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Planning and During the Secondment
Q: Is there an application / selection process?
A: No, but the secondment must be approved by your sending & host organisations and the Work Package Leader, you must comply with the eligibility criteria, and have a Work Plan aligned to an Innovate3X.
Q: Where can I find the Innovate3X and information about the Work Packages?
A: You can find it via the SMAR3TS Website: www.smar3ts.eu
Q: How / When do I receive the funding?
A: The funding is paid to your sending organisation once the secondment is completed and all supporting documents are delivered.
Q: Who defines the dates, duration, and work plan?
A: The secondee in agreement with their manager and the host organisation.
Q: What counts as the first day of a secondment?
A: The day the secondees leave their hometown according to transport tickets.
Q: What counts as the last day of a secondment?
A: The day the secondees reach their hometown according to transport tickets.
Q: Can I extend the duration of my secondment? Visit an organisation I have already been seconded to?
A: Yes, you can extend the duration of your secondment while you are there, and you can also visit the same organisation again in the future. If you visit them again you do not have the obligation to stay for one month minimum.
Q: Can I do a secondment within my country?
A: No, the secondment must be undertaken at a country that is not the same in which your home institution is located.
Q: Can I do secondments to different organisations?
A: Yes, you can do secondments to multiple organisations keeping in mind that in each destination you need to spend at least 30 days, and that the total number of months for all secondments cannot be more than 12.
Q: I am coming from a University partner; can I be hosted at another academic partner?
A: No, you can only be hosted at an Industry partner. The exceptions are RMIT Australia, University of Bangkok and University of Mauritius, which can host both academic and industry staff.
Q: I am employed 50% in my institution, can I go on secondment?
A: Only if your institution can arrange for your employment to be Full Time (100%) during the secondment period.
Q: What happens if I do not reach the secondment destination immediately (e.g., stopover in the way)?
A: Keep a short explanation note with supporting documents. The date of arrival at secondment destination would then count as the first day of the secondment.
Q: I am travelling by car. What proof of travel should I keep?
A: Any bill related to the travel (tolls, etc.) and accommodation invoice.
Documentation
Q: Do I need an invitation letter from my host organisation?
A: No, the Secondment Agreement will be signed by you, your host, and your sending institution. Hence, this document will be the one certifying your stay in the host organisation. You should check with your home organisation if there are any further internal requirements to fulfill.
Q: When and where do I need to submit the documents of my secondment?
A: Once a secondment is confirmed, the Management Team will provide you with templates and instructions. You must ensure the Secondment Agreement is signed by all parties before the secondment starts. However, you should send all supporting documents jointly to the Management Team after your secondment has concluded.
Q: How is my salary paid during a secondment?
A: Your salary is not covered by the grant (which is only a top-up allowance to cover the travel, accommodation, and subsistence costs of the secondment), your employer must therefore continue to pay you as before, according to their internal practices.
Q: Can staff members involved in other projects undertake a secondment?
A: The EU funding in a SE action is a contribution to the overall costs of the action. It is paid in the form of unit costs of a total for each PM of secondment and is meant to cover the staff member costs associated with the secondments (e.g. not including salary) and the institutional costs related to the action. SE projects can be implemented together with other related R&I activities as long as this does not entail double funding.
Example: A consortium has been granted EU funding in a call which covers the staff member’s salary. SMAR3TS funding would cover mobility costs relating to the secondment, research training and networking costs and management and indirect costs. On the other hand, it is not possible to have the same staff funded at the same time under two or more MSCA grants (for example a researcher recruited in a COFUND project cannot be seconded in a SE project at the same time).