Benefits

Whether you were participating in TOP IV or not, I am sure there are outcomes available to you through this project which will benefit you. As this TOP IV project is to enhance the entire EURAXESS Network, there are several benefits available. Some might be more interesting to you than other, depending on the focus of your organisation. Here are the results the TOP IV project has delivered:

EURAXESS Career Development (3 available)

EURAXESS members made tools to help other EURAXESS centres provide better career services. It focusses on supporting EURAXESS members on how to develop a strategy for their Career Development (CD) services, including development of communities of practice. It equips both the EURAXESS network and individual researchers with useful online tools helping and advising researchers in planning their individual career in different sectors. Finally, helps raising awareness among the EURAXESS and external community, including policy makers, on the importance of career development and available tools.

Training Needs Analysis Report (IUA)
Encouraging and supporting EURAXESS members to carry out a training needs analysis (TNA) of their researchers. This will facilitate the EURAXESS staff to develop a strategy for improving their Career Development (CD) services.
Available for download (EURAXESS extranet login required).

Career Development toolkit: ASSET Tool (BC)
The ASSET Tool has been developed for EURAXESS support staff and member organisations under TOPIV to assist the establishment of more EURAXESS Career Development Centres (CDCs) and greater participation of European Research Area (ERA) researchers engaging in self-directed career development and planning. ASSET is a resource that providestools and procedures to plan and begin CDC activities, guide researchers through self-assessment and career/development planning, and prepare researchers for career exploration, CV and interview training.
Available for download here.

Recommendations for developing EURAXESS communities of practice (IPPT PAN)
Community of Practice” (CoP in short)can be useful in setting up the above-mentioned tools and carrying out the activitiesenvisaged in the “EURAXESS Hubs” pilot project. This documentdescribesfeasibility conditions as well as elements and resources to be considered and provided when developing communities of practice within the EURAXESS network.
Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).

Social Integration Initiatives (2 available)

To improve understanding among EURAXESS network member about the key role of the social integration of foreign researchers in European organizations, a guidebook, tools and trainings was developed. This with a focus on Dual Career Services, the social life of the researchers and their families; managing diversity at EURAXESS organizations and the integration of refugee researchers (Science4Refugees initiative services). It builds the results of former EURAXESS projects and on studies/evaluations of how to support the international researchers and their families better.

The EURAXESS Family Network: Career and life fit for the Integrated Researcher (SSV AV CR)
EURAXESS Family Network’s mission is to ensure that families that are facing the same challenges can share information, receive and provide mutual support and succeed in long-term integration, all the while creating personal connections among families that understand each other’s experience. With family networking and social networking, family members are connected with others in similar situations in order to share emotional support, discuss problems, identify resources and just “be there” for one another. EURAXESS is there to walk alongside them.
Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).

A modular structured training programme for the laber integration of refugees researchers (OeAD-GmbH)
The goal of the programme is to foster the personal agency of RRs and enable them to make the best use of not only their existing skills and professional experiences, but also of the relevant resources that are available to them in the host country. The team identified relevant subject matters that are particularly important for the labour market integration of RRs, with a strong focus on early career orientation and training, and defined five modules:

Module 1: Counselling techniques for the work with RRs
Module 2: Basic legal information for RRs
Module 3: Early career development counselling
Module 4: Skill development
Module 5: Support networks for RRs

Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).

Capacity Building of the EURAXESS Network (3 available)

To further intensify the services provided by the EURAXESS network and to expand the recently developed new services with an emphasis on services for the non-mobile researchers on gender and diversity aspects, a series of dedicated, tailor-made and focused activities for the capacity building of the EURAXESS staff was carried out.

40 National Training Plans (FCT)
To exploring the training needs of the EURAXESS Network an activity was held to prepare a detailed national plan for satisfying the training needs of each EURAXESS member country. Based on this national plan the task prepared 40 national training plans with recommendations to the Euraxess National Offices (ENOs) for the most suitable training opportunities and the respective resources within the project.
Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).

Preperation and delivery of Network-wide training (SU)
Staff of EURAXESS centers that were interested in extending their service offering are offered a Train-the-Trainer program for providing services and advice on the career development of researchers. The program is a 1 network-wide, 1 day, training session for up to 150 participants, devoted to such new Career Development Services.
Available for download here.

Report on the preparation and delivery of the Peer to Peer activities (SAIA)
Sharing the expertise and knowledge accumulated and developed by the EURAXESS Network is crucial for its further strengthening and growth. The aim of the task is to enable exchange and dissemination this knowledge through two cross-border peer-to-peer activities: Study Visits Programme (SVP) and Book-a-Trainer Scheme (BTS). Study Visits Programme (SVP), offered the network members a possibility to participate in individual and group study visits (on- and offline). The New Book a Trainer Scheme (BTS) facilitates the invitation of an experienced network member or a trainer from the network pool of trainers to the national networks.
Available for download here.

