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1. CEI-PRAISE Framework Programme to Promote
Research, Technology Transfer and Innovation through Excellence in Science
Presentation by Giorgio Rosso Cicogna
Special Advisor to CEI Secretary General
…regional cooperation for European integration and bridge
between macroregions…
www.cei.int
CEI Workshop on Varoius Instruments to Support Research in Less Performing Countries
Trieste, 5 February 2015

2. 1) Background of CEI-PRAISE Framework Programme
2) Players and partnership within CEI-PRAISE
3) Institutions of the CEI S&T Network: participation to FP7
4) Interdisciplinary spectrum of projects in CEI-PRAISE
5) Activities for of the 15 CEI-PRAISE Projects
6) Variable geometry of CEI- PRAISE Funding
7) Governance
8) Conclusion
CEI-PRAISE Framework Programme: Contents
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3.  In September 2014, the CEI Ministerial Meeting for Science and Technology endorsed
objectives and envisaged measures of CEI-PRAISE, a comprehensive Framework Programme
to Promote Research, Technology Transfer and Innovation in all CEI Member Countries,
through centres of excellence and advanced research groups expressing the best potential of
their communities.
 The Ministers also mandated the CEI Secretariat to establish a strong cooperation with the EC
in order to ensure the most effective synergy with EU Strategies in this field, with similar on-
going regional initiatives as well as with other efforts by CEI Member Countries.
 CEI-PRAISE is built upon linking to other initiatives in the European dimension and it will
complement on-going efforts, also through regional strategies, with specific purposes:
 • to increase and develop the stock of science and technology human capital through a
cooperation targeted at excellence in research and smart specialization strategies;
 • to offer short/medium term opportunities to involve scientific communities in state of the
art research, to facilitate their early participation to Horizon 2020.
1) Background of CEI-PRAISE Framework Programme
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4. • CEI-PRAISE is based on recognized strengths of the institutions belonging to the CEI
Science and Technology Network, which are either international by statute, or
Italian by statute and international by vocation. All of them have decades of
experience in international cooperation in the fields of physics, mathematics,
geophysics, chemistry, biology, biotechnology, molecular medicine and other related
fields/disciplines.
• The CEI Network represents a unique interdisciplinary hub whose most
advanced/state of the art infrastructures are traditionally open for collaboration
with foreign scientists.
• An example: CERIC Consortium based at Elettra Sincrotrone, established according
to a new EU legislation, has already nine signatories among CEI Member Countries.
• More ERIC Consortia for research infrastructures in other fields could be promoted
for Hydro Meteorology/ Climate Change and Genetic Engineering/Biotechnology
• CEI-PRAISE partnership as on 1 February 2015:
• 78 confirmed partners to CEI-PRAISE in all CEI Member Countries
• Over 200 additional potential partners with experience in FP7 in all CEI Countries
2) Players and Partnership within CEI-PRAISE
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5. Institution Full name
FP7 projects
submitted
FP7 projects
funded
Success rate
Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste
Elettra Sincrotrone Radiation Lab and
Fermi Free Electron Laser
109 20 18% (18.35%)
CERIC-ERIC CERIC-ERIC European Consortium Network Partner since December 2014
ICTP
International Centre for Theoretical
Physics Abdus Salam
66 15 23% (22.73%)
ICGEB
International Centre for Genetic
Engineering and Biotechnology
49 9 18% (18.37%)
SISSA International School for Advanced Studies 197 47 24% (23.86%)
OGS
National Institute of Oceanography and
Applied Geophysics
80 29 36% (36.25%)
AREA Consortium Area Science Park 33 7 21% (21.21%)
TOTAL* 534 127 24% (23.78%)
UNITS University of Trieste 356 36 10% (10.11%)
UNIUD University of Udine 198 38 19% (19.19%)
IOM-CNR** Institute for Materials Manufacturing 30 5 (+12) 17% (16.67%)
GRAND TOTAL 1,118 206 18% (18.43%)
* Total does not include Universities of Trieste and Udine which joined CEI S&T Network in 2014.
**IOM-CNR was established and incorporated by the National Research Council only in 2010 and these figures refers only to the subsequent years: in fact IOM is
implementing 12 more projects which were “inherited” by the previous set up of TASK laboratory.
