Writing an ITN proposal

Jarmo HämäläinenDepartment of Psychology

University of Jyväskylä

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks – from application to grant

Two projects – an overview Application process - from idea to proposal

writing ChildBrain - project

Two MSC European Training Networks1. ChildBrain - Advancing brain research in children’s developmental neurocognitive disorders - 1.3.2015-28.2.2019

• JYU: Paavo Leppänen (PI/ coordinator), Jarmo Hämäläinen, Tiina Parviainen• Aston University, UK: Dr. Caroline Witton, Prof. Joel Talcott• Donders, Radboud University & UMC StRadboud, Netherlands: Ole Jensen, Robert

Oostenveld• KU Leuven, Belgium: Pol Ghesquiere, Jan Wouters, Maaike Vandermosten• University of Münster, Germany: Carsten Wolters• BESA, Germany: Isabella Paul-Yordanov, Benjamin Lanfer• Elekta Oy, Finland (MEG): Lauri Parkkonen• Icometrix, Belgium: Dirk Smeets• Six partner organisations: Research Center Sophia Antipolis, France (Maureen Clerc), King’s

College London (Marco Catani), Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest (Valeria Csepe), Niilo Mäki Institute, FI, (Juha-Matti Latvala), Tobii Technology, Sweden (Ricardo Matos)

European training network Funding for 15 doctoral students, of these 3 to JYU Total budget: 3,838,339 €, for JYU: 807,436.08 € + management 270 – 290 000 €

Two MSC European Training Networks2. Predictable - Understanding and predicting developmental language abilities and disorders in multilingual Europe

• PI/coordinator: University of Potsdam, Germany, Barbara Höhle• University of Jyväskylä, PI/ Work Package leader: Paavo Leppänen, WP leader: Jarmo Hämäläinen• University of Paris Descartes, France, Thierry Nazzi• University of Pompeu Fabra, Spain, Nuria Sebastian-Gallés• NIRx Medizintechnik GmbH, Germany, Christoph Schmitz

• Nine (9) partner organisations

European training network• Funding for 15 doctoral students, of these 3 to JYU• Similar funding as in ChildBrain, for JYU ca. 807 000 €

Applying for EU project – the first round of Marie Curie ITN project proposal

• ITN project idea for FP7, meeting with a key partner, Leuven – Dec 2011

• Month 1: Developing the idea – meeting in Leuven, May 2012• Month 2: Further planning: refining idea and planning timetable,

selecting partners – June 2012 • Month 3: Contacting partners – July – August 2012• Month 5: A pre-symposium meeting in Helsinki with JKL-group and a

key partner – Sept 2012• Month 6: A common meeting with all partners in Leuven to outline

the proposal work – October 2012• Month 6-7: Writing of the proposal – several Skype meetings – Oct –

Nov 2012• Proposal submission - 22 November 2012

A revised 2. submission of ChildBrain ITN project proposal at Spring 2014

• News about rejection of our proposal – March 2013 decision by almost all partners to submit again

• Month 1: Info about H2020 call opening in December – contacting partners, having a Skype meeting, Nov-Dec 2013

• Month 2: Participating in JYU Impact clinic – Nov-Dec 2013 • Month 3: A small pre-proposal meeting in Leuven – 13 January 2014• Change of one of the partners, a new company and partner

organizations • Month 4: Common meeting in Leuven to outline the resubmission

proposal work – 10-11 February 2014• Month 4-5: Writing of the proposal – several Skype meetings: Feb –

March 2014• Proposal submission - 8 April 2014

Grant agreement preparation

• Sept 2014 information on receiving the grant• Sept 2014 Ethics screening by EU• Nov 2014 Ethics assessment by EU• Dec 2014 Reply to ethics issues• Feb 2015 Final Grant Agreement signed

Tips for writing ITN proposal• Why is this particular training needed?

– ChildBrain: Diagnosis and remediation of neurocognitive disorders of infants/children lags behind that of adults

– need for high level experts who understand brain and cognitive development, brain research methods and brain anatomy

• Companies should have a significant role– Allocate ESRs– Secondments– Teaching– Tight link to the research plan

• Specify the role of Partner Organizations• Emphasize the mobility between academy and private sector as well as

between academic disciplines– Should be apparent for example in the secondment plan and ESR supervisor

selection

Tips for writing ITN proposal

• Distribution of knowledge outside the project (at all levels during the project, after the project, research outcomes, training material, commercial or open-source products…)

• Show concretely how the different Work Packages create a larger structure

ChildBrain – 8 training events (ca. 2/year)

For the next ITN proposal we would…

• Think more carefully the Deliverables– Everything you put here is a reportable item in the

web-portal• Spend a few more hours on the Ethics when

writing the proposal– Specify everything possible to reduce work load

during the ethics screening and assessment phases

ChildBrain thanks you for your attention!