MCAA Management
Fan Mo
Fernanda Bajanca
Quentin Loisel
COVID19 : suspending of our projects
Hi everyone,
I hope you are all safe and coping with the current crisis situation.
I wanted to raise the issue of what happens if we suspend our grants.
The latest email that I received from my research office on 3 April was basically saying that if we suspend our projects, our salaries will be frozen and we are not entitled to any financial help from the Commission:
"During the period of suspension, any costs incurred for implementing the action become ineligible and cannot be claimed against the project (Article 6). This is true for costs relating to all beneficiaries (on multi-beneficiary grants), team members (on ERC grants) and MSCA recruited researchers. Beneficiaries will be responsible for all costs incurred during the suspension period.
Does anyone have more updated information about this issue? Do you know if we could use our research budget as an extra payment?
All the best,
Sofia
5 Comments
Hi Marco,
thank you very much for your reply!
My research officer wrote that the Commission is strongly advising against suspensions right now, I do not know how difficult it was for you back then.
Could I ask you for some more info on the suspension process?:
Question 3: When you suspended the project, were you still university staff? Or could you e.g. work elsewhere during that period?
Question 4: Was it as easy to restart the project?
Cheers,
Sofia
Hi Sofia,
I (personally) think that if you need a suspension (for a motivated and justified reason, of course!) they should satisfy your request. The problem, maybe, is in the dealy of their answer, considering the circumstances.
A3: Yes, I was, in practice, staff member but with no salary (e.g. I maintained the email, access to my office, etc). This is because, during the suspension, I was visiting scholar in another EU University. This is was the reason for the suspension. This visiting period was important for my future career. So, basically, I was still a UK institution staff member but visiting another institution in the EU.
Now, the problem with COVID-19 is that you cannot travel... and this might be the reason why the EC strongly discourage this kind of request (but this is just my very personal opinion)
A4: Yes, very easy, both scientifically and administratively.
Again, the Commission officer was (were) very professional and effective in their answer. You just need to send the request in advance (Sofia, consider that they have thousand of projects to take care of!). Now, I don't remember how early I made the request through the EC portal (but I think it was a matter of a couple of weeks, maybe less ???).
Hope this help, good luck
Marco
The Commission suggests that it should be possible to use any unspent institutional costs to support the salary in this way. See, for example, this communique:
https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/news/coronavirus-extensions-msca-projects_en
Best of luck and stay safe.
Kind regards,
Mark
Hi Sofia,
the EC said the same to me.
I know that there is a petition going on to ask the EC more support but basically should be the Beneficiary meaning your University helping you somehow during this period.
I am in the last 3 months of the IF so if extension should be needed, the help might come from my University.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Keti
Hello Sofia,
Question 1:
I had to suspend my second Marie Curie for familial reasons. The process was straightforward (you have to contact your MSC officer through the portal). Yes, they suspend my payment (i.e. I did not receive salary for the entire period of suspension).
Question 2: "Do you know if we could use our research budget as an extra payment?"
It is very unlikely you can use the research budget as an extra payment. However, you can ask them.. you never know, maybe in this very exceptional COVID-19 situation ??? Good luck!
Stay safe!
Marco