HIERATIC

Some Pointers to Participation

Hieratic

• Hieratic is a Collaborative Project under the EC FP7 programme

• Start date 1st October 2012

• For 36 months

• EC contribution: 1,899,967.00 euros.

• 4 Partners

• Coordinator is the University of Birmingham

Role of the Coordinator

• Is channel of communication with the EC

• To administer the financial distribution of grant

• To verify the reports before transmission to the EC

• To monitor compliance of beneficiaries with their obligations under the grant agreement (contract)

Grant Agreement and Consortium Agreement

• The Grant Agreement (contract) sets out the terms for the work to be done.

• Annex I, description of work sets out the deliverables and timelines

• The Consortium Agreement sets out the terms for the consortium to manage its financial affairs, project management, intellectual property, and resolution of disputes.

Management of Hieratic

• All Partners will be represented on the Project Management Committee

• The Project Management Committee will be chaired by the Coordinator

• The Scientific and Technical Committee will be responsible for reviewing research and development progress within the project. Two external advisers represented.

Role of Beneficiaries

• Partners shall jointly carry out the project in accordance with the contract

• Ensure the efficient implementation of the project

• Ensure tasks assigned in Annex I are correctly and timely performed

Role of Beneficiaries

• Inform the Coordinator of any event which may affect performance

• Inform the Coordinator of any change in legal name, address, or legal representative

• Carry out the project in accordance with ethical principles

• Promote equal opportunities between men and women

Failure to perform

• The Coordinator is entitled to withhold any advances either due to a Defaulting Party

• The Coordinator is entitled to recover any advances already paid to a Defaulting Party.

• A partner may be declared in default by the Project Management Committee and corrective measures imposed.

• A defaulting partner may be asked to withdraw.• Disputes may be settled within the consortium in

line with the consortium agreement.

Things that might go wrong

• Things can go wrong through no fault of the partner:– Sickness in the staff team– Difficulties in recruitment– Research turns in a new direction away from

Annex I– Financial – inadvertent overspending or

underspending

What to do

• If you think your contribution is at risk,

• Please contact the Coordinator.

• The coordinator can visit you,

• Put the difficulties to the Project Management Committee for resolution.

• Obtain help for you from another partner.

Reporting• Coordinator will provide information on Research Participant Portal

where financial and scientific reports to be submitted• Coordinator will complete scientific and management report, but will

need information from partners to achieve this• Request will be sent out one month in advance of end of the

reporting period• Reports required including financial at month 12 and month 36 and

at the end of the project – 60 day deadline• EC will analyse the reports within 105 days• Audit certificate required when costs meet 375K euros but does not

apply to everyone• Project review may be held month 12, month 24 and month 36. EC

will visit and review deliverables and work.

Deliverables – first year

• WP1.1 Algebraic structure of hierarchical decomposition (UB-CS, UB-M)

• WP2.1 Theory of topological and dynamical invariants (UB-M, USFD)

• WP3.1 Algorithm for identifying linear coarse-grainings of non-linear systems (Ch, UB-M)

• WP4.1 Multi-scale simulation library (Jena)• WP10.1 First year management report (UB-CS)

Milestones – first year

• M1 Linear coarse-graining algorithms. Algorithms delivered.

• M2 Theoretical framework (1). Publications.

• M3 Simulation Library (first release). Software release.

External advisors

• Princeton University CouzinLab – main collaboration with Chalmers.

• George Mason University – main collaboration with Jena. Some collaboration with UB (PRISM) and USFD (network case studies)

• Budget for exchange visits – plan some for first year.

Publicity, Confidentiality and Intellectual Property

• Data identified as confidential during the project must be kept as confidential for five years afterwards but there are various provisions for disclosure if required

• Publicity about project data must display the EC emblem and state that EC funding has been received

• Foreground (knowledge generated within the project) shall be the property of the partner generating it. Foreground may be jointly owned if jointly developed.

• Foreground may be transferred and may be protected if it has industrial or commercial applications

• Foreground must be used and disseminated unless to be protected

Disseminaton

• A copy of any proposed publication in connection with or relating to the Project shall be sent to the Coordinator who will post the paper on the internal website and inform all Parties.

• Any Party may object to the proposed publication within 15 days of the posting of the proposed publication

Timesheets

• Permanent staff time can be reclaimed from the project under FP7 but

• Timesheets must be completed for all hours worked for the organisation as well as those worked for the project

• Timesheets must be kept by all funded staff• Birmingham can supply an example timesheet,

but you should consult your own auditors

Finances

Consult Financial guidelines for FP7 and your own auditors

VAT and other taxes not eligible. Must be deducted from the claim

Airport tax not eligible.Project costs must be within the project duration –

no costs can be incurred before start date or after end date.

Equipment must be depreciated in accordance with your organisation’s normal procedure.

Eligible Costs• Actual (actually incurred, real – not estimated, budgeted or imputed)• Incurred by the beneficiary (supporting documents proving the

payment must be kept for all costs and for up to five years after the end of the project)

• Incurred during the duration of the project (exception: costs relating to final reports and audit certificates)

• Determined according to the usual accounting and management principles and practices of the beneficiary identifiable and verifiable

• Used for the sole purpose of achieving the objectives of the project and its expecting results, in a manner consistent with the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness

• Recorded in the accounts of the beneficiary in the format that can be (easily) traced

• Have been indicated in the estimated overall budget in Annex I

Ineligible Costs

• Identifiable indirect taxes incl. VAT (general rule: beneficiary is entitled to charge to the project only the net value of the invoice)

• Duties• Interest owed• Provisions for possible future losses or charges• Exchange losses, costs related to return on capital• Costs declared or incurred, or reimbursed in respect of

another Community project (avoiding double financing)• Debt and debt service charges, excessive or reckless

expenditure

Guarantee Fund

• A guarantee fund has been set up to which all partners have contributed. This will be released by the EC with the final payment unless they need to recover lost funds from the consortium.

• Each beneficiary only responsible for their own debt.

Hieratic

Thank you for listening.