Network support and a comprehensive communication and cooperation strategy for EURAXESS (7 available)

The Network Call is developed to increase the funding base to enhance the level of services provided by the entire national network. These services include promotion and capacity building activities. An overall communication strategy for the EURAXESS network on several levels are designed and implemented. All to strengthen the visibility, the internal cohesion and effectiveness of the EURAXESS network by communicating better, by promoting the activities and the services of the network to stakeholders in a more structural way.

Network Call guidelines and application form (BZN)
Amended guidelines and annexes for the Network Call in EURAXESS T.O.P. IV (Deliverable 6.1). The amendments reflect the changes agreed in the T.O.P. IV Core Consortium meeting of December 2020. The most important changes are highlighted in green in the text. All Network Call beneficiaries are advised to consult the Guidelines when planning the remaining activities in their projects.
Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).

Mid-term assessment of the Network Call (FECYT)
This small paper is delivered according to task 6.2 of the TOP IV project. Its aim is to bring together good practices on communication with young researchers, with a focus on supporting female researchers. Working closely together with work package 3, we have identified several examples of how to effectively communicate with those researchers and facilitate them when applying for scholarships. We describe a few practices at Zurich University and at University of Copenhagen.
Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).

Communication Plan (NUFFIC)
A comprehensive communication philosophy is developed for the dissemination of information and expertise both to the network of EURAXESS itself and the stakeholders outside EURAXESS. It is the basis for a communication plan that will be designed, implemented, tested and evaluated. It is an improved follow-up of the EURAXESS Promotion Action Plan (PAP) from TOPII project. The plan will not only focus on outer stakeholders about EURAXESS but also to improve the communication within the EURAXESS network, especially about the outcomes of TOPIV project.
Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).

Evaluation of implementation of communication plan (MEF)
The report assesses the state of art regarding the implementation of each activity in the Communication Plan above was assessed, both qualitatively (by a survey targeting the national EURAXESS network coordinators) and quantitatively (by collecting the available dissemination and usage data). The combined results of the assessment suggest that parts of the Communication Plan have been adequately implemented generating interest and impact in the network; however, there areas which need improvement, most importantly in making the results available and then making them known and used by the EURAXESS network. The last section of the report lists a number of recommendations on how to make the Communication Plan work better for EURAXESS, focusing chiefly,but not exclusively,on the remaining lifetime of theEURAXESS TOP IV project (until summer 2021).
Available for download here.

Guidelines/digital handbook and training TOP IV partners (BZN)
The goal of this study is to provide EURAXESS members with an extensive overview of computer-based communication tools (instruments) and guidelines to apply them in an adequate way in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of communication. The study is a part of D 6.5 Guidelines / digital handbook and training TOPIV partners. So, this handbook can be used for training of the ESC staff also.
Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).

Promoting plan/model with instruments (CERTH)
This task has two main goals: the first is to make all the EURAXESS members (ECP/ESC/BHO) aware of the possibilities to enhance and professionalise their promotion initiatives by using a simple promotion framework; the second is to present an action plan with concrete tasks to be done during the one-year period from autumn 2019 to autumn 2020. Due to the fact that the network has a great diversity regarding many aspects, including management, type of services and target groups; it is obvious that the need for promotion might differ between the different EURAXESS members. In addition is presented a concrete action plan, based on the framework, that can be implemented by every member of EURAXESS. To be able to do this, the BHOs will have a central role. They will be trained in the framework and the action plan in order to be able to answer any potential question that may arise during the implementation of the action plan. Timewise this would match perfectly the possibility to increase promotion in 2020 and use the PAT to set some goals for each of us to achieve within the EURAXESS network.
Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).

Evaluation working promotion plan (UNI BL)
This report tackles the impact assessment and evaluation of the Promotion plan/model with instruments, which was published as the deliverable D6.7 of the WP6 ̶ Network support and a comprehensive communication and cooperation strategy for EURAXESS within the framework of T.O.P. IV project activities. The Promotion plan/model with instruments essentially provides the platform for sustainable management of promotion activities of EURAXESS with adaptable tools and actions, as required by specific EURAXESS network members.
Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).

Four new Memorandum of Understandings with strategic partner networks (FCT)
This survey regards the identification of 4 networks for cooperation with EURAXESSS. The results of this survey show that BhOs are concerned with aspects of complementarity, namely in areas in which EURAXESS has little or no expertise. The most voted networks mostly concern the research environment and the research activity, in the domains of education, research and innovation.
Available for download here.

EURAXESS Open to the World (1 available)

To reach a wider range of stakeholders from every sector (e.g. researchers in diaspora, large research associations) and to promote the EURAXESS portal and EURAXESS services close to centres of excellence, relevant initiatives and infrastructures in the ERA, this task was carried out.

