To participate successfully in EU programmes and initiatives, you need to be in the loop. But how to make sense of the sea of information?
At SLORD, we monitor, filter and process new information on EU research and innovation policy developments on a daily basis. Our main focus is on the future outlook, which consists of information on, for example, new EU strategies or action plans, new opportunities for international cooperation and funding, but we do not leave out information on the implementation of existing instruments and current grant opportunities, in particular Horizon Europe.
We obtain information from a large number of publicly available sources, such as:
- press releases from the European Commission, its executive agencies and other EU institutions,
- news of news portals,
- news from European partnerships or other European networks or projects,
- reports from partner organisations, etc.
We also gain important information through our participation in public events in Brussels and by participating in IGLO network working groups, Horizon Europe programme committees and other expert groups.
How to use this service?
- Website: keep up to date with new news, events and recommendations on the website www.slord.sk;
- Newsletter: we publishe a monthly newsletter in Slovak where we provide you with an overview of the most important information, as well as notifications of important developments and events;
- Facebook: join more than 1000 followers of our Facebook page and find our posts on the bulletin board;
- LinkedIn: join our growing community and stay informed about our articles
ProEurope Network: if you are a Vice-Chancellor of a Slovak university and you are not yet in this network coordinated by us, join!
Do you have a specific intention and are looking for support? In the SLORD office we also provide individual consultations.
Our consultations are provided in cooperation with the National Contact Points for Horizon Europe and their focus is slightly different.
National contact points They will provide you with practical advice on how to participate in Horizon Europe, whether you are currently just considering your participation in Horizon Europe, but also if you have already decided to develop and submit a project proposal, or if you have already received funding and are implementing your project. Staff can also arrange pre-screening of project proposals, mentoring by external experts or partner search services.
SLORD focuses mainly on consultations on the use of its services. Our consultancy is not intended to assist in writing the project proposal or implementing the projects themselves, which should be referred to the national focal points.
We particularly recommend a consultation with us if you have already had your first consultation with a National Contact Point in the area or areas of the Horizon Europe programme in which you are active and wish to:
- to broaden its overview of research and innovation developments at European level, with an emphasis on policy developments;
- help with linking to foreign partners (Section 3: Links to foreign partners);
- make yourself visible in the international environment (Section 4: I want to improve my skills);
- find out about other EU programmes that could be relevant to your work.
How to use this service?
- Ask a question: If you are looking for a specific type of information, please email us with your question or a request for an overview.
- Book a consultation: Email us at slord @ cvtisr.sk. If the consultation relates to a specific area of Horizon Europe, you can speak directly to a member of staff working in the area.
The consultation will take place via video call and we would be happy to meet you in person if you are in Brussels.
International research collaboration is often about finding suitable partners for consortium projects. International research collaboration is often about finding suitable partners for consortium projects..
If you wish to develop your research in an international consortium and are looking to develop your network of contacts, we can help you.
How to use this service?
- Let’s expand your offer of cooperation
- Send us the drafted document “partner search” based on our /link/ or your own model, and we will disseminate it through the IGLO network and to specific organisations relevant to your interest, as long as they are in our network of contacts.
- Together we organise a tailor-made networking event in Brussels or online
- Do you represent a research organisation? Express your interest in organizing a tailor-made brokerage/networking event. For capacity and organisational reasons, the organisation should be agreed as far in advance as possible, ideally towards the end of the year preceding the year in which the event is to take place, and at least 6 months in advance. The event is subject to the availability of office staff.
- Help organise a bilateral/multilateral meeting in Brussels
- Have you found an organisation you want to contact and it has an office/representation in Brussels? We can help you with approaching them and provide you meeting space in our premises (see also Section 6: Meeting facilities in Brussels).
- We will represent you at the brokerage event in Brussels
- Have you found an interesting physical brokerage event with a venue in Brussels but can’t travel? Ask us to represent you at this event and provide us with as much background as possible on the expertise you offer.
At SLORD, we contribute to building the skills of research support staff, which mainly includes people working as heads of project support departments, project managers, administrators or consultants. We consider these categories of professions to be key in the process of supporting male and female researchers. This should leave them more time to carry out their creative research activities instead of carrying out the tasks associated with searching for grant opportunities or submitting and administratively managing projects.
It is a 3-day international training course with a venue in Brussels focusing on the skills of research support staff. The training is organised in cooperation with the partner offices of the Visegrad Four countries.
Training develops the ability to to navigate EU research and innovation policies, the ability to understand them impact on projects Horizon Europe and, last but not least, to networking and self-presentation skills. It is offered to 35 people, with ⅕ of the places typically reserved for male and female participants from Slovakia. ⅕ of the places are occupied by participants from outside the V4 countries, strengthening knowledge sharing and networking across Europe.
The training takes place twice a year:
- Spring edition (March-April)
- Autumn edition (October-November)
How to use this service?
Participants from Slovakia are selected through an open competitive call for expressions of interest. Keep an eye on our website, newsletter or social media to find out about it early and get a link to the registration form.
Thanks to our Internship opportunities for students from II. degree of higher education get their first contact with research, development and innovation. In addition to the valuable experience of working in the international environment of Brussels, they also take away important knowledge on the issues of Slovakia’s participation in international cooperation in research and specifically in the Horizon Europe programme. Our aim is to stimulate the interest of young and promising people to work in this sector.
Thanks to our new internship initiative, male and female employees of Slovak universities and public research institutions can take up a temporary stay in our office. They can use their presence to familiarise themselves with our activities, get to know the international environment of Brussels and enrich their knowledge, experience and contacts.
More information can be found in Internships and traineeships.
How to use this service?
- Online promotion: Send us information about your success or important activities and we will spread the word via our website and social network Twitter. Attach pre-prepared materials/press releases/links for social media posts ideally in English or Slovak;
- Presentation at a professional conference: Would you like to raise the profile of your research organisation and your expertise? Express your interest in speaking at future conferences or workshops organised by us in Brussels. Write to us at slord@cvtisr.sk and describe the specific area in which you offer expertise. We will add you to our database of interested parties and will be able to contact you if the opportunity arises;
- Presentation at the popularization lecture “Science Evening”: Science Evening is a traditional event consisting of a lecture by a successful Slovak scientist. It is offered in a format of approximately 1 hr. and accompanied by a glass of wine or a small reception. The audience is mostly non-scientific, from the Brussels environment, so we expect you to present your research in a popularising way. Write to us at slord@cvtisr.sk and mention a specific topic related to your research activity that you would like to present. We will add you to our database of interested parties and will be able to contact you if the opportunity arises;
Invited speakers are offered reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs in the form of a foreign working trip from the funds of the CVTI SR.
Renting meeting rooms in Brussels can be an expensive item. The SLORD office therefore offers the possibility to use its meeting rooms free of charge to organise your own meetings.
This benefit is intended for organisations or individuals active in Slovakia in the field of research and innovation, regardless of sector or nationality, and their partners.
The premises are located in the Nordic House building, at Rue du Luxembourg 3, Brussels .
More details can be found in a separate briefing paper.
How to use this service?
Meeting spaces are shared, so please book with us as far in advance as possible at slord@cvtisr.sk. When booking, please mention the desired date, time and number of people.
