Erasmus+, strategic partnershipsLerend netwerk, UHasselt, 16/11/2017

VITAL project

• Since 1996: Lingua, Leonardo da Vinci, Lifelong Learning Programme, Erasmus+

• European Erasmus+ project (KA2: Strategic Partnerships) Learning Analytics in HE (Oct. 2015-Sept. 2017)

• Implement LA & collect, measure and analyse learning data of students in 4 different types of online language and mathscourses

• Partners:– Hasselt University (BE, promoter)

– University of Amsterdam (NL)

– University of Central Lancashire (UK)

– HT2Labs (UK)

• Grant: EUR 274.840

VITAL project

Aims

measure real uses of online learning resources – test course design hypothesis

map existing learning patterns

identify user profiles and relate learning behaviour to studysuccess

feed back knowledge to students/instructors through learning dashboards

Improvement/innovation of education

Educational research

Concrete outputs/tools

Project application• Writing the proposal• Partner search• Work plan• Budget• Dissemination• Impact and sustainability

Proposal writing

Project idea – check with state of the art, demonstrateexploration of field, former projects in this field?

Supporting documents www.epos-vlaanderen.be

Programme guide priorities & types of actions

Europe 2020 strategies & aims

Finding a good fit between Erasmus+ priorities/EU policy andyour project idea

Award criterion 1 (30 pts): relevance of project

Objectives

Priorities

Needs analysis

Innovative character!

EU-added value

Partner search

Start early!

Your partner network

Your partners’ networks

Previous projects

Internal collaborators: comparable projects in this domain?

Erasmus+ platform project results

National Agency

Internet search external specific expertise or former projects

Award criterion 2 (20 pts): quality of project consortium

Complementary expertise

Each collaborator has important contribution

Academic + corporate

Min. 3 countries, 3 partners, more is better

Work plan & methodology

Prepare detailed work plan – breakdown of tasks into WP, intellectual outputs (IO), activities, milestones

GANTT chart

Show efficient task distribution among different categories of staff/according to expertise

Cat. 1: project manager (but PM only lump sum/month)

Cat. 2: researcher/lecturer

Cat. 3: technical

Cat. 4: administrative (but PM only lump sum/month)

Award criterion 3 (20 pts): quality of project design & implementation

Explain approach Quality control/evaluation WP

Cost effectiveness - correspondence WP/activities and budget

Budget

Staff costs based on activities work plan (per IO)

In nr of days, per staff category

Fixed rates per country group, per category

Project Management & implementation: fixed rate/month

Travel & subsistence: fixed rates/person/travel

Multiplier events: fixed rate/participant

Training events: fixed rate/participant

Exceptional costs: 75% of costs is eligible, prove real costs

Summary in application

Dissemination plan

• Involve all stakeholders – how will you reach each target group (format, contents)

• Examples of activities per target group

• Start of – in the course of – at the end of – after the project

• Who does what

• Evaluation of effectiveness: KPIs– Facts and figures about the project website (updates, visits, views, cross referencing)

– Media coverage: number of specialist press articles, press, reports, press releases, interviews etc.

– Visibility on social networks

– Links with existing transnational networks and partners

– Reaction of end users, other stakeholders, peers and decision-makers e.g. using satisfaction questionnaires

– Number of project-related events: open days, webinars etc.

– Number of event attendees (use attendance sheet as proof of this information)

– Diversity of target audience profiles in the dissemination plan

– Number of publications, etc.

Sustainability & impact

Short-term + long-term impact

During + after project

Extension of project?

Generalisability of findings

Commercialise results?

Award criterion 4 (30 pts): impact & dissemination

Detailed plan

Right from the start of the project

Sustainability

Visibility of funding (EU logo & disclaimer!)

Managing an Erasmus+ project• Role coordinator (PM, methodology, follow-up,

contracts, communication NA, reporting)• Partner meetings• Work packages• Outcomes/sustainability, e.g. VITAL

Project management

Plan sufficient partner meetings

F2F: schedule before reporting period

Use webconferencing to discuss progress & approach

Communicate & discuss work plan & deadlines well in advance

Spread WP responsibilities (developm. WP, PM, Dissem., Eval.)

Dissemination plan: project website asap (budget hosting)

EU logo + disclaimer on each project deliverable

Have partners update list of dissemination activities + type, place, main leader, nr of persons reached, countries

Don’t wait with asking for timesheets until end of project

Partner contracts: payment grant in installments

Contacts with NA

Schedule enough time to write reports

Project website – logo – templates

Summarising tips• Added value for innovation in education

• Demonstrate EU-added value & fit with EU values and thematical priorities

• Detailed plan for dissemination

• Start preparing proposal well in time

• Detailed breakdown of tasks – discuss with partners

• Don’t forget to have Declaration of Honour signed by rector + mandate letters by eachpartner

• Transfer grant in different installments

• Follow up resource use by partners (intermediary timesheets & dissemination lists)

• Evaluation by external partner or at the minimum different phases/aspects of project: WP Quality control, involve end users

• Budget based on intellectual outputs

• Sustainability: – Open source publishing of outputs

– Reuse of expertise and tools

– Follow-up projects

– Networks

Budget