Invitation for Researchers and Research Managers and Administrators (RMAs) to apply for the study visit in DFKI
NCP_WIDERA.NET, an EU-funded project of the network of National Contact Points for Widening Participation and Strengthening of the European Research Area – WIDERA of Horizon Europe (project no. 101055286), provides three-day Study Visits to leading research-based organisations from Spain, Germany, Italy and Finland addressed to promising researchers and research managers and administrators (RMAs) from Widening countries*.
The rationale of Study Visits
The main aim of Study Visits is to provide promising researchers and RMAs* who have diverse professional experience (less and more experienced) from Widening countries the opportunity to access excellent practices and networks, by visiting leading research-based organisations with a view of taking valuable lessons learnt “home” to their host institutions.
Research management can take many shapes: research policy advisers, research managers, financial support staff, data stewards, research infrastructure operators, knowledge transfer officers, business developers, knowledge brokers, innovation managers, according to WIDERA WP 2021-2022, page 75.
Member states: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia
Associated countries to Horizon Europe: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo 2, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia, Ukraine, Faroe Islands
Outermost regions of Portugal and Spain, and France.
Study Visit to the Robotics Innovation Center of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI)
NCP_WIDERRA.NET has the pleasure to invite Researchers and RMAs to submit an application to the 5th Study Visit as follows:
Host organization: DFKI | Robotics Innovation Center
Location: Bremen, Germany
Date: 15-17 October 2024
Deadline for applications: 15 July 2024 [see below for the deadline extension announcement]
No of participants: 25
Desired experience from the candidate Researchers and RMAs:
- RMAs who support the pre-award phase of projects in relation to the activity areas of the DFKI
- Researchers who work on Computer Science, Engineering, Bionics, Biology and Physics whose work maybe complementary to the DFKI research groups and application oriented teams (see below) and who are actively interested in expanding their collaborative network
- SSH scientists: Social science and humanities scientists whose work deals with robotics.
Information about the Robotics Innovation Center at the DFKI
The DFKI Robotics Innovation Center is a young, dynamically growing research center with 110 employees from all over the world. Its mission is underpinned by “Long Term Autonomy” and address the question of how intelligent behaviour of technical systems in complex and dynamic environments can be realised sustainably over long periods of time, months and years.
- Mechanics & Control
- Quantum Computing
- Interaction & Learning
Four application oriented teams:
- Maritime
- Space
- Terrestrial
- Intelligent HealthCare Systems
The center is a place for cross-fertilisation of ideas: computer scientists meet biologists, design engineers meet biologists, mathematicians, computer linguists, industrial designers, electro engineers, physicists, and psychologists in order to jointly develop mobile robot systems.
The German Research Center fort Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), is a private – public partnership and its departments (such as the Robotics Innovation Center) are financed mostly from industrial contracts and competitive public grants.
In the framework of its income sources, it develops intelligent robots for a variety of fields of application, such as space, underwater, logistics, production and consumer (LPC), SAR (Search and Rescue) and, and assistance- and rehabilitation systems. The focus lies on a rapid transfer of results of basic research into real-world applications.
To boost the success rate of proposals, a dedicated team of researchers is organised in a unit called PAAS (Project Acquisitions, Administration & Services). The PAAS team is involved in all ongoing acquisition activities and guide the team leaders of the academic teams through the process. Through this tandem of science and management, the Robotics Innovation Center achieves a proposal acceptance rate that is above the average for European member states.
Benefits for the applicants
Applicants from the participating Widening countries will have the chance to learn from experienced professionals and senior specialists such as the Center’s Director, Department Manager, Senior Researcher and experienced researchers and engineers.
The visit will provide:
- A platform for all scientific teams of the Center to showcase their ongoing projects and foster an environment conducive to identifying academic overlaps and synergies with the visitors
- Infrastructure tour
- Discussion of ideas for collaboration
- Presentations by the PAAs unit on enabling processes and best practices
Eligibility and evaluation process
Country eligibility
Interested persons with affiliation to research-based organisations from the following eligible Widening countries may apply.
