Scope:

This topic will provide support to universities, and other research performers, to establish or strengthen science shops throughout Europe, and beyond. Science shops will serve to demonstrate how students and researchers can assist communities tackle real life problems or explore opportunities for sustainable futures. In most cases, research questions will be derived by community partners.The Science Shops will provide an inclusive and safe space for participatory dialogue, citizen science and co-creation with a variety of actors including civil society, public authorities, SME, designers and innovators. This topic will also create opportunities for twinning, whereby well-established science shops provide guidance to universities keen on setting up new science shops. It will allow for joint visits, mutual learning, and the exchange of students and trainers, as well as summer schools. It it will compile an exhaustive database of case studies demonstrating the usefulness of the approach in multiple contexts, as well as their alignment with the RRI dimensions. Furthermore it will conduct a comparative assessment of science shops and assess the impacts they have had on their communities, and on the quality of teaching and research within the organisation. This topic shall seek to establish linkages with relevant international initiatives (e.g.: UNESCO Community-based research, Civic Universities, etc.). Particular attention will be placed on gender balance and the integration of gender in research. This topic shall benefit from the inclusion of SSH experts, and will support community processes favouring sustainable solutions.

In line with the strategy for EU international cooperation in research and innovation (COM(2012) 497), international cooperation is encouraged.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of the order of EUR 3 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

This action allows for the provision of financial support to third parties in line with the conditions set out in Part K of the General Annexes.

Expected Impact:

The research will promote the growth and capacity building of science shops for socially responsible community-based research and citizen science. It will provide means through which students, researchers and teaching staff may transfer their knowledge and skills for the benefit of their community, while at the same time ensuring their learning, teaching and research activities benefit from real-life cases and interactions. At the same time it will connect with relevant international initiatives so as to ensure mutual learning across borders.

Topic conditions and documents

Please read carefully all provisions below before the preparation of your application.

1. List of countries and applicable rules for funding: described in part A of the General Annexes of the General Work Programme.
   Note also that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon 2020 projects (follow the links to China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Taiwan).
    
2. Eligibility and admissibility conditions: described in part B and C of the General Annexes of the General Work Programme [, with the following exceptions]:
   
   Proposal page limits and layout: Please refer to Part B of the standard proposal template.
    
3. Evaluation
   
   3.1  Evaluation criteria and procedure, scoring and threshold: described in part H of the General Annexes of the General Work Programme [, with the following exceptions]:
   
   3.2 Submission and evaluation process: Guide to the submission and evaluation process
         
4. Indicative timetable for evaluation and grant agreement:
   
   Information on the outcome of single-stage evaluation: maximum 5 months from the deadline for submission.
   Signature of grant agreements: maximum 8 months from the deadline for submission.
    
5. Provisions, proposal templates and evaluation forms for the type(s) of action(s) under this topic:
   Research and Innovation Action:
   
   Specific provisions and funding rates
   Standard proposal template
   Standard evaluation form
   H2020 General MGA -Multi-Beneficiary
   Annotated Grant Agreement
    
6. Additional provisions:
   
   Horizon 2020 budget flexibility
   
   Classified information
   
   Technology readiness levels (TRL) – where a topic description refers to TRL, these definitions apply.
   
   Financial support to Third Parties – where a topic description foresees financial support to Third Parties, these provisions apply.
   
    
7. Open access must be granted to all scientific publications resulting from Horizon 2020 actions, and proposals must refer to measures envisaged. Where relevant, proposals should also provide information on how the participants will manage the research data generated and/or collected during the project, such as details on what types of data the project will generate, whether and how this data will be exploited or made accessible for verification and re-use, and how it will be curated and preserved.

This topic participates per default in the open access to research data pilot which aims to improve and maximise access to and re-use of research data generated by projects:
• The pilot applies to the data needed to validate the results presented in scientific publications. Additionally, projects can choose to make other data available for open access and need to describe their approach in a Data Management Plan (to be provided within six months after the project start).
• Note that the evaluation phase proposals will not be evaluated more favourably because they are part of the Pilot, and will not be penalised for opting out of the Pilot.
• Projects can at any stage opt-out of the pilot.

The legal requirements for projects participating in this pilot are in the article 29.3 of the Model Grant Agreement.
Further information on the Open Research Data Pilot is made available in the H2020 Online Manual.

8. Additional documents:

H2020 Work Programme 2016-17: Science with and for society

H2020 Work Programme 2016-17: Dissemination, Exploitation and Evaluation

H2020 Work Programme 2016-17: General Annexes