The proposal for additional activities for the European Partnership for a climate neutral, sustainable and productive Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) responds to the Horizon Europe (HE) call HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-01-1. Building on the work for enhancing the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA, updated version publication foreseen in spring 2024), 74 partners (+14 compared to the existing GA) from 29 (+4 compared to the existing GA) countries among Member States (MS), Associated Countries (AC) and Third Countries (TC), with the support of the EC will continue implementing the R&I programme together with comprehensive management activities to support the transformation of the blue economy, enhancing impact and building capacities as well as further structuring the ERA. In continuation with the existing Grant Agreement (GA), in its 2nd cycle, corresponding to the second instalment of the HE Work Programme, the Partnership will contribute to the Expected Outcomes of the topic HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-01-02 by implementing two joint co-funded calls (in cash) together with a set of additional activities demonstrating European added valued to be carried out by deploying other type of assets. These entail: alignment of national thematic annual programming, alignment of monitoring programmes and sharing of research infrastructures through an open call for transnational access. As far as regards coordination and management activities, beside enhancing some existing tasks towards an increased impact, three new key tasks are foreseen on developing: (i) the Implementation Plan, (ii) thematic/regional portfolios (i.e. clusters) of projects supported through different HE calls as well as different programmes, (iii) future additional activities, e.g. on a European Ocean Observing System Knowledge Hub or an Early career PhDs network. In terms of priority areas, the new one on 'resilient coastal communities and businesses' adds to the four existing ones.

The NCP4HE project has been designed, on one hand, to bring together and support the needs of the NCP National Coordinators and Legal & Financial NCPs communities and, on the other, to boost a closer and more efficient coordination and cooperation among the different NCP configurations through the infrastructures inherited by the Bridge2HE project, namely the HE NCP Portal and the NCP Virtual Campus, which the project will continue maintaining and developing, enlarging them in content, functionalities and userbase. A large series of activities involving training events, e-learning courses, pre-meetings, meet and exchange workshops, coffee-talks, and mentoring activities, have been planned to provide horizontal support to the whole NPC community, improve mutual learning, and create a structured space for exchange, with a particular focus on newcomers. NCP4HE will also prepare the ground for NCPs in the transition from Horizon Europe to the next Framework Programme working closely with the European Commission and their agencies to ensure a proper interaction with NCPs during that preparatory process. NCP4HE brings together a wide and comprehensive consortium of 36 NCPs host organizations from 22 MS and 9 AS countries, spanning three continents. Additionally, 11 of the 15 widening member countries are represented in the consortium. The project includes a balance mix of NCPs from countries with extensive participation in Horizon 2020 with NCPs coming from countries with low level of participation. This wide spectrum of partners is there to ensure that the project activities and outputs serve as many NCPs as possible, but also that the whole community needs are taken into account when designing and implementing the planned actions.

The aim of the national structural reform project ‘Responsible Conduct of Research - Research Integrity and Ethics in Georgian Universities (ETHICS)’ is to launch a systemic improvement intervention to improve the quality of University and Research-Performing Organizations (RPOs) research through launching measures to adhere to the foundations of high-quality research and excellence. Its specific objectives are to introduce the mechanisms of ensuring research ethics, research integrity and good faith for researchers and within advanced level study programs, and in the accreditation standards of doctoral programs to enhance the standards of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) – Ethics and Integrity supported by appropriate national and institutional policies and processes that help avoid cases of scientific work lacking originality. Equally important is to formally introduce and prevail a culture of research integrity, good research practice and better prepare Georgian universities to become more competitive and offer trustworthy research proposals at home and abroad incorporating research integrity and ethics, specifically under the Horizon Europe and ERC calls. The planned activities include: (a) Policy Change and Capacity Building of Experts in Accreditation of Doctoral Programs, (b) Creation of Research Integrity Module/MOOC, (c) Training of Researchers and Research Support [INTEGRITY] Officers, (d) Elaboration of University Research Integrity, Policies, Ethics, and Resources, (e) The Research Integrity Ethics Board, (f) Development of Academic Support and Research Integrity Services for Supportive Environment for Researchers, and (g) Enhancement of Responsible Science Communication in Georgian universities. The intervention is intended for universities, research centers and institutes, national authorities, Horizon Europe Office, science foundation, research support [INTEGRITY] officers, PhD and young researchers.