Managing an ERC grant or how to prevent a research dream to
become an administrative nightmare
Barcelona, 20 December 2016
Victoria Reyes-García
ICREA Research Professor
Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Spain
LEK
(FP7-261971)
ERC Grants are high-risk, by definition
The LEK ERC-project and its challenges
Management lessons learned
Outline
= unconventional methods
and approaches
ERC Grants are high-risk, by definition
The LEK ERC-project and its challenges
Management lessons learned
Outline
The problem
Local knowledge systems supposedly provide a basis for
adaptive strategies, but are eroding worldwide.
Reyes-García, et al.
EHB, 2012
The adaptive nature of culture
We studied LEK systems in three indigenous, subsistence-based
societies with relatively little (albeit increasing and uneven)
involvement in market economies, school-based education, or
modern health care systems.
The main focus
The project addressed 1) the generation and transmission, 2) the
distribution, and 3) the use of LEK in the three studied societies.
Focus Groups
Participant observation Productivity measures
Anthropometric measures
18 months of in-depth fieldwork
LEK tests
Structured interviews
Collaboration with communities and local institutions in
research at different levels:
Alliances with local
organizations & Univ.
FPIC
Community agreements
Local norms
Engaging with local actors
What I had not foreseen. A laundry list
Different rules in ERC and UAB• Ex: 3 vs. 4 years PhD contract
• Ex: Competitive salaries and per diems
Management challenges of cross-cultural research• Getting visas, sending money to other countries,
• health hazards
Lack of adequate administrative support• Staff unaware of ERC rules (what are eligible costs)
• Loyalty to UAB internal rules over ERC flexibility
• Some UAB rules not adequate to unconventional
approaches
• No preparation/follow up meetings
• Inadequate training “si escrius tu el missatge millor, el
meu angles es molt dolent”
What I had not foreseen. A laundry list
Understanding local conditions• Ex: people waiting in the field, no money
• How to report expenses
Difficult communication with HI personnel• Who is in charge?
• I don’t know how to do it, so I don’t do it (and don’t
report the problem!)
The value of an ERC grant is not necessarily
acknowledged through the administrative line• ‘Ens dones massa feina’
• Ex: delays in submitting final financial report
ERC Grants are high-risk, by definition
The LEK ERC-project and its challenges
Management lessons learned• Preparation
• Negotiation
• Implementation
• Closing the grant
Outline
The management challenge• Identify the challenging aspects &
• Discuss them with the host institution
• Keep in the proposal only feasible actions
Be prepared, anticipate• Obtain commitments (HI & others) i.e., personnel, offices,
• Prepare your IRB
• Data Management Plan (including personal data)
• Learn about HI hiring procedures and timings
Preparation
Negotiation
Adjustments• Are they feasible?
• Be aware of any budget adjustments (ERCEA & HI)
Grant Agreement• Portability of grants
• Working time commitments/contractual conditions
• Minimum administrative support
Supplementary Agreement• the HI commits to accord sufficient support
• & scientific independence to PI
Negotiation
Your negotiating power
(with your HI) is highest
BEFORE you sign
Just after signing• Start working on logistical/management issues
• Meet again with HI grant manager. • Establish responsibilities
• Set up a calendar
Through the grant• Do not guess: ask (HI and PO at ERC)
• Report problems & discuss solutions
• Keep records (e-mails, minutes, etc)
The Manual• Spell out administrative issues for team members
Implementation & Management. General
ERC has more flexibility than other grants• Budget shifts are possible
• PI has control over budget
How to spend money• ERC rules: Do not assume HI staff will know them
• HI rules: how to avoid they constraint research?
Monitoring• Periodic meetings with HI managers/accountant
• Budget reports and budget forecasting
Implementation & Management. Financial
PI is responsible from hiring decisions• But has to follow HI rules (hiring, paying, salary cuts)
• Do you need a training period? Can it be done?
Disruptions• Leaves (maternity, paternity, sick) and drop out WILL
occur. Plan for them!!
Implementation & Management. Personnel
Reporting responsibilities• Financial
• Scientific
At the host institution• Accountability for equipment
• Retention of data
Keeping the records for future audits
Closing the grant
Anticipate management challenges
Prepare/negotiate BEFORE signing the grant
Remember ERC grants are portable
In sum
Do not underestimate management issues, but do
not allow management issues to compromise
science
Do local knowledge systems enhance
human adaptive strategies?
The finding
Local ecological knowledge: hunting knowledge, medicinal plant
knowledge, wild edible knowledge
Nutritional status: anthropometric measures
Sharing
Sharing seems to attenuate the strength of the relation
between LEK and nutritional status
Both local knowledge and the outputs obtained thereof are widely shared within
these societies. This sharing is possibly what is equipping these same societies
their adaptive capacity
LEK
(FP7-261971)
Thank you!
http://icta.uab.cat/Etnoecologia/LEK
The LEKipo The Punan
The Tsimane’
The Baka