Eligible Widening countries:
- Albania
- Armenia
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Estonia
- France (Outermost Regions)
- Georgia
- Greece
- Kosovo
- Malta
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Poland
- Romania
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Turkie
Participants of the Study Visits will be eligible for reimbursement based on actual costs exclusively by their country’s NCP organisation responsible for the WIDERA programme appearing in the list below (reimbursing organisation). The reimbursing organisation will also appear in the acceptance note that successful applicants will receive.
Eligible costs: Travel and accommodation
For more details contact the reimbursing organisation from your country.
Maximum reimbursable amount: 1.000 euros per applicant
Participants will be reimbursed after the completion of their trip and following submission of a report to their country’s reimbursing organisation.
A report template can be found here and at the bottom of this page.
Evaluation criteria
Interested applicants, namely Researchers and RMAs will need to fill out an application form requesting the following information:
1. The list of participants will be underpinned by gender aspects to the extent possible.
2. The relevance of the application to the DFKI research groups and application-oriented teams will be assessed.
| Criteria for RMAs | ||
|---|---|---|
| ⚫ | Which of the activity area(s) of DFKI are close to your work? | |
| ⚫ | Number and type of grants raised at the national/international level, if any | |
| ⚫ | Brief description of indicative national/international project(s) you have participated in, if any | |
| ⚫ | Indicative number of proposals submitted (if any) in the recent years of your career, number of successful proposals (if any) | |
| ⚫ | Brief description of valorisation experience (collaboration with industry, patents, spin-offs, licensing), if any | |
| ⚫ | Good command of English, at least of B2 level or equivalent | |
| ⚫ | CV – EUROPASS |
| Criteria for Researchers | ||
|---|---|---|
| ⚫ | Which of the activity area(s) of DFKI are close to your work? | |
| ⚫ | Number and type of recent grants raised at International/National level, if any | |
| ⚫ | Brief description of indicative national/international project(s) you have participated in, if any | |
| ⚫ | Indicative 1-5 publications | |
| ⚫ | Brief description of supervisional activity (thesis/dissertation) or leadership activity undertaken | |
| ⚫ | Brief description of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) practices you have undertaken, if any | |
| ⚫ | Good command of the English language at least of B2 level or equivalent | |
| ⚫ | CV – EUROPASS | |
| ⚫ | Endorsement letter from your institution | |
| ⚫ | Please describe briefly any valorisation experience you may have such as, but not limited to: collaboration with industry, patents, spin-offs, licensing, etc, if any |
- Remote evaluation: The reimbursing partners from each eligible country participating in the study visit will evaluate remotely their country’s incoming applications
- Consensus: The partners will discuss and reach out a consensus
- Consultation with host organisation
- Acceptance/rejection letters to participants
How to apply
Interested persons coming from the listed Widening countries may complete the application forms available at the bottom of this page and send to the relevant contact person(s) in their country:
Organisation:
National Agency for Scientific Research and innovation (NASRI)
Contact person:
Imirjon Peza: imirjon.peza@nasri.gov.al
Robert Dumi: robert.dumi@nasri.gov.al
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 2
Organisation:
Scientific and Innovation Partnership Assistance Center (SIPAC)
Contact person:
Tigran Azurmanyan: tarznip@sci.am
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1
Organisation:
Ministry of Education and Science
Contact person:
Zornitsa Georgieva: z_georgieva@mon.bg
Kalin Mutavchiev: k.mutavchiev@mon.bg
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1
Organisation:
Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes (AMPEU)
Contact person:
Lucijano Jaksic: Lucijano.Jaksic@ampeu.hr
Sandra Begonja: sandra.begonja@ampeu.hr
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 5
Organisation:
Research Innovation Foundation (RIF)
Contact person:
Marcia Trilidou: trillidou@research.org.cy
Kalypso Sepou: kalypso@research.org.cy
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 2
Organisation:
Technolgy Centre Praha (TC Praha)
Contact person:
Anna Voseckova: voseckova@tc.cz
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1
Organisation:
Estonian Research Council
Contact persons:
Kristin Kraav: kristin.kraav@etag.ee
Siiri Kolka: siiri.kolka@etag.ee
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 2-3
Organisation:
Ministry of Higher Education and Research
Contact person:
Solène Chevalier, solene.chevalier@recherche.gouv.fr
Evelyne Tarnus: evelyne.tarnus@nexa.re
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 2
Organisation:
Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia
Contact person:
Nino Rodonaia: nrodonaia@mes.gov.ge
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 2
Organisation:
PRAXI Network/FORTH
Call anouncement in Greek
Contact persons:
Vassiliki Kalodimou: vkalodimou@praxinetwork.gr
Maria Mikroni: mikroni@praxinetwork.gr
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1
Organisation:
Minstry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation
Contact persons:
Qamile Sinanaj Rexhaj: qamile.sinanaj@rks-gov.net
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 3
Organisation:
Malta Science Council of Technology (MCST)
Contact person:
Ian Gauci Borda: ian.a.gauci-borda@gov.mt
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1
Organisation:
National Agency for Research and Development
Contact person:
Igor Chiosa: igorchiosa9@gmail.com
Viorica.Boaghi:viorica.boaghi@gmail.com
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1
Organisation:
Ministry of Science and Technological Development
Contact person:
Anđela Radulović: andjela.grujicic@mpni.gov.me,
Marica Melovic: marica.melovic@mpni.gov.me
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 5
Organisation:
Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology. Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (IZIIS)
Contact person:
Vlatko Sheshov: vlatko@pluto.iziis.ukim.edu.mk
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1
Organisation:
The National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR)
Contact person:
Katarzyna Buszkiewicz-Seferyńska: Katarzyna.Buszkiewicz-Seferynska@ncbr.gov.pl
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1
Download national rules and forms for Polish applicants (.zip)
Organisation:
Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding – UEFISCDI
Contact person:
Daniela Dragomir: dana.dragomir@uefiscdi.ro
Andreea Popa: andreea.popa@uefiscdi.ro
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1
Organisation:
Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation
Contact person:
Zlljika Dukic: zeljka.dukic@nitra.gov.rs, Jasmina Grubin: jasmina.grubin@nitra.gov.rs
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 2
Organisation:
Slovak Center of Scientific and Technical Information (CVTISR)
Contact person:
Renata Polaskova: renata.polaskova@cvtisr.sk
Kveta Papanova: kvetoslava.papanova@cvtisr.sk
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 1
Organisation:
Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TUBITAK)
Contact person:
Derya Donertas: derya.donertas@tubitak.gov.tr
Number of candidates eligible for funding: 2-3
If you need more information, please contact the above mentioned contact person(s).
Alternatively, you may contact the Task Leader of the study visits of the NCP_WIDERA.NET project:
Organisation: PRAXI Network/Foundation for Research & Technology – Hellas (Greece)
• Vassiliki Kalodimou: National Contact Point for WIDERA, e-mail: vkalodimou@praxinetwork.gr, widera@praxinetwork.gr
• Maria Mikroni: National Contact Point for WIDERA: e-mail: mikroni@praxinetwork.gr, widera@praxinetwork.gr
The partners of NCP_WIDERA.NET project are compliant with all legal procedures for the processing of personal data as defined by the Regulation EU/2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and the applicable national laws.
Please be advised that we will share the information provided in the application form with the Host Organisation. Moreover, applicants will need to declare also their consent in the processing of images (picture taking) solely for the implementation of the Study Visit, which is a contractual obligation of the NCP_WIDERA.NET project.
We would like to inform you that you have the right to access the right of information, correction, update or even erasure of your aforementioned personal data in accordance with the EU Regulation and applicable national laws. We acknowledge also to you, that you have the right to file a complaint to your reimbursing partner national Data Protection Authority. You have the right to withdraw your participation in the survey and consent for the processing of your personal data at any time. You may contact the data protection officer (DPO) of your country’s reimbursing organization.