Marie Curie Actions at CERNSeamus Hegarty, HR-TA

HR Seminar, 27 February 2014

What are they?• European research grants• For researchers regardless of nationality or research field• Generous research funding from 180 keuro to 10 Meuro• Mobility is key

• CERN = European Interest Organization ~ own country• Gain experience abroad in public & private sectors• Training with career-relevant competences or disciplines

• Physics, computing, engineering, life sciences• Impact on society

Who are they for?• Mainly Early Stage Researchers (ESR)

• Equivalent to our Junior Fellows• With up to 4 years of post-MSc experience

• Experienced Researchers (ER)• Equivalent to our Senior Fellows• 4 to 5 years post-MSc experience or PhD• Some have more experience (post-docs)

How many?

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 20170

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Marie Curie Researchers at CERNFP6 & FP7

Host-driven + IxF + COFUND

COFUND 3rd yrFP7 FTEFP6 FTE

What sort of projects?• Innovative Training Networks for the ESRs

• Fellow, emphasis on PhD, 3 yrs for ESR, 2 yrs for ER• Individual Fellowships for ERs (8 FP6 + 15 FP7)

• Fellow contract 2 years• Industry-Academia exchanges• COFUND

• Additional funding for our Fellowship Programme• 3-year Fellowship + option to go on special leave

How do we secure funding?• For the ITNs

• The Marie Skłodowska Curie Steering Group• Support to proposal writers in the departments

• For COFUND• Scaled-down Steering Group → Fellow Programme

• Negotiation with Brussels• COFUND = a lengthy process of justification of costs

What is HR’s role in this?• For departments

• Support to the Fellows and the managers• Recruitment interviews for ITN positions • 1500 EDH authorizations in 2013!

• For Brussels• At least one report per year per Grant Agreement• Mid-Term Reviews for project assessment = important!• Follow up – LinkedIn!

What does CERN get out of it?• Additional Fellows that we would not have on budget• Excellent researchers → new blood for the future• Work on topics of strategic importance to the EC• Via contacts in Brussels

• Involvement in strategic policy development• Visibility at the highest level

What do the Marie Curies get?• Training, Training, Training!

• Science & technology: on the job + courses• Complementary skills

• Language, management & communication• Outreach experience

• € € € € € €• It’s all about career development

Where do they come from?

• No nationality limitations but…• Mobility Rule: ≤12 months at CERN in past 36 months

• At CERN from 3 months to 3 years• Since 2004 under FP6 & FP7

• 442 researchers at CERN (including 185 COFUNDers)• North America 11 Central & South America 7• Asia 19 Australasia 1

Where do they go?Questionnaire 2012 on FP6 & FP7 (pre-COFUND)

• 50% academia

• 32% CERN

• 2% finishing PhD

• 2% other fellowship

• 8% in large-scale industry

• 6% in small-scale industry

First move• 38% said Marie Curie Fellowship and/or

CERN were good references• 62% said research as a Marie Curie was

main reason for hiringIf moved to another position• 31% said Marie Curie Fellowship and/or

CERN were good references• 64% said research on Marie Curie

Actions were main reason for hiring• 5% declared no impact as they changed

to different field

Our opportunities in H2020?• New interesting host-driven actions

• Substantial budget increase

• Very good relations with Brussels • COFUND applied to the Doctoral Programme?

Our challenges in H2020?• ITNs will remain extremely competitive

• Too many successive successful COFUNDs…

• Greater emphasis on innovation, multidisciplinary and inter-sectorial projects

• Participation of Swiss partners (UniGE, EPFL, etc.) • Receive € / pay CHF according to our Fellow payscale

• The Mobility Rule will apply to COFUND

Thank you for your attention!

Questions?