Best practices explored at COFUND Beneficiaries Day 2018

The MSCA-COFUND Beneficiaries' Day took place on 6th June 2018. This information session was organised for coordinators in charge of H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions projects funded in the 2017 COFUND Cal. It was also open to representatives from National Contact Points. The objective of this meeting was to discuss the requirements of the COFUND Grant Agreement, as well as best practices for successful project implementation. 

The Project Coordinators of all 20 projects of the 2017 COFUND Call attended the meeting, giving them the opportunity to discuss all aspects of their Grant Agreements with REA and Commission representatives, as well as to engage in professional networking with other COFUND beneficiaries. The event was highly appreciated by all participants.

Klaus Haupt, Head of Unit in REA and Julie Sainz, Policy Officer in Unit in DG EAC, made the opening remarks on the importance of the MSCA COFUND programme.

Presentation topics covered the practicalities of reporting, financial issues, amendments, audit ethics, communication, IPR and best practices. The different sessions generated many questions and open discussions, particularly on the eligibility of costs, open access requirements and conditions for employment of researchers.

The COFUND 2017 participants benefited from the experience of a project coordinator who had already successfully managed one COFUND FP7 and one H2020 project - Aïda Díaz from the Agency for Management of Universities and Research Grants in Catalonia, Spain. During her dynamic presentation, Ms Díaz shared her experiences and best practices with the new coordinators of COFUND 2017. She also gave tips on the potential challenges coordinators might face during their project’s lifetime, such as timely management of the calls and reporting.

COFUND is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action that provides additional resources for funding programmes, allowing more researchers to benefit from mobility fellowships for doctoral candidates and post-doctoral researchers.