V4 Training – recruitment for the next edition (spring 2023) has started again!

The call for participants for the next edition of the “V4 Training for Research Project Managers” has started again! We invite to Brussels (March 29, 30 and 31) research managers working in project departments of universities, scientific and research institutes responsible for acquisition, management and reporting. Applications are accepted until January 29, 2023!

‘V4 Training for Research Project Managers’ – summary of the Autumn 2022 edition

‘V4 Training for Research Project Managers’ is the flagship training course of the Polish Science Contact Agency. Its aim is to support and develop managers of European research projects (primarily Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe) working at universities, scientific and research institutes in departments responsible for acquisition, management and reporting. These trainings have been co-organised since 2016 together with the Czech Liaison Office for Research, Development and Innovation (CZELO), the National Research, Development and Innovation Office in Hungary (NRDIO) and the Slovak Liaison Office for Research and Development (SLORD). The current training was the 12th edition. So far, more than 420 people have received the training, including 80 participants from Polish research units!

How to involve stakeholders in the climate-related R&I projects?

Being ready to identify and engage different actors to work hand in hand on research projects is the key step to address and tackle grand challenges of the climate change. That is why, on Thursday, September 29, Polish Science Contact Agency PolSCA of the PAS in Brussels organised the information session entitled: How to involve stakeholders in the climate-related R&I projects?

The autumn edition of V4 Training is coming up – again in Brussels!

Already on 12 October, the next edition of the three-day V4 Training will begin, which, after a break of more than two years for the online formula, will again take place stationary in Brussels. Among the 35 participants from each Visegrad Group country and from countries associated in the IGLO (Informal Group of RTD Liaison Offices), we have invited 7 people from Poland.

Online meeting! Polish Academies of Sciences Scientific Centers Abroad: Activities, Plans, Cooperation

The Academy’s scientific centers in Paris, Vienna, Rome, Representative Office of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kyiv, Center for Historical Studies in Berlin, and the Polish Contact Agency PolSCA in Brussels work to disseminate the information about the Science achievements of Polish science abroad. Their main goal is to promote the successes of our researchers, help establish contacts with foreign partners and facilitate academic cooperation.

Summary of the Matchmaking event on cluster 6.

More than 110 participants and 22 presenters from all over the Europe and beyond joined the Matchmaking event on cluster 6 of Horizon Europe on 29^th of June!! The event was a follow-up activity of the #V4Conference2022 on “Benefits and challenges of participation in co-funded partnerships with a thematic focus on Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment”,that took place two weeks earlier. Both the conference and the brokerage were organised by Brussels-based V4 liaison offices.

Start of recruitment for the autumn edition of the “V4 Training for Research Project Managers” in Brussels!

The recruitment of participants for the next edition of the “V4 Training for Research Project Managers”, which will take place on 12, 13 and 14 October 2022, has started! This is a training course aimed at research managers dealing with, among other things, administration and fundraising, and the upcoming edition will be the first opportunity to meet in Brussels after a two-year break. Applications are being accepted until 19 July!

The event is organised by the Polish Science Contact Agency (PolSCA) together with the Czech Liaison Office for Education and Research in Brussels (CZELO), the National Office for Research, Development and Innovation in Hungary (NRDIO) and the Slovak Liaison Office for Research and Development (SLORD).

The training foresees the participation of experienced research managers working in project departments (mainly international: H2020 and Horizon Europe) at universities, scientific and research institutes in departments responsible for acquisition, management and reporting from each Visegrad Group country and associated countries in IGLO (Informal Group of RTD Liaison Offices) with a total of 35 participants. This is an excellent opportunity for knowledge enhancement, contact with European experts and networking. The training is not intended for academics.

To apply, please fill in the form below by 19 July (by the end of the day) and send your CV to polsca@polsca.pan.pl.

PolSCA will invite 7 people to participate in the training and they will be contacted in early August.

Participation in the “V4 Training for Research Project Managers” is free of charge, while travel and accommodation costs are the responsibility of the invited participants.

“V4 Training for Research Project Managers” FORM

Previous editions (examples):

Spring 2021 (online)

Autumn 2019 (onsite, Brussels)

“Solidarity with Ukraine” event – fundraising still going on!

Last Tuesday, 14 June, the “Solidarity with Ukraine” networking and fundraising event took place. It was organized by the Polish Science Contacy Agency together with the National Centre for Research and Development/NCBR Brussels Office | Business & Science Poland and the Polish Institute in Brussels. The collections promoted during the event have not been closed and we still encourage you to support them!

The event gathered over 110 people, including numerous representatives of EU institutions and Polish community in Belgium and was opened by Andrzej Sadoś, Permanent Representative of Poland to the EU and Vsevolod Chentsov, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the European Union and directors of the institutions organizing the meeting: Ewa Kocińska-Lange from NCBR Office in Brussels | Business & Science Poland, Agnieszka Bolecka from the Polish Institute and Dr. Tomasz Poprawka from the Polish Science Contact Agency. Ruta Zarnauskaite from the European Commission, Head of Unit Horizon Europe Association in Directorate General for Research and Innovation, spoke about Ukraine’s association with Horizon Europe.