Database of centres of excellence, relevant initiatives and infrastructures in the European Research Area (ERA) (SSC AV CR)
The implemented online database enables the researchers to have a clear overview of the expertise of each centre as well as of the working environment in Europe.The database will support the WorldWide mission to introduce Europe as the best research destination and make their work easier. Europe has a great potential for highly qualified researchers and scientistsand creationof the database contributesto the promotion of Europe and European Research Area. Also, this improvement will contribute to the promotion of Europe and the European Research Area as an attractive research destination for institutions and individual researchers.
Available for download here.

Open EURAXESS portals (5 available)

To establish more diverse online information and services in the domains of researchers’ mobility, career development and industry collaboration, several tasks were carried out. This will provide a technical platform for integrating the EURAXESS portals with existing useful and relevant data and tools from the three domains above. This to reduce the actual workload of the service centres, by enabling easier access to actual information and common user experience across national portals.

Content Kits and online courses (MEF)
A special content kit was developed for all policies behind EURAXESS community work, including scientific visa directive, HRS4R, OTM-R, RESAVER and others (CERTH). For selected trainings MEF transformed training materials to a form of the self-paced online courses (in collaboration with the training organizers) and implemented those to existing e-training platform, developed by EURAXESS TOPIII project.
Available for download here.

EURAXESS Data Platform (IKT-labs)
In this document, EURAXESS Data model, namely a set of concepts and relationships between those, used to formally describe above information and/or steps needed to provide an information service, is presented. Then, web application for managing information about those concepts, separated in meta and country model, is described. Third, the technical description of web application’s functions for integrating with external apps and software is given. Finally, a prototype of EURAXESS instructional chatbot is described. Some short remarks on the future work, until the end of EURAXESS TOPIV project are given at the very end of this document.
Available for download here.

EURAXESS Virtual Assistant (MEF)
This report first briefly reports on the development process of the chatbot. Then, it provides the introduction to the basic concepts on how the chatbots are developed today and the detailed information about the DialogFlow – adopted chatbot engine that is found as the most cost-effective solution for the EURAXESS Chatbot implementation. Finally, it provides a detailed overview of the instructional chatbot, including the supporting cases of communication.
Available for download here.

Guidelines for national portals improvement (MEF)
This report was prepared by the University of NIS to guide the BHOs’ choice of activities to improve EURAXESS national portals with the financial support from the Network Call framework or other sources. It highlights the areas of improvement on the national portal landscape as identified in the focus group exercise carried out in Estonia in the beginning of 2019 (Appendix 1). Guidelines have been prepared based on the interpretation of the exercise results and participants suggestions. In addition, it considers also relevant findings from the online surveys carried out amongst the registered EURAXESS portal users, both researchers and employers (Appendix 2). Finally, these guidelines propose a clear set of actions to address main weaknesses identified by users.
Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).

EURAXESS Blog (UEFISCDI)
Available for download here.

Future of the EURAXESS Network (3 available)

To facilitate the further evolution of the EURAXESS network it was investigated how the EURAXESS services should further be developed and what steps needed to be taken to implement services diversification. Also, to ensure that this process would be inclusive and contribute to a balanced growth of the network and that the further evolution of the network will contribute to strengthening of the long-term impact of the existing policies, several tasks were carried out.

Guidelines and action plans to implement advanced services (RCN)
blGuidelines and action plans to implement advanced services. The EURAXESS network needs guidelines on how to plan their actions ahead at all levels (institutional, regional, national and pan-European), on the other hand, the EURAXESS members need a tool to help them structure their work moving on forward with the enhancement and implementation of all kind of services, including advanced services. Instead of providing a specific action plan to be adapted at all levels, we choose within the task to propose a framework to be used at all levels to define clearly the needed actions to be taken by every member institution of the network. This model takes the great diversity of the network into consideration, including strategy, management, type of services, target groups and more.
Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).

Recommendations on how to better integrate the EURAXESS newcomers (SAIA)
These recommendations were drafted within the activities of TOP IV project. Main goal of the recommendations is to encourage EURAXESS national coordinators to review the process of newcomers’ integration within their national networks.
Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).

Acquiring and keeping the HR Excellence in Research logo – Tips & Tricks (AMEUP)
bThis document (2021) has been created by Croatia with the help of Albania, Poland Serbia Spain United Kingdom to help both the EURAXESS Network members and the HRS4R staff, as well as institutions that either have the logo or are in the process of receiving it, to better understand the process with case study examples presented, and to have a hands-on material, besides the official EC documentation on the topic, to help navigate the most common issues that arise. Also, it is a catalog of information and links to many materials that can be used for the promotion of the C&C and HRS4R among the EURAXESS community and beyond.
Available for download here (EURAXESS extranet login required).