PPT H2020
H2020: HOW TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF YOUR PROPOSAL
Roberto Carpano
TABLE OF CONTENTS A. Training’s expected results B. H2020 selection process: Efficiency, Impact, and Implementation C. The mind-set of the assessors D. How to write a H2020 proposal: general principles E. How to write the Abstract F. How to write: Excellence G. How to write: Impact H. How to write: Implementation
A. TRAINING’S EXPECTED RESULTS 1. Understand the selection criteria process for H2020 proposals
2. Provide operational recommendations to write: Abstract, Efficiency, Impact and Implementation
B. H2020 SELECTION PROCESS: EFFICIENCY, IMPACT AND IMPLEMENTATION • An amazingly competitive programme: 80 Billions Euro in 7 years 2014 – 2020; (11 Billions year) • Which is the most demanding criterion? This is related to the nature of the proponent organization and to the preparation methodology • Assessment methodology: remote + peer review + consensus report (face to-face) (4 days), each proposal is assessed by: 2 assessors, endorsed by the Coordinator. 150 expert for 3,000 proposal • Assessment is ONLY Text based • Hyperlinks have no values • Images in the text> helps to identify and remember the proposal.
C. THE MIND-SET OF THE ASSESSORS - PART 1 • Educational background: University professors (60%+), practitioners, consultants (40%) with general thematic skills
• The assessor’s five-seconds syndrome.... starts from the “Abstract” • Time pressure and stressed> help him/her to grasp immediately the meaning > footnotes reduced to a minimum and at the bottom of the page rather than at the end of the proposal >avoid him/her to go back and for in the document > add names to the acronyms (w/o names, the assessor has to go back and for) >limited use of capital or bold characters, helps the assessor to identify the structure (objectives, results, etc.)
C. THE MIND-SET OF THE ASSESSORS - PART 2 • The assessor follows a communication logic: an incomplete communication pushes the assessor to complete and assess the sentence with his OWN contents or to with a LOW score. Read this sentence: “The specific goals of this comparative phylogeographic study are to: (1) Collect genomic data for co-distributed species using NGS protocols. What is missing? • The assessor follows the table of contents of the AF > follow, follow, follow the table of contents in for your project
• The assessor is confortable with a standard vocabulary: Objectives, Results Outcomes, Output, Activities, Tasks. Avoid new jargon.
D. HOW TO WRITE A PROPOSAL: GENERAL PRINCIPLES • Golden words: HOW a given process takes place. Ex “road maps towards innovation” or “Impact producing a spin-off” • QUANTIFY the proposed activities.
• Avoid only to “state” the n. of projects already implement, rather explain “HOW” the results of project “X” will be use to.... • “Data” is a central issue in the majority of proposals. Focus on: Define the type of data, structure, how data are collected Ownerships, Access by the different categories of stakeholders Management, who is in charge of Protection. Which is the EU and national legislation applied
• One page long sheet w/o space kills an Elephant..... Imagine an assessor under stress...? • Tables are more powerful and readable than texts.
E. HOW TO WRITE: ABSTRACT • Background, Objectives, WPs and Partnership • Avoid jargon such as: “sluggish pace”, epitomize • Avoid references and acronyms in the abstract and Make it simple: The scope of the proposal is.... • Maintain grammatical coherence: do not change from third to first person • Be direct: The project “Pippo” intends to reach an effective integration of the unemployed and the vulnerable groups, especially women or “Pippo” proposes an effective integration of unemployed and vulnerable groups, especially women
E. HOW TO WRITE: ABSTRACT • Less is best but.... be memorable NOT generic: “The objective in the short summary of the project is indeed clear from the beginning by capturing right away the attention of the assessor” or “This project aims to quantify how people, businesses, and the public sector can use energy and energy services to adapt to the evolving climate risk posed by climate change and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events.
• How to write it? Copy text from the main proposal and then reduce it.
