1 - Introduction

The RISE scheme will promote international and inter-sector collaboration through research and innovation staff exchanges, and sharing of knowledge and ideas from research to market (and vice-versa) for the advancement of science and the development of innovation.

The scheme fosters a shared culture of research and innovation that welcomes and rewards creativity and entrepreneurship and helps to turn creative ideas into innovative products, services or processes.

2 - Scope

RISE involves organisations from the academic and non-academic sectors (in particular SMEs), based in Europe (EU Member States and Associated Countries) and outside Europe (third countries). Support is provided for the development of partnerships in the form of joint research and innovation activities between the participants. This is aimed at knowledge sharing via international as well as inter-sectoral mobility, based on two-way secondments of research and innovation staff (exchanges) with an in-built return mechanism. The organisations constituting the partnership contribute directly to the implementation of the joint research and innovation activities by seconding and/or hosting eligible staff members.

The proposed research and innovation activities should exploit complementary competences of the participants, as well as other synergies, and enable networking activities, organisation of workshops and conferences to facilitate sharing of knowledge, new skills acquisition and career development for research and innovation staff members.

Activities can focus either on one dimension of mobility (intersectoral / international), or include a combination of both.

Exchanges can be for both early-stage and experienced researchers' levels and can also include administrative, managerial and technical staff supporting the research and innovation activities of the proposal. Support for the exchanges between institutions in the EU Member States and Associated Countries covers only inter-sectoral secondments. Exchanges with institutions from third countries can be inter-sectoral secondments as well as secondments within the same sector. No secondments between institutions located in third countries or within the same EU Member State or Associated Country can be supported.

3 - Eligibility

Participants in the Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) shall be established in at least three different countries of which at least two must be EU Member States or Associated Countries. If all participants are from the same sector (either only academic or only non-academic), at least one participant must be from a third country. Above this minimum, the participation of institutions from any country or organisation is possible under

the conditions provided by the Horizon 2020 Rules for Participation.

Researchers may be of any nationality. Researchers receive support on the condition that they move from one country to another to broaden or deepen their competences. Staff members in RISE are researchers (ESR and ER), administrative, managerial and technical staff supporting the research and innovation activities of the project. They shall be actively engaged in or linked to research and/or innovation activities for at least six months (full-time equivalent) at the sending institution prior to the first period of secondment. Secondments in RISE are not subject to the mobility rules.

4 - Duration

1-12 months

Secondments may be split into several stays not exceeding 12 months in total and not going beyond the project duration. The splits must be justified and considered beneficial for the transfer of knowledge activities. The exchanged staff members should be guaranteed full reintegration into the sending institution thus maximising the impact of the action for knowledge sharing and long-term collaboration.

5 - Budget

The total call budget is EUR 80,000,000.00. The overall European Union contribution for RISE is limited to the secondment of a maximum 540 person-months.

The financial contribution to a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange project is calculated on the basis of a unit cost. A unit cost is a fixed amount per person-month of secondment. The EU contribution is calculated by multiplying the unit cost by the number of completed secondment-months.

The financial support is composed of a staff member unit cost of 2,000 EUR per month, plus an institutional unit cost of 2,500 EUR per secondment month. The institutional unit cost is split into research, training and networking costs of 1,800 EUR per month of secondment and management and indirect costs of 700 EUR per month.

The Staff member unit cost is a top-up allowance and the salary of the seconded staff is not covered by the EU contribution.

6 - Deadline

* VHIR deadline is 20/04/2015

* The official deadline is 28/04/2015

7 - More information

More information can be found at LINK