Twinning aims to enhance networking activities between the research institutions of the widening countries acting as coordinators and top-class leading counterparts at European Union level by linking it with at least two research institutions from two different Member States or Associated Countries. Therefore, building on the huge potential of networking for excellence through knowledge transfer and exchange of best practice between research institutions and partners. Twinning actions intend to help raise the research profile of the institution from the Widening country as well as the research profile of its staff including a special focus on strengthening the research management and administrative skills of the coordination institution from the Widening country.
Twinning proposals should have to clearly outline the scientific strategy for stepping up and stimulating scientific excellence and innovation capacity in a defined area of research and innovation as well as the scientific quality of the partners involved in the twinning exercise. This scientific strategy should include arrangements for formulating new (or ongoing) joint research / innovation project(s) in the scientific area of choice and describe how Twinning will take this research to a new stage, by enlarging its scope and/or the research / innovation partnerships.
Topics:
-Improved excellence capacity and resources in Widening countries enabling to close the still apparent research and innovation gap within the European Union
-Enhanced strategic networking activities between the research institutions of the Widening countries and at least two internationally-leading counterparts at European Union level
-Raised reputation, research profile and attractiveness of the coordinating institution from the Widening country and the research profile of its staff
-Strengthened research management capacities and administrative skills of the staff working in institutions from the Widening country
