Developing a
TEMPUS
application
Alan Hopkinson
Technical Manager (Library Services) Learning Resources
Middlesex University
Preamble
• Learning Resources is Library, Student Computing Advisory Service, and English Language Support
• My speciality is library automation.
• I have participated in 5 TEMPUS projects of which I led the bids for 2
• I have bid for 2 unsuccessfully and participated in 2 other unsuccessful bids
• 1 successful bid is curricular reform and the rest have been “University Management and Services for
New Masters Programme for LIS (NMPLIS)
• Ref. No. 145021-TEMPUS-2008-UK-JPCR
• Now starting 2nd year of 3-year project to develop a new Library and Information Studies curriculum for Armenia, Georgia and Uzbekistan
• Lecturers now in the middle of attending Masters LIS course at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen for 3 months
What should be in place to enable an
applicant to place a TEMPUS bid?
• Assumption that the applicant has an idea for a project, ideally proposed by, or together with. a partner country
• International Office with staff member knowledgeable or prepared to learn about TEMPUS regulations and inform Finance Department and University Director about requirements
• WARNINGS: if you are successful:
Further hints
• Learn the jargon!
• Ideally make contacts with previous bidders
• Forms for TEMPUS are quite different from previous years and require much more detail but are similar to European Commission Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) so assistance could be sought from colleagues who have applied to FP7.
Ensure the idea will be acceptable
Assumption is that the staff member has
appropriate contacts in a qualifying country
Ensure that project fits country or regional
priorities – Annexes 7-10 of
Third Call
Application Guidelines
Ensure that National TEMPUS Office in
Joint Project or Structural Measures?
—
You need to decide whether your project is a
Joint Project or a Structural Measure since
priorities are different for each
—
You may have to go for one rather than the
Joint Project or Structural Measures?
• Joint Projects: projects with a ‘bottom-up’ approach aiming at modernisation and reform on an institutional level. Joint
Projects aim at transferring knowledge between
universities .. from the EU and from the partner countries and between partner country entities.
Additional condition for SM / Duration
• For Structural Measures, there is an additional
condition: The Ministry/ies of (Higher) Education in the partner country/ies must be involved as partner/s in a Structural Measures project.
Single or Multi- country project?
—
Single country projects with multiple partners in
one country are easier
—
Why choose multi-country?
•
Preference may be given to multi-country
projects
•
One country may not have enough institutions
to make a project viable
•
A project may fit regional rather than national
Selection of partners for consortium
• Preferably people in institutions that you have dealt with and believe to be competent and serious
• Ensure a good contact person in one of the partner country institutions. Could lead a co-oordination work package.
• If you do not have enough partners:
Subscribe to TEMPUS-TALK and check requests for partners
If necessary advertise through National TEMPUS Office
How many partners do you need?
• For national projects, proposals must be submitted by groupings of institutions involving:
— at least three higher education institutions from a partner country (only one required from Kosovo and Montenegro)
Partners in multi-country projects
• For multi-country projects, proposals must be submitted by groupings of institutions involving:
— at least two higher education institutions, from each of the participating partner countries (minimum two partner countries) involved in the proposal (with the exception of Kosovo and Montenegro where the requirement is one higher education institution from each),
Writing a bid
•
Ideally the bid should be written by the partner
country contact person. They know exactly
what they want
•
Get from each partner the information about
the participating departments and describe
their role in the consortium
Bid - Workpackages
• Divide the tasks into work packages, in addition to management and coordination, dissemination and quality control
• Identify Needs
• Development of infrastructure (i.e. Procurement of Equipment)
• Curriculum development • Pilot new course
Further advice!
• Read carefully the section on how the projects are selected
• Read carefully and in good time
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/tempus/funding/2009/docum ents/28-2009/instructions_en.pdf
• Start filling in the application form in good time (this year it is different). Available from:
Calculation of the budget
• The EACEA have identified the budget as one of the worst completed sections of the application in the last application round, along with sustainability and
dissemination, outcomes and activity tables and quality control and monitoring
Key area: Calculation of the budget
• Put in as much detail as you can (this is old style)
1 IT and 1 UK (RGU) to AM,GE, and UZ for 2 weeks. Staff costs: 2 academic staff for 2 weeks each plus 2 weeks preparation and report writing time. (Meeting representatives in EU will be combined with
management meeting). 1 LV to AM,GE and UZ for 2 weeks. Staff costs. IT: € 262 x 20 days = 5240€; LV: 84€ x 20 days = 1680€. [Co-financing staff costs for UK academic 200x20=4000€] Travel 1500€ x 3 = 4500,
Warning
• More information is required now:
you have to allocate staff costs to the appropriate institution but the new forms help
You have to be specific about the type of staff member
Sustainability and dissemination, quality
control and monitoring
• Sustainability: demonstrate how the work achieved will continue after the project life-time
• Dissemination: plan courses and conferences to
ensure your work is known widely in the country(ies) in question and others where it would apply
• Quality control: demonstrate how you will ensure the objectives you plan are reached and effective
Comparison of successful / unsuccessful
Assumption: bids comply with the priorities and have requisite number of institutions in consortium
•Best bids from a technical viewpoint can be given lower priority or even rejected by partner country
Ensure NTOs are fully involved in ALL partner countries in multi-country projects. This requires cooperation of the partner country lead persons
•Consortium may not seem viable
• Ensure the projects are supported fully by the managers in the participating institutions particularly in the Partner Countries
Good practice
• Ensure NOW you have correct version of Adobe
• Follow the instructions rigorously
• Get the mandates signed in good time (they have to be posted with documentation on closing date). They need signatures so have to be sent by mail from partners
• Prepare all the documentation for submission in good time