Networking budget for ‘personal’ expenses

Hi Oleguer,

I don't have children, but I just completed the outgoing phase of a global fellowship in Brazil and have some experience with the use of funds that may be relevant.

The Grant Agreement itself places no limits on the use of 'institutional funds' (research, training & networking; management & overheads), and various document to found online (e.g. from NCPs) suggest the EC intends them to be used as freely as possible in the interests of the fellowship. However, their use is likely to be constrained by your host institution(s), due to national laws, internal rules and/or - my case with the French CNRS - undue caution due to a history of fines for misuse of funds. Resolving any uncertainties is complicated by the impossibility of finding an EC document that clarifies the use of funds, linked to the understandable unwillingness of the EC to interfere in project management at national level. Although I found an email from the Project Officer stating 'I see no problem with...' could help with specific problems.

Example outcome : I had to argue with the CNRS even over incidental expenses (e.g. extra luggage for travel to Brazil for 2 years...) and there was no question of my using the institutional funds to pay for what were regarded as non-project expenses (e.g. health insurance in Brazil). Whereas I met another global fellow in Brazil, whose university in tthe UK seemed to have no problem with him using the same funds to pay a Brazilian health insurance policy for the outgoing phase.

However, a global fellowship involves host two institutions, and the distribution of funds to the outgoing partner may be relevant. How this is done depends on the Partnership Agreement (PA) between the hosts, which seems to be entirely up to the European host (with possible input from the fellow). In my case, the CNRS would have preferred to administer all funds from France, but I insisted that those for the outgoing phase be sent to Brazil. This complicated matters initially, in part as the outgoing host had its own rules, in part as the PA did not specify the use of funds or their reporting... but eventually it was understood that the funds were flat rate, and that freed things up in Brazil.

So I found the use of funds to depend on circumstances, rather than clear rules; which is not much help (in advance, in any case). However, it may be useful to bear in mind that the institutional funds are ultimately intended to ensure the success of the project, and are flat rate. Thus an argument along the lines of 'my ability to undertake this project is at risk if I cannot use some of these funds for childcare' might carry some weight; more if it were to be supported in principle by the project officer.

Best of luck, Daniel