Staff Exchanges (SE)
Promotion of knowledge transfer through staff exchanges.
Adobe Stock / methaphum
Promotion of knowledge transfer through staff exchanges.
Adobe Stock / methaphum
Staff Exchanges supports joint research and innovation projects of European and Third Country institutions from the academic and non-academic sector with the objective to strengthen partnerships and promote knowledge transfer. This is implemented by secondments, i.e. the exchange of researchers as well as technicians, administrative and management staff supporting R&I activities under the action. Staff Exchanges shall thus help to transform creative ideas into innovative projects and to provide the participants with supplementary skills.
Consortia must be composed of at least three independent participants from three different countries, at least two of these countries being Member States or Associated Countries. Once this minimum requirement has been fulfilled, additional organisations from Member States, Associated Countries or Third Countries may participate. If all participating institutions belong to the same sector (i.e. either only academic or only non-academic), one of the participating institutions must be from a Third Country.
Support for the exchange of personnel between institutions from EU Member States and / or Associated Countries covers intersectoral secondments only, except for interdisciplinary secondments, which must be limited to a maximum of one third of the total months spent under the action. Exchanges between institutions established in Member States or Associated Countries and Third Countries can be both intersectoral and within the same sector. Secondments between institutions located in Third Countries or within the same EU Member State or Associated Country will not be supported.
Both doctoral candidates and Postdocs are eligible for staff exchanges, as are administrative, managerial and technical staff directly involved in the research and innovation activities as described in the proposal. At the date of the first period of secondment, the seconded staff must have been actively and continuously engaged in – or linked to – research and / or innovation activities at the sending institution for at least one month (full-time equivalent).
The seconded staff member shall be devoted full-time to the project during the secondment period. The sum of the period of secondment for the same staff member may be between one and twelve months and should be followed by a reintegration phase to maximise the impact of the action
The mobility rule does not apply.
The duration of the project is limited to 48 months.
The secondment of a staff member may be split into several shorter stays, but is limited to the maximum duration of twelve months and must not exceed the duration of the project.
Funding is awarded in unit costs contributions covering additional personnel costs related to the secondments as well as support for the institutions with regard to project costs, management and indirect costs.
The financial support may not exceed 360 person months.
Project proposals for the Staff Exchanges scheme are submitted by a consortium of organisations, with one of the organisations acting as coordinator.