General introduction and approach for 2013

The People work programme 2013 will be designed to support the implementation of the Europe 2020 Flagship Initiatives 'Innovation Union', 'Youth On the Move' and 'An Agenda for new skills and jobs', and in particular to bring education, research and innovation closer to each other to attract, train and retain in Europe the next generation of researchers who will be able to address major societal challenges.
The work programme 2013 will ensure continuity with the work programme 2012, alignment with the new strategic approach, fully supportive of the ERA-initiatives related to researchers as proposed by the Commission in 20081, and a bridge to Horizon 2020.
The work programme will seek to make Europe more attractive for researchers, to further enhance doctoral training in line with the EU Principles on Innovative Doctoral Training, and to establish a balanced "brain circulation" within the EU as well as with third countries.

In this context the following specificities of the programme will be strengthened:

• Quality of doctoral training

European Industrial Doctorates and Innovative Doctoral Programmes continue under the Initial training of researchers activity with the objective to stimulate entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation in Europe. This is achieved in particular by involving businesses in doctoral training so that skills of researchers better match public and private sector needs.

• Involvement of industry, including SMEs

Inter-sector mobility of researchers continues to be a priority. This issue is particularly addressed through the IAPP and ITN actions. Intersectoral co-operation is further reinforced in the work programme by clarifying the rules of the IAPP action and by involving industry in the training of doctoral candidates through the support of European Industrial Doctorates. Strong participation of SMEs is actively encouraged.

• Attractive employment conditions and gender balance in research careers

Marie Curie Actions continue to promote gender balance and act as trend setters by offering attractive working and employment conditions as well as competitive salaries to researchers, in particular through a system of adequate family and mobility allowances. The systematic reference to the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for their Recruitment2 ('Charter & Code') in the evaluation criteria will support the implementation of
the Innovation Union (IU).

• Leveraging national policies and programmes

The objective of increasing impact through actions involving Member States and Associated Countries research organisations, as stated in the Innovation Union, is addressed by the COFUND instrument. The potential of this action to generate additionality, both through numerical impact, measured by the number of new fellowship programmes created at national level as a result of COFUND, as well as through its structuring effect in terms of implementation of the 'Charter & Code', is well recognised.

• Knowledge sharing, dissemination and open access

The communication of publicly funded research is a key issue for the dissemination of knowledge and for the public understanding of science and the role it plays in the lives of the European citizens and as a vehicle to achieve innovation.

This is why it is proposed that beneficiaries funded partially or entirely by the IEF, IIF, IOF and CIG Actions are encouraged to deposit peer-reviewed articles resulting from projects in an institutional or subject-based repository, and to make their best efforts to ensure open access to these articles within six months after their publication.
To further enhance dissemination, proposers in most of the Marie Curie Actions are also required to plan suitable outreach activities in each proposal. This plan is assessed during the evaluation process and also during the project follow-up. In this context, the alumni services will provide possibilities for the organisation of joint events and the involvement of the fellows in outreach activities as ambassadors for Marie Curie Actions and the ERA.

• International cooperation

Most Marie Curie Actions are open to researchers from all nationalities and to participation by legal entities from third countries, which fully contribute to the Innovation Union objectives.

• EURAXESS activities

New initiatives are launched to support the rapid implementation of the IU 'commitments' related to the removal of obstacles to mobility and cross-border co-operation. The 'Charter & Code' is a key instrument towards this aim. It provides a reference framework for the roles, rights and responsibilities of researchers, their employers and funders. Continued support for policy implementation will be provided by the EURAXESS-Researchers in Motion initiative.

This will include activities to raise awareness of issues related to social security, taxation, visa and residency which will be carried out under EURAXESS Rights, with the active support by the EURAXESS Services Network. EURAXESS Rights will also be further developed to increase the impact of the 'Institutional Human Resources Strategy', and to help institutions prepare for their successful participation in the accreditation mechanism for HR Excellence in Research that will be supported under the Support for the Coherent Development of Research Policies work programme 2013 and under Horizon 2020. EURAXESS will also contribute to the continued dialogue with the researcher community, for example concerning the Commission initiatives towards a 'European Framework for Research Careers' and principles for innovative doctoral training.
Through its Services Network EURAXESS will continue to provide practical support for the transnational and international mobility of researchers. In collaboration with EURAXESS Links the EURAXESS Services Network will facilitate contacts with the researchers' diaspora abroad.

Particular efforts will be geared towards increasing the number of jobs and funding opportunities (including calls for fellowships at national and regional level) published on the EURAXESS (Jobs) Portal. New activities will be geared towards the technical realisation of the EURAXESS Data and Information Infrastructure (the so-called "Researchers' Card", a large-scale registration and information system for both mobile and non-mobile researchers),
building on the preparatory work that has been carried out under previous work programmes. This tool will provide easy information access and networking opportunities to researchers while at the same time facilitating the gathering of data and evidence on researchers in support of future ERA policy development.

Source: Orientation paper FP7 People - working document; p. 4-6