The part devoted to the support of Ukrainian scientists was opened by Dr. Tomasz Poprawka, who, in announcing the invited guests, stressed: “I am more than sure that the testimonials of our invited guests will inspire you and encourage to do what you can do best at your individual level, but also with your institutions, constituencies or stakeholders that you represent or work along with.“

Then the floor was taken by:
Yevgeniia Polishchuk from Kyiv National Economic University, who also serves as Vice-head of the Young Scientists Council at the Ministry of Education and Science in Ukraine, and
Dr. Maciej Maryl, coordinator in the “Science for Ukraine” initiative and founder and head of the Center for Digital Humanities at the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Afterwards, Ukrainian culture and art was presented by soprano Olga Artemenko and the Karski Quartet, following a speech by Mariana Kril from the Ukrainian Section of the Polish Radio. The walls of the venue were decorated with collages by Ivan and Vasyl Kostenko, the Braty graphic design studio. The Belgian RTL television prepared a reportage on this part of the program:

Guerre en Ukraine: rencontre avec des artistes tentant d’exercer leur métier (rtl.be)

Solidarity with Ukraine also aimed to highlight the fundraising activities of initiatives supporting Ukraine. The Help Centre Belgium collected almost €1,300 in an electronic collection during the event, you can still contribute to the Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation Programme of the Foundation for Polish Science and the Cultural Heritage Foundation which collects funds for the Polish Support Center for Culture in Ukraine operating within the framework of the National Heritage Institute.

To support the Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation Program of the Foundation for Polish Science we encourage you to visit a specially prepared page of the fundraising campaign, through which you can support the program by PayPal/payment cards, online and traditional bank transfers and standing order: https://pomocukrainie.fnp.org.pl/.

To support the Polish Support Center for Culture in Ukraine of the National Heritage Institute we encourage you to make direct donations to the account of the foundation cooperating directly with the Centre (for more information: Polish Institute Brussels:
CULTURAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION
UL. SOLEC 30A/37, 00-403 WARSAW PL37 1050 1025 1000 0090 8054 3649
SWIFT: INGBPLPW, ING Bank Śląski

Photos: NCBR

SUMMARY OF THE EVENT: Benefits and challenges of participation in co-funded partnerships with a thematic focus on co-funded partnerships under Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

The National Research, Development and Innovation Office of Hungary (NRDIO) together with the Czech Liaison Office for Education & Research (CZELO), the Polish Science Contact Agency of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PolSCA) and the Slovak Liaison Office for Research and Development (SLORD) organised a conference about the benefits and challenges of co-funded partnerships on 13 June 2022 at the premises of the Hungarian Permanent Representation. The well-attended event was also available for online participants.

After the welcoming remarks of the Deputy Permanent Representative, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Hungary to the EU, His Excellency Gábor Baranyai, the key-note presentation of Maria Leek from the European Commission not only focused on the recently published biannual monitoring report of partnerships but also on the future of the strategic planning process. The policy panel has addressed topics like the added value of participation in partnerships, the difficulties of prioritization, the necessity of synergies, commitment and mirror groups for partnerships on the national level. Ms. Leek reported about the launch of Mutual Learning Exercises in order to help sharing good practices and to find joint solutions for such challenges like the exit strategies of partnerships. The Polish perspective was presented in this panel by Ewa Kocińska-Lange, Director of the Brussels Office of the National Centre for Research and Development – Business & Science Poland.

As a second key-note, Margareta Olson (European Commission) has presented in the scientific panel the strategic research and innovation agenda (SRIA) setting process. The four scientists from the V4 countries have not only presented their scientific achievements linked to partnerships but also highlighted the importance of support staff when understanding and applying for partnership-related calls, the necessity of personal commitment, coordination skills and the need for scientists, who are able and ready to deal with policy documents. Poland was here represented by Joanna Przedrzymirska-Ziółkowska, Deputy Director for Organization and Development from the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Sopot.

In his final remarks, Barna Kovács, Secretary General of the BIOEAST initiative also highlighted the need for support structures and the possible role of BIOEAST working groups in the preparation of partnership SRIAs and national participation.

Link to the video recording of the conference.

Networking and fundraising event “Solidarity with Ukraine” on June 14th in Brussels

Polish Science Contact Agency PolSCA together with the NCBR Office in Brussels | Business & Science Poland and the Polish Institute in Brussels would like to invite you to the networking and fundraising event “Solidarity with Ukraine”, which will be held on Tuesday, June 14 at 17h45 in the atrium of NCBR office in Brussels, at Rue Belliard 40.

The purpose of this event is to present the Ukrainian R&I landscape as well as the potential of Ukrainian scientists to the international community in Brussels and to facilitate networking among experts in the field of research and innovation. It is also a unique opportunity to talk about the cultural heritage, to enjoy Ukrainian art and music and most of all, to raise funds for the current needs of Ukrainian society.

There will be a chance to directly support the activities carried out by the Help Centre Belgium, an NGO that since the beginning of the conflict provides material support for the Ukraine or to donate funds to:

• the recently established Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation Program, launched by the Foundation for Polish Science, which will finance projects in the social sciences and humanities, conducted jointly by scientists from Ukraine and Poland
• and to the Polish Support Center for Culture in Ukraine, established by the National Heritage Institute, to coordinate both domestic and foreign initiatives to save the cultural heritage in Ukraine.

Invited guests only.