1 TP_ EAC_03_2012

GREEK CHAPTER

ANNUAL REPORT OF ACTIVITIES

Year of activities: 01.06.2015 - 31.05.2016

Author of the report:

Ioanna Evdokia Galani - Chair of the Greek Chapter

Date: 19.07.2016

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... 2

Message of the chair ................................................................................................ 3

Membership & Communications .............................................................................. 4

Chapter’s activities ................................................................................................... 6

Calendar of events.................................................................................................. 11

Budget ................................................................................................................... 12

Chapter’s contribution for MCAA mission ............................................................... 13

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MESSAGE OF THE CHAIR

As Chair of the Greek Chapter, I am happy to

announce that the first year of activities of the

Greek Chapter has been completed with great

success!

The establishment of the Greek Chapter initiated on April 2015, motivated by the

initiative of Dr. Angel Medina-Vaya and Francesco Sanna, members of the Events and

Network working group at that time. Francesco Sanna assisted in the organization of a

get-to-know-us event for the MCAA in Athens, hosted by the Biomedical Research

Foundation of the Academy of Athens on April 24th 2015. The event was supported by

several local MCAA members –myself included– and was a big success with great

participation that led to the expression of interest by several MSC alumni to get

actively involved in the organization.

Indeed, the excitement for organizing a local community of MSC alumni soon led to

the accepted proposal for the creation of the Greek Chapter in June 2015

(https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/groups/greek-chapter), with 18 MCAA members

actively contributing as founding members.

Since then, it is fortunate to say that, during the reporting period (01.06.2015 -

31.05.2016), the members of the Greek Chapter have reached up to 37, with a steady

increase in recruitment after every activity that the Greek Chapter organized or

participated. These included presentations of MCAA actions in events organized by

Euraxess and the National Contact Point, the Annual Greek Chapter MCAA meeting, as

well as participation at the MCAA General Assembly in Venice. These activities allowed

the better interaction of the local MCAA community, as well as the dissemination of

MSC actions to a broader audience.

Moreover, the announcement of a yearly award for the “Greek Alumni of the year”

gave the opportunity to the alumni to present their achievements during the last

Chapter year to their MCAA fellows, while further giving a motivation for excellence.

With 346 alumni of Greek nationality being currently subscribed at the MCAA portal,

our goal for next year is to recruit more members and to further disseminate MSC and

MCAA actions!

Ioanna Evdokia Galani

Chair of the Greek Chapter

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MEMBERSHIP & COMMUNICATIONS

During the reporting period (01.06.2015 - 31.05.2016), which was also the first year of

establishment of the Greek Chapter, we were able to double our members who

reached 37, from initially 18 founding members.

In detail, these members have a gender and location distribution as follows:

GREEK CHAPTER

Number of members: 37

The male members of the Greek Chapter apparently exceed the female participants,

that include however 4 founding members, as well as the Chair of the Greek Chapter.

Among the Greek Chapter Alumni, a significant ~1/3 of the members is residing and

working abroad (35%), while the majority is currently located in Greece (65%). It is of

interest however that these include 5 members of foreign nationality, who have

chosen Greece as host country for their outgoing MSC fellowships. Further statistics on

field of interest or type of fellowship was not able to be performed due to incomplete

profiles of several of the Chapter‘s members.

The successful recruitment was achieved by initiatives such as:

- Events organized by the Greek Chapter, such as our Annual meeting (for details, see

section Chapter’s Activities). In these events, members of the Greek Chapter, as well as

attendants who expressed their interest for MSC actions took part. Of importance,

these meetings included excellent presentations by successful MCAA members who

have benefited in their careers by MSC actions and are now actively participating in

the Greek Chapter. These meetings promoted our activities and arose interest for

participating at MCAA and the Greek Chapter.

- Presentation of MCAA activities in events organized by Euraxess and the National

Contact Point (NCP) (for details, see section Chapter’s Activities). In these events, the

Chair of the Greek Chapter was invited to give presentations on MCAA actions and the

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local organization of the Alumni in the Greek Chapter. These events were very useful

as they advertised MSC actions to a broader audience beyond MCAA members, but

also assisted in attracting new members in the Chapter.

- By word of mouth among the Alumni in their working environment. Alumni who were

not able to attend any of the events organized, were contacted personally by MCAA

colleagues and asked to join the Greek Chapter.

- Active recruitment during the Annual MCAA General Assembly in Venice. The Annual

MCAA General Assembly 2016 was a great opportunity for members of the Greek

Chapter to interact with the international community of MCAA, and to meet in person

the Board members and the contractor’s representatives who greatly assisted in the

work of MCAA. More importantly, the General Assembly gave the opportunity for new

member recruitment. It is of interest that while 4 active members enrolled to

participate at the meeting, 4 new members were recruited during the event.

Moreover, by consistently advertising MCAA benefits, such as funding opportunities,

e.g. micro grants, offered discounts, available job portal and net-working

opportunities, we have not yet had any request from members to unsubscribe from

the Chapter. Further, by establishing a yearly award - funded by our yearly budget - to

reward scientific or career achievements during the active Chapter year, we give

motivations for excellence and for actively participating in the activities of our Chapter.

With 334 MSC fellows currently subscribed at the MCAA portal, we anticipate that our

steady recruitment of alumni after every dissemination activity will successfully

continue over the next period!

Statistical data on nationality of the

subscribed MCAA members as provided at

the MCAA web portal. Greece holds the 6th

place of subscribed users at MCAA with

334 members.

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CHAPTER’S ACTIVITIES

Chapter management and organization:

The MCAA Greek Chapter at the time of the reporting period includes 37 members, of

which 18 are founding members and among whom one person was elected Chair.

All members of the Chapter are informed about the activities of the Chapter via the

official Chapter’s webpage (https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/groups/greek-

chapter) or if necessary by bulk email.

The founding members in particular have major contribution in important activities

of the Chapter, such as the writing of the Greek Chapter proposal, the set-up of the

webpage and the organization of events.

The elected Chair is responsible for informing the members for any relevant issues,

and for representing the Chapter in MCAA activities.

Since our Chapter dates only one-year of existence that largely comprised the

recruitment of members and the setting up of the Chapter, we anticipate that the next

year will allow us to achieve a higher level of organization. We therefore aim for an

internal structure that resembles the MCAA board, including a Chair, Vice-Chairs,

Secretary, Treasurer and Ordinary Members.

Chapter’s activities during the reporting period:

Promotional MCAA event held in Athens on April

24th 2015 and hosted by the Biomedical Research

Foundation of the Academy of Athens. The aim of

this event, co-organized with members of the

Events and Network working group, was to

advertise MCAA activities to the Greek Alumni and

to motivate local organization. The event was

attended by ~50 participants, including MSC

fellows, MCAA members as well as future

applicants of MSC fellowships. The program

included presentations from representatives of the

NCP, Euraxess, and the National Patent Office, all

greatly received by the audience. Moreover, a

poster session with a prize awarded allowed the

alumni to better interact and to advertise their scientific work.

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Proposal submission for the establishment of the Greek Chapter on May 2015. After

the successful initial gathering of the Greek Alumni, 18 members collectively took

the initiative of submitting a proposal for the establishment of the local

organization of MCAA members with connections to Greece, setting the basis for

the establishment of the Greek Chapter.

Athens candidacy for hosting MCAA General Assembly 2016. On August 2015,

Athens submitted its proposal for hosting

the MCAA General Assembly 2016. The

Biomedical Research Foundation of the

Academy of Athens (BRFAA), with its

state-of-the-art facilities, was suggested

as Venue. The candidacy was warmly

supported by the