PES Annual Framework grant 2019 University of South-Eastern Norway

The University of South-Eastern Norway has had a coordinated and startegic focus on ECs Research framework programs, partciularly Horizon 2020. Consistent efforts in USN since the start of Horizon 2020 has lead to a number of successful Research and innovation Projects. In 2018, USN were awarded their first Horizon 2020 coordinator Project in MSCA RISE. Funded partner projects incluced a MSCA ITN Project as well as RIA and IA Projects under Horizon 2020 FCH JU and Horizon 2020 ECSEL, a COST action and a Eurostars Project. EU ambition has increased at all levels in the organisation as a result of recent success and this ambition should be harnessed to increase the participation in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. More and more researchers are familiar with and have practical experience applying for EU funding and our research administration has the competence to support both in preaward matters and now also in post award with a new EU project administrator appointed in 2019. Excellence all along the funding and implementaion process from cradle to grave and a seamless system will ensure that USNs success leads to further success. As a University, our ambition to participate in new arenas such as the European Research Council, is now a focus and we wish to implement a system to increase our potential here and also to attract top research talent through MSCA to our most prominent research groups within USN, a number of who are associated with SFIs and FMEs. USNs profile and strategy is to be internationally competitive and actively involved in the region. In 2018 several of our EU funded Projects contained both industrial and public partners from the region. USN is in a phase of rapid development from a research and innovation funding perspective and PES funds are a critical aid to help USN in its pursuit of research excellence in both the fundamental and applied perspectives.