Erika Sela from INNOVATEC gave a presentation on her experience participating in EU framework programmes and providing advice to Jordanian researchers. She discussed INNOVATEC's work coordinating and partnering on EU-funded health projects. She described two projects she coordinated, including developing new methodologies to monitor health interventions. She outlined funding options for Jordanian health groups in H2020 and suggested networking with European researchers, making research visible, and using platforms like CORDIS to find partners. She emphasized that international collaboration is growing to address global challenges and encouraged pursuing bilateral and regional cooperation opportunities.

1. ERIKA SELA
INNOVATEC (SPAIN)
SRTD II and EU-Jordan Net II Workshop, Amman (Jordan), 23-24 March 2015

2. • A short introduction of myself and my work in the
Spanish company INNOVATEC
• My experience in participating in framework programmes
(FP7 & H2020), and some ideas on international
cooperation activities.
• Advises and ideas to help Jordanian researchers to
enhance and strengthen their cooperation with European
counterparts, based on my experience and know-how of
European programmes and international R&D
collaboration.

3. INNOVATEC is an independent Spanish firm, established in 1999,
specialized in science, technology and innovation. We provide
qualified and tailor-made consultancy services in the field of Research,
Development & Innovation to public authorities, companies and
research organizations. Our main areas of work are:
Coordination and partnering in EU funded projects (Public health
research, R&D policy, RRI, Research impact,..).
Developing and implementing Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)
methodologies and tools for R&D and innovation (policies, programmes
and projects).
Support Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS3) plans.
Promoting Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in
research institutions.
Dissemination plans and stakeholder analysis for research actions.

4. EXPERIENCE IN EUROPEAN PROJECTS
AS COORDINATORS
 H2020: RegHealth-RI: The European Regions Network for Health Research & Innovation.
(Nov 2014-Oct 2017). http://www.rhing-net.eu/reghealth-ri/
 FP7: EVAL-HEALTH: Developing and Testing of New Methodologies to Monitor and
Evaluate Health Related EU-Funded Interventions in Cooperation Partner Countries.
Jan 2013 - Oct 2014. www.eval-health.eu
 FP7. EUROECOTOX: European Network for Alternative Testing Strategies in
Ecotoxicology. Dec 2010 -Nov 2012 ZF Biolabs.
https://sites.google.com/a/euroecotox.eu/networkeuroecotox/HOME
AS PARTNERS
 H2020: COLUMBUS: Monitoring, Managing and Transferring Marine and Maritime
Knowledge for Sustainable Blue Growth. Mar 2015-Feb 2018.
 H2020: HEIRRI: Higher education institutions and responsible research and Innovation.
Under grant agreement negotiation.
 FP7 EU-LAC Health: Defining a Roadmap for Cooperative Health Research between the
EU and Latin America-Caribbean countries: a Policy Oriented Approach. Oct 2011-Sept
2016. www.eulachealth.eu

5. DEVELOPING AND TESTING OF NEW METHODOLOGIES TO
MONITOR AND EVALUATE HEALTH RELATED EU-FUNDED
INTERVENTIONS IN COOPERATION PARTNER COUNTRIES
COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT. Specific International Cooperation Action
funded by the 7TH
FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION.
INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH
EVAL-HEALTH PROJECT

6. • ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE OF EVIDENCES IN HEALTH POLICY
DEVELOPMENT IN LOW AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES: The aim of
this research is to identify and analyze the role of different types of
evidences in health policy in two countries (India and Nigeria), including
research results.
• DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF A NEW METHODOLOGY TO
MONITOR AND EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF RESEARCH PROJECTS:
The main goal of this research is to develop and validate a new methodology
to support the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the
European Commission in their task to monitor and assess the impact of
research projects that have been funded in the area of International Public
Health.
EVAL-HEALTH RESEARCH COMPONENTS

