Erasmus+, strategic partnerships Lerend netwerk, UHasselt, 16/11/2017
Erasmus+, strategic partnershipsLerend netwerk, UHasselt, 16/11/2017
VITAL project
• Since 1996: Lingua, Leonardo da Vinci, Lifelong Learning Programme, Erasmus+
• European Erasmus+ project (KA2: Strategic Partnerships) Learning Analytics in HE (Oct. 2015-Sept. 2017)
• Implement LA & collect, measure and analyse learning data of students in 4 different types of online language and mathscourses
• Partners:– Hasselt University (BE, promoter)
– University of Amsterdam (NL)
– University of Central Lancashire (UK)
– HT2Labs (UK)
• Grant: EUR 274.840
VITAL project
Aims
measure real uses of online learning resources – test course design hypothesis
map existing learning patterns
identify user profiles and relate learning behaviour to studysuccess
feed back knowledge to students/instructors through learning dashboards
Improvement/innovation of education
Educational research
Concrete outputs/tools
Project application• Writing the proposal• Partner search• Work plan• Budget• Dissemination• Impact and sustainability
Proposal writing
Project idea – check with state of the art, demonstrateexploration of field, former projects in this field?
Supporting documents www.epos-vlaanderen.be
Programme guide priorities & types of actions
Europe 2020 strategies & aims
Finding a good fit between Erasmus+ priorities/EU policy andyour project idea
Award criterion 1 (30 pts): relevance of project
Objectives
Priorities
Needs analysis
Innovative character!
EU-added value
Partner search
Start early!
Your partner network
Your partners’ networks
Previous projects
Internal collaborators: comparable projects in this domain?
Erasmus+ platform project results
National Agency
Internet search external specific expertise or former projects
Award criterion 2 (20 pts): quality of project consortium
Complementary expertise
Each collaborator has important contribution
Academic + corporate
Min. 3 countries, 3 partners, more is better
Work plan & methodology
Prepare detailed work plan – breakdown of tasks into WP, intellectual outputs (IO), activities, milestones
GANTT chart
Show efficient task distribution among different categories of staff/according to expertise
Cat. 1: project manager (but PM only lump sum/month)
Cat. 2: researcher/lecturer
Cat. 3: technical
Cat. 4: administrative (but PM only lump sum/month)
Award criterion 3 (20 pts): quality of project design & implementation
Explain approach Quality control/evaluation WP
Cost effectiveness - correspondence WP/activities and budget
Budget
Staff costs based on activities work plan (per IO)
In nr of days, per staff category
Fixed rates per country group, per category
Project Management & implementation: fixed rate/month
Travel & subsistence: fixed rates/person/travel
Multiplier events: fixed rate/participant
Training events: fixed rate/participant
Exceptional costs: 75% of costs is eligible, prove real costs
Summary in application
Dissemination plan
• Involve all stakeholders – how will you reach each target group (format, contents)
• Examples of activities per target group
• Start of – in the course of – at the end of – after the project
• Who does what
• Evaluation of effectiveness: KPIs– Facts and figures about the project website (updates, visits, views, cross referencing)
– Media coverage: number of specialist press articles, press, reports, press releases, interviews etc.
– Visibility on social networks
– Links with existing transnational networks and partners
– Reaction of end users, other stakeholders, peers and decision-makers e.g. using satisfaction questionnaires
– Number of project-related events: open days, webinars etc.
– Number of event attendees (use attendance sheet as proof of this information)
– Diversity of target audience profiles in the dissemination plan
– Number of publications, etc.
Sustainability & impact
Short-term + long-term impact
During + after project
Extension of project?
Generalisability of findings
Commercialise results?
Award criterion 4 (30 pts): impact & dissemination
Detailed plan
Right from the start of the project
Sustainability
Visibility of funding (EU logo & disclaimer!)
Managing an Erasmus+ project• Role coordinator (PM, methodology, follow-up,
contracts, communication NA, reporting)• Partner meetings• Work packages• Outcomes/sustainability, e.g. VITAL
Project management
Plan sufficient partner meetings
F2F: schedule before reporting period
Use webconferencing to discuss progress & approach
Communicate & discuss work plan & deadlines well in advance
Spread WP responsibilities (developm. WP, PM, Dissem., Eval.)
Dissemination plan: project website asap (budget hosting)
EU logo + disclaimer on each project deliverable
Have partners update list of dissemination activities + type, place, main leader, nr of persons reached, countries
Don’t wait with asking for timesheets until end of project
Partner contracts: payment grant in installments
Contacts with NA
Schedule enough time to write reports
Project website – logo – templates
Summarising tips• Added value for innovation in education
• Demonstrate EU-added value & fit with EU values and thematical priorities
• Detailed plan for dissemination
• Start preparing proposal well in time
• Detailed breakdown of tasks – discuss with partners
• Don’t forget to have Declaration of Honour signed by rector + mandate letters by eachpartner
• Transfer grant in different installments
• Follow up resource use by partners (intermediary timesheets & dissemination lists)
• Evaluation by external partner or at the minimum different phases/aspects of project: WP Quality control, involve end users
• Budget based on intellectual outputs
• Sustainability: – Open source publishing of outputs
– Reuse of expertise and tools
– Follow-up projects
– Networks
Budget