc.;
- costs for exploitation of project results (visibility, publication of scientific article, etc.);
Costs of category (2) and (3) are accounted for as direct costs only (with VAT) that have to be actual, economic and necessary.
Health, accident and personal liability insurances for the time of mobility have to be taken out by the recipients at their own expense.
The financial support may not be used to cover costs that are already covered by other sources. The financial support is not renewable.
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region, EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
project duration
max. 6 months
Additional Information
Applications have to be submitted by the ECR via the web-based Call Management System PT-Outline only (https://ptoutline.eu/app/wbms) and will be following a one-stage procedure. Applications must be in English and signed by the ECR and the counsellor of the hosting institution.
Main elements of applications are information on the (a) project basics, (b) home institution and the ECR, (c) host institution and counsellor, (d) objectives of the project and its workplan and (e) requested funds. In addition, CVs of the ECR and the counsellor (in EUROPASS format) have to be uploaded. Applications must be in English and signed by the ECR and the counsellor. A scan of the pages with the signatures will be sufficient. Further information is provided in the “guide for applicants”.
All team members of the POLICY ANSWERS project are not eligible to apply.
Call documents
Western Balkans Mobility Scheme Call textWestern Balkans Mobility Scheme Call text(173kB)
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