7. EVAL-HEALTH PROJECT PARTNERS:
1.INNOVATEC (Spain) Coordinator
2.African Union New Partnership
for Africa’s Development (South
Africa)
3.University of Leeds (UK)
4.Royal Tropical Institute
(Netherlands)
5.Institute for Health and Tropical
Medicine (Portugal)
6.Mahidol University (Thailand)
7.Association for Stimulating
Know-How (India)
8.University of Nigeria, Enugu
Campus (Nigeria)
9.Rosario University (Colombia)www.eval-health.eu

8. EVAL-HEALTH IN NUMBERS
Duration: 46 months
Nº of researchers: 24-30 - PM effort: 349
Nº face to face project meetings: 8
Nº dissemination activities: 17
Meetings with the EC: 6
Peer review publications: 1 and 4-6 (under preparation)
Policy Briefs: 8
Periodic reports (technical and financial): 3 + final report
Total project cost: 3,48 Mill EUR - Total EU contribution: 2,
86 Mill EUR

9. EU-LAC HEALTH: Defining a Roadmap for cooperative health
research between the EU and Latin America-Caribbean countries: a
policy-oriented approach (www.eulachealth.eu)
 Explore, with policy-makers and other stakeholders, how to best coordinate
health research policies and funding between EU and LAC.
 Establish a consensus Roadmap for cooperative health research for
collaboration between the EU and LAC regions.
 Promote the creation of a Coordinating Body to develop the Roadmap.
 Disseminate the project results to relevant stakeholders to increase and
improve EU-LAC cooperation in health research.

11. INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION IN H2020
HORIZON 2020 is open to legal entities from across the world
JORDAN is one of the countries automatically eligible for
funding in H2020.
In addition to this general openness of most Horizon 2020 calls
to non-EU researchers, many calls particularly encourage
cooperation with non-EU partners. In the H2020 Work
programme 2014-2015, there are a total of 13 topics which
encourage cooperation (or even include it as an eligibility
criteria) with the SOUTHERN MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES
(Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Israel, JORDAN, Lebanon, Libya,
Palestine, Tunisia and Syria). None of these topics is from the
area of Health.(S. Challenge 1).

12. FUNDING OPTIONS FOR
HEALTH RESEARCH GROUPS
 BASIC RESEARCH: Career development grants in Europe
 European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Marie Sklodowska
Curie Action (MSCA).
 BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH & INNOVATION : H2020
CALLS Societal Challenge 1: Health, demographic change and
wellbeing
 Work programme 2014-2015: last calls for 2015 health close next 21 April
 Work programme 2016-2017, to be adopted in the third quarter 2015.
 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff
Exchange (RISE): short-term mobility (secondment = exchanges) of
research and innovation staff at all career levels, including post-
docs, administrative and technical staff. Deadline Date28-04-2015
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/
topics/9079-msca-rise-2015.html

13. BENEFITS FROM PARTICIPATING IN EU
COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS

15. SOME DATA FROM PREVIOUS FRAMEWORK
PROGRAMMES – funded health projects with
Jordan partners
FP 7 (2007-2013) HEALTH PROGRAMME. AREA 3.4 International
public health & health systems
• RESCAP-MED - NCDs and their social determinants in Mediterranean partner
countries: building sustainable research capacity for effective policy intervention.
Jordan partner: JORDAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
FP6 (2002-2006) Support to International Cooperation (INCO) B.3
HEALTH
•BEDOUIN HEALTH - Improving access to and quality of reproductive and child health
care to marginal peoples:Bedouin in Jordan and Syria. Partner: Philadelphia University
•MEDGENET - Euro-Mediterranean Network for Genetic Services. Partner: National
Center For Diabetes, Endocrine And Genetic Diseases
•LEISH-MED - Monitoring risk factors of spreading of leishmaniasis around the
Mediterranean basin. Partner: Dept. Biological Sciences, Yarmouk University

16. OPTIONS FOR JORDAN HEALTH RESEARCH GROUPS
TO PARTICIPATE IN H2020 CALLS -1
READ THOROUGHLY the Biannual work programme for
Societal challenge 1 and look for topic(s) in which your
research work and expertise fits. If topics are found:
1. Try to find someone from a EU member state who can
coordinate and who will be willing to invite you to join the
consortium.
2. Find a consortium already set up and see if you can join.
3. Coordinate a proposal (Only possible for very limited
cases, topics specifically requesting international
coordination).

