1. The structure and function of NCP system -strenght, weakness, evaluation and potential improvement-
Ministry of Science and Technological Development
Department of S&T Cooperation
Viktor Nedovic and Suzana Vojinovic
Workshop “Comparative benchmarking exercise for the NCP System in the WBC countries” , 22-23, January, Vienna, Austria

2. CONTENT - STRUCTURE OF NCPs - Management and funding
- FUNCTIONS OF NCPs system
Activities under national level
Activities under international level – communication with other NCP networks
– communication with EC
- STRENGHT AND WEAKNESS
- RECOMENDATION- potential improvement
- LIST of NCPs

3. NCP STRUCTURE Management and funding
MANAGED AND FUNDED BY THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (MSTD)
SET UP AT THE END OF 2002 – DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL
S&T COOPERRATION MSTD
NCP NOMINATION – according to the national priorities as well as
thematic and horizontal priorities of the FP
CENTRALIZED NCP SYSTEM COMPOSED MAINLY BY THE PEOPLE
FROM DIFFERENT SECTORS AT THE MINISTRY (Basic Research,
Technological Development, Transfer of Technologies and Innovation
System, International Science and Technological Cooperation, Human
Resources Development in Science, Nuclear Safety)

4. FUNCTIONS OF NCP SYSTEM
ACCORDING TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR THE NCP
CONCEPT IN FP7
National government (Ministry od Science and Technological Development) is responsible for NCP system creating, financing, nominating, supervising and monitoring,
Commission services are providing the necessary information and training and acting as moderator for the trans-national networking,
Liaison between our NCP system and other NCP systems is well established by trans-national activities (networking, benchmarking, partner search, staff exchange schemes etc.)
Specific trans-national activities for NCP performance quality assessment and the development of international best practice is receiveing financial support from the Commission

5. NCPs activities on national level
Informing, awareness raising
circulate Community RTD documentation,
organise promotional activities,
raise awareness for the Community objectives of increasing the participation of women in the Framework Programme
and of strengthening the link between science and ethics and between science and civil society

6. NCPs activities on national level
Advising, assisting and training
advise on administraial, financial and contractual issues;
assist in partner search activities,
project proposals preparing (how to write a project proposal and how to calculate the project budget);
organize Info days on published Calls,
training seminars for specific target groups (SMEs, universities) or on specific topics (contractual aspects, modalities for participation, financial rules etc.),
support during projects realization (particularly legal and financial NCPs)
advise national government on FP7 matters

7. Training activities during the last 6 months in 2008
NCPs and Consultative Bureau for International Projects has organized:
(i) 8 thematic Info days for the following themes: Health, FAFB, SMEs (3), Security and SSH&SiS, RegPot1 – 2009 (with the participation of the representative of DG Research)
(ii) Info sessions on international cooperation on 4 faculties (Faculty of Civil Engineering, Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Novi Sad, Faculty of Science and Mechanical engineering, Niš), and 5 institutes (IBISS, M. Pupin, Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Institute for Physics)
(iii) 9 workshops ‘How to write an FP7 proposal’ (5 in Belgrade, 2 in Novi Sad, 1 in Kragujevac and 1 in Niš) mainly dedicated to RegPot1 call for 2009
(iv) More than 30 meetings with the researchers or research groups interested in developing of international cooperation.

8. NCPs activities on international level Co-operation with other NCP system
Active participation in the FP 6 and FP7 NCPs
network Projects
ERA WESTBALKAN FP6, ERA WESTBALKAN+ FP6
NET4SOCIETY FP7 (Network of NCPs for thematic priority SSH)
EUROSIS FP7 (Network of NCPs for thematic priority SiS)
PEOPLE NETWORK FP7
ETNA FP7 (Trans-national Co-operation Among Transport NCPs )
IDEALIST FP6 (Network of NCPs for thematic priority Infrormation and Communication Technologies)
IDEALIST2011 FP7 (Network of NCPs for thematic priority Infrormation and Communication Technologies under FP7)
FOOD-N-CO FP6 (Cooperation Network of National Contact Points with a special focus on Third Countries in the areas of Food Quality and Safety and Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology)
BIO-NET FP7 (Network of NCPs for thematic priority FAF&B)
HEALTH-NCP-NET FP7(Network of NCPs for thematic priority Health)
ResPotNet (Network of NCPs for thematic priority Research Potential)
EuroRisNet (Network of NCPs for thematic priority Research Infrastructure)

9. NCPs activities on international level Co-operation with European Commission
Providing of information about nominated NCPs and Programme Commetee Members to the Commssion
Active participation to appropriate trainings for NCPs, thematic conferences and seminars as well as Programme Commetee Meetings, orgnaized by the Commission
Disemanation information, recived by the Commission, to the relevant RTD groups
Active participation in activities related to the Project Commitee Meetings

10. STRENGHT AND WEAKNESS STRENGHT National Level
Structure which covers national priorities and thematic and horizontal priorities of the FP,
Experience in FP programmes
For some immportant thematic areas we have nominated more than one NCP per thematic area,
NCP network and contacts between NCPs is well established
Close cooperation with researchers
International level
Co-operation and communication development between NCP system on regional (WBCs) and EU level
Skills developed by active participation to the international events
related to FP 7: conference, seminars, workshops,
and by participation in the relevant NCP Networks as well as
ERA.Net projects

11. STRENGHT AND WEAKNESS
WEAKNESS
Lack of communication with the private (SME) Sector (particularly in some previous periods)
One NCP covers several priority areas
Only thematic data basis, no common one
In some cases there is no strong link between NCPs and PC members (experts)
System of monitoring and evaluation should be further improved

12. RECOMENDATION - potential improvement
- Communication between NCP system and SMEs need to be improved - Communication and information-flow between all key players related to FP7/CIP/IPA and NCP services should be improved: different ministries, Programme Committee (PC) Members, SMEs, NCPs of other countries, and the EC - The quality of NCP system should be better monitored and evaluated. - Implement independent mechanism to insure that PCMs as well as NCPs fulfill their job - NCPs should be more visible for RTD groups on national and international level - More training on important F7 issues (financial and legal regulation and how to write a good proposal).

13. NCP SYSTEM

14. NCP SYSTEM

15. NCP SYSTEM

16. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. Viktor. nedovic@nauka. gov. rs Suzana
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!!