Corona - consequences for Horizon 2020 - Kunnskapsbasen
Corona - consequences for Horizon 2020
Information for NTNU employees applying for funding from Horizon 2020 and employees participating in Horizon 2020 projects regarding the consequences of the Coronavirus
Norsk versjon: Korona - konsekvenser for Horisont 2020
Please also consult the European Commission’s new webpage European Research Area (ERA) Corona Platform.
Horizon 2020 application deadlines
Most deadlines under Horizon 2020 has been postponed.
The precise new deadlines for each call and topic are published on the European Commission’s webpages. NTNU-researchers in the process of developing applications for Horizon 2020 are advised to consult the Funding & tender opportunities portal, as well as the European Research Area (ERA) Corona Platform recurrently.
NTNU-researchers in the process of developing applications for Horizon 2020 are advised to continue the applications process as planned by the use of efficient communication links for remote collaborative work.
NTNU researcher are advised to be cautious when setting up the Horizon 2020 consortia, and engage in an open dialogue with partners regarding their long-term ability to commit to the project and manage their deliverables during the lifespan of the project.
Horisont 2020 running projects – risk analyses
Granted Horizon 2020 projects should as far as possible run as planned, with the necessary adjustments given the current situation.
The European Commission encourage the project consortia to find practical solutions to be able to see the projects through, and if necessary, make adjustments.
The Commission has communicated that ‘maximum flexibility’ will be the guiding principle.
All NTNU’s Horizon 2020 projects are advised to perform a risk assessment of possible consequences occurring as a result of the Corona virus for the remaining activities and deliveries in the project. This should be done as a joint effort by the consortia and be organized by the coordinator.
If NTNU is the coordinator of the Horizon 2020 project
If NTNU is coordinating the Horizon 2020 project, the NTNU coordinator should engage in a close and running dialogue with the project partners and establish digital communication platforms to secure the internal communication and cooperation in the project.
It is in particular important that NTNU as coordinator secures feedback from the partners regarding their ability to keep their commitments in the project. The partners have the duty to notify NTNU as the project coordinator if they are not able to fulfil their obligations.
If such a situation occurs that partners are unable to fulfil their obligations, the NTNU coordinator must contact the Project Officer in the European Commission immediately. The situation will then be assessed on a case-by-case basis according to article 51 in the Grant Agreement about force majeure.
It is strongly recommended that NTNU as coordinator initiates a risk analyses to identify potential consequences of the Corona-situation for the project activities, deliverables and costs. The risk analyses should involve all partners.
The NTNU coordinator has the duty to inform the Project Officer about any risks identified by the consortia and possible solutions to overcome them. We advise that such communication is done in writing.
In general, we advise the coordinator to engage in a close dialogue with the Project Officer about how to secure the deliverables in the project, as well as necessary adjustments.
Please consider this table as a template for a risk assessment:
| Occurence , | Task Deliverable , | Consequence , | Probability , | Gravity , | Possible actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x | x | x | L/M/H | L/M/H | x |
| x | x | x | L/M/H | L/M/H | x |
If NTNU is partner in the Horizon 2020 project
NTNU researchers participating as partners in Horizon 20202 projects are advised to engage in a close dialogue with the project partners and especially the project coordinator.
If the current situation makes it impossible for NTNU as a project partner to fulfil its obligations in the project as described in the Grant Agreement, the NTNU researchers are obliged to contact the project coordinator immediately, who in turn will contact the Project Officer in the European Commission. We advise that such communication with the project coordinator is done in writing.
If a risk assessment has not already been done for the project as a whole, we advise that NTNU as partner encourages the project coordinator to initiate this.
If the coordinator for some reason does not wish to do a risk analyses for the project and the consortium at large, we advise that an analysis is done for the NTNU part of and deliverables in the project.
If risk factors are identified, NTNU has the duty as project partner to inform the coordinator about this immediately. We advise that this is done in writing,
Costs and the Corona situation
Costs in Horizon 2020 project will be eligible, if they fulfil the general eligibility conditions set out in Article 6 in the Grant Agreement, like any other costs incurred under the project.
If a meeting or event cannot take place due to the Corona situation, costs may still be charged to the project if they fulfil the cost eligibility conditions. It is a prerequisite that all possible options for getting costs refunded or covered by insurance is explored.
If force majeure entails extra costs for the implementation of the project, these costs may be eligible, based on an assessment.
Please note that the maximum grant amount cannot be increased.
PES/POS Grants from NTNU to Horizon 2020 applicants
Existing PES/POS projects
- Already granted PES/POS-projects should run as planned as far as possible, depending on the opportunities in the current situation to see the planned activities though.
- NTNU researchers are advised to use digital platforms as far as possible for consortium meetings and application development in general.
- Please note that most application deadlines have been extended, please consult the specific section on this.
- Please note that the PES grant will not be increased due to the extension of the deadline.
New PES/POS projects
- New PES/POS application will be received and handled as normal.
- New PES/POS application should take into consideration the extended application deadlines.
- New PES/POS application should explicitly address possible consequences of the Corona-situation for planned activities, and describe how project development and meetings can be take place by use of digital platforms.
If NTNU-researchers participating in Horizon 2020 projects experience that the current situation has consequences for activities and deliveries in the project, this need to be handled immediately.
Occurrences leading to project activities being hampered due to the Corona situation, will be considered to fall under article 51 in the Grant Agreement about ‘force majeure’, if considered extraordinary, unforeseen or outside of the control of the partners. The European Commission will assess each case individually.