17. OPTIONS FOR JORDAN HEALTH RESEARCH GROUPS
TO PARTICIPATE IN H2020 CALLS -2
 CONTACTING LOCAL NCPS THAT CAN DISSEMINATE YOUR
INTEREST IN TOPICS
 NETWORKING WITH EUROPEAN RESEARCH GROUPS:
 Jordanian researchers working in Europe (need to be identified)
 Social media (LinkedIn groups H2020)
 Networking, Brokerage events and Conferences organized in Europe
 Jordan MSCA grantees can be a good link to EU research groups.
 Participate in international programmes funded by European Countries
(ie. Programme for Global Health and Vaccination Research –
GLOBVAC – Norway)
 Participate in multilateral health initiatives: Global Alliance for Chronic
diseases, GLOBE network

18. OPTIONS FOR JORDAN HEALTH RESEARCH GROUPS
TO PARTICIPATE IN H2020 CALLS -3
 MAKE YOUR RESEARCH RESULTS VISIBLE:
 Open Access Journals: PLoS ONE
 Open Access repositories: Research gate, Fig share,
 PUBLISH PROFILES AND PROJECT INTEREST:
 euMatch 2.0 Partner Search and Matchmaking platform
 LOOK FOR PROJECTS IN CORDIS TO FIND PARTNERS
 http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/home_en.html

20. FINAL REFLECTIONS - I
International Collaborative research is growing as
results of the need to address global health challenges
with large interdisciplinary, multinational projects.
H2020 is the biggest research programme funding
collaborative research in health (7,5 Bill EUR)
In H2020 International partners are welcome but they
need to contribute with excellent science and expertise.
More difficulties for Low and Middle income countries
as there are no specific programmes for international
collaboration and international calls (around 20% in 1st.
WP) encourage but not oblige international participation.

21. FINAL REFLECTIONS - II
 Bilateral projects such as EU Jordanet II and SRTD-II can stimulate
the policy dialogue with the EU and contribute towards an
increased visibility of Jordan researchers and institutions.
 Priorities for future cooperation with the EU must include the regional
component. The Euro Mediterranean Group of Senior Officials in
Research and Innovation (EU-MEd GSO) can play a central role in
stimulating the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in health research
and Innovation. Shared health problems such as rare disease,
infectious diseases and NCDs are priority areas for collaboration and
effort should be placed towards promoting topics in future H2020
programmes specifically addressing research collaboration between
both regions in this fields.

22. SUGGESTED REFERENCES
 HORIZON 2020, Health, Demographic change and wellbeing
http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/health-
demographic-change-and-wellbeing
 Report from the Commission to the European parliament, the Council,
the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of
the Regions. Report on the Implementation of the strategy for
international cooperation in research and innovation COM(2014) 567
final http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/policy/progress_report_sep-
2014.pdf
 Roadmap for cooperation in research and innovation between the
Southern Mediterranean and the European Union
http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/policy/annex_roadmaps_sep-
2014.pdf
 Global Link for Online Biomedical Expertise (GLOBE) http://www.globe-
network.org/en/about-globe
 GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR CHRONIC DISEASE http://www.gacd.org/
 Programme for Global Health and Vaccination Research – GLOBVAC
http://www.forskningsradet.no/prognett-
globvac/Home_page/1224697869238

23. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
ERIKA SELA
INNOVATEC
Erika.sela@innovatec.es
www.innovatec.es