3) Institutions of the CEI S&T Network: participation to FP7
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6. 4) Interdisciplinary spectrum of projects in CEI-PRAISE
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7. Activities to be carried out for each of 15 projects implemented in the framework of CEI-
PRAISE Programme: these are traditional activities for international cooperation in Science
and Technology, but nonetheless they are all necessary in order to develop the stock of
existing human capital, also according to the guidance endorsed by other regional
initiatives, and in line with specific actions by the EC within Horizon 2020:
• fellowships for graduate and post-graduate (doctoral) promising young talents in
laboratories of the CEI S&T Network, of JRC in other countries;
• grants to group leaders or other promising scientists to remain in (or return to) their
home laboratories, in order to implement a specific research project in the framework
of CEI-PRAISE;
• grants for the organization of high level scientific events or aimed at supporting
scientific travel to the such events, as well as to other occasions of scientific
exchanges;
• support to the consistent purchase of consumables, software, literature to encourage
the return from diaspora;
• support to e-learning, e-conferencing, e-tutoring, scientific podcasting, e-laboratory,
etc.
5) Activities for each of the 15 CEI-PRAISE Projects
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8. Various funding instruments, mostly –but not only- from EU sources, must be efficiently
combined in view of the implementation of a unity of objectives, taking into account CEI
own consolidated experience in project management of EU funded activities;
• Various funding instruments of the EC may be utilized through a variable geometry,
according to the respective eligibility of CEI Member Countries, the latter depending on
their status vis-à-vis the EU: i.e. Horizon 2020, EU Structural Funds, IPA II (Instrument for
Pre-accession), ENI (European Neighbourhood), others;
• Overall cost for seven years (same duration of H2020) estimated in Euro 45 million: only
an order of magnitude referred to the full potential of PRAISE, which has been drafted
with a modular flexibility in order to be implemented also with limited resources;
• Examples of on-going fundraising to support pilot activities:
 CERES BIS fellowships managed by CEI within Marie Skłodowska-Curie Programme;
 Twinning of Centres in CEI Member Countries with institutions of CEI S&T Network and
JRC;
 Cooperation Agreement promoted with DG Enlarg and RDI to be implemented with
JRC;
 Structural Funds (in cooperation with FVG Regional Government);
 Other EU Instruments to support scientific communities in less performing countries
6) Variable Geometry of CEI-PRAISE Funding
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9. Project Committee coordinated by a Project Leader belonging to the lead institution(s)
of the CEI S&T Network, with the participation of centers/groups involved in CEI
Member Countries will define and coordinate the scientific activities of each project,
meeting at least twice a year (distance conferencing as often as necessary): in other
words, scientific management is delegated to a large extent to participating
scientists.
Advisory Committee will support the overall implementation of CEI-PRAISE Programme:
meeting once a year, chaired by CEI Secretary General or his/her Delegate:
• CEI National Focal Points for Science and Technology;
• representatives of CEI Science and Technology Network;
• a few independent experts nominated by CEI upon proposals from the scientific community.
Executive Committee, with a maximum of 7 members nominated for two years from
the Advisory Committee ensuring the support to the actual management;
CEI Secretariat is responsible for overall management, fundraising and reporting.
7) Governance
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10. The CEI Secretariat and the CEI Science and Technology Network are ready to start
the implementation of CEI Framework Programme, in partnership with eighty
institutions in all CEI Member Countries. But for us your convinced support is
essential to start on the right track, specifically in terms of fundraising: we have
already started the promotion of CEI-PRAISE with the European Commission and
the Workshop of today is an action in this direction.
CEI-PRAISE is a Framework Programme with a long term perspective, which will be
managed by scientists to upgrade the performance of the CEI scientific
communities and their participation to Horizon 2020: it is following an innovative
approach concerning funding and actual implementation of scientific activities:
but we at CEI are convinced that it is definitely worth the initial efforts!
CEI-PRAISE Framework Programme is not a traditional kind of Programme with an
established allocation of financial resources. It is rather a container of experience
and project ideas all of which may be realistically implemented through existing
instruments to be applied through a variable geometry according to the eligibility
of the recipients.
8) Conclusion
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11. MANY THANKS FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION!
Giorgio Rosso Cicogna
Special Advisor to CEI Secretary General
EMAIL: asg@cei.int
CEI-PRAISE PROGRAMME: PRAISE@cei.int