F. HOW TO WRITE: EXCELLENCE • Problem analysis first, objectives definition second, not the other way around • No comparison> no originality • When you describe objectives, do not confuse Objectives w/ results: objectives are expressed by verbs (to Assess) >
Roberto Carpano
TABLE OF CONTENTS A. Training’s expected results B. H2020 selection process: Efficiency, Impact, and Implementation C. The mind-set of the assessors D. How to write a H2020 proposal: general principles E. How to write the Abstract F. How to write: Excellence G. How to write: Impact H. How to write: Implementation
A. TRAINING’S EXPECTED RESULTS 1. Understand the selection criteria process for H2020 proposals
2. Provide operational recommendations to write: Abstract, Efficiency, Impact and Implementation
B. H2020 SELECTION PROCESS: EFFICIENCY, IMPACT AND IMPLEMENTATION • An amazingly competitive programme: 80 Billions Euro in 7 years 2014 – 2020; (11 Billions year) • Which is the most demanding criterion? This is related to the nature of the proponent organization and to the preparation methodology • Assessment methodology: remote + peer review + consensus report (face to-face) (4 days), each proposal is assessed by: 2 assessors, endorsed by the Coordinator. 150 expert for 3,000 proposal • Assessment is ONLY Text based • Hyperlinks have no values • Images in the text> helps to identify and remember the proposal.
C. THE MIND-SET OF THE ASSESSORS - PART 1 • Educational background: University professors (60%+), practitioners, consultants (40%) with general thematic skills
• The assessor’s five-seconds syndrome.... starts from the “Abstract” • Time pressure and stressed> help him/her to grasp immediately the meaning > footnotes reduced to a minimum and at the bottom of the page rather than at the end of the proposal >avoid him/her to go back and for in the document > add names to the acronyms (w/o names, the assessor has to go back and for) >limited use of capital or bold characters, helps the assessor to identify the structure (objectives, results, etc.)
C. THE MIND-SET OF THE ASSESSORS - PART 2 • The assessor follows a communication logic: an incomplete communication pushes the assessor to complete and assess the sentence with his OWN contents or to with a LOW score. Read this sentence: “The specific goals of this comparative phylogeographic study are to: (1) Collect genomic data for co-distributed species using NGS protocols. What is missing? • The assessor follows the table of contents of the AF > follow, follow, follow the table of contents in for your project
• The assessor is confortable with a standard vocabulary: Objectives, Results Outcomes, Output, Activities, Tasks. Avoid new jargon.
D. HOW TO WRITE A PROPOSAL: GENERAL PRINCIPLES • Golden words: HOW a given process takes place. Ex “road maps towards innovation” or “Impact producing a spin-off” • QUANTIFY the proposed activities.
• Avoid only to “state” the n. of projects already implement, rather explain “HOW” the results of project “X” will be use to.... • “Data” is a central issue in the majority of proposals. Focus on: Define the type of data, structure, how data are collected Ownerships, Access by the different categories of stakeholders Management, who is in charge of Protection. Which is the EU and national legislation applied
• One page long sheet w/o space kills an Elephant..... Imagine an assessor under stress...? • Tables are more powerful and readable than texts.
E. HOW TO WRITE: ABSTRACT • Background, Objectives, WPs and Partnership • Avoid jargon such as: “sluggish pace”, epitomize • Avoid references and acronyms in the abstract and Make it simple: The scope of the proposal is.... • Maintain grammatical coherence: do not change from third to first person • Be direct: The project “Pippo” intends to reach an effective integration of the unemployed and the vulnerable groups, especially women or “Pippo” proposes an effective integration of unemployed and vulnerable groups, especially women
E. HOW TO WRITE: ABSTRACT • Less is best but.... be memorable NOT generic: “The objective in the short summary of the project is indeed clear from the beginning by capturing right away the attention of the assessor” or “This project aims to quantify how people, businesses, and the public sector can use energy and energy services to adapt to the evolving climate risk posed by climate change and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events.
• How to write it? Copy text from the main proposal and then reduce it.
F. HOW TO WRITE: EXCELLENCE • Problem analysis first, objectives definition second, not the other way around • No comparison> no originality • When you describe objectives, do not confuse Objectives w/ results: objectives are expressed by verbs (to Assess) >
