In a new report published by the EC, the importance of working together between funding opportunities in the field of higher education is highlighted.
The Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) has published a report, which investigates possible synergies and complementarities between actions targeting the higher education sector under Horizon Europe, in particular, Erasmus+ and the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). The EU’s multiannual financial framework and programming period (2021-2027) is designed to offer opportunities for synergies between funding programmes, built on the experience of projects funded under Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020. This approach follows the European Commission’s (EC) efforts to maximise the impact of funding and encourage complementarities.
The report highlights common features between MSCA and Erasmus+. Under the MSCA around 70 percent of beneficiaries are higher education institutions (HEIs) and as a result have access to other EU funding sources, which target the higher education sector. The problem is that many institutions or staff members are not aware of the combined opportunities available under Erasmus+ and MSCA. Both programmes offer opportunities for mobility, training and career development. Concretely, they fund the development of new study and research programmes and contribute to the establishment of joint projects. Furthermore, the programmes foster cooperation between HEIs. Some important actions in terms of synergies between higher education, research and innovations are MSCA Doctoral Networks, MSCA COFUND, Erasmus+ Mobility for Higher Education Students and Staff, and Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degrees.
One of the main points the EC report focuses on are the Erasmus+ Mobility Projects for Higher Education Students and Staff. These projects fund the mobility of students and staff, within Europe and beyond. Participants of Erasmus+ could simultaneously participate in the work of MSCA research teams through a traineeship mobility. MSCA researchers can participate in Erasmus+ funded blended intensive programmes as fellow learners or teachers, to present, explain and share their methodology and results. Institutions involved in mobility projects with third countries can make use of existing networks to set up collaborative research and innovation exchange projects under MSCA Staff Exchanges, which funds the short-term mobility (1-12 months). Erasmus+ allows HEIs located in the same country, to form mobility consortia focused on doctoral candidates and post-doctoral researches, and to provide them with short or long-term mobility opportunities, in complement to MSCA.
Another project highlighted in the report is the European Universities Initiative, which combines universities in a transnational comprehensive alliance aimed to promote European values, identity, and strengthen the quality and competitiveness of European higher education. Partners from all types of HEIs are part of the alliance and are based on ambitious long-term strategies to bring together the four missions of universities: education, research, innovation and service to society. It offers student-centred curricula jointly delivered across European inter-university campuses to adopt a challenge-based approach, according to which students and staff can cooperate in interdisciplinary teams to tackle global challenges. In this context, the alliances could develop doctoral and postdoctoral programmes, under MSCA doctoral networks and COFUND, as well as collaborative projects under MSCA staff exchanges.
The report highlighted the importance to make use of existing synergies and complementarities of MSCA and Erasmus+. If the benefits of both programmes are used in the shown ways, the best possible outcome can be generated, which brings advantages for students, institutions and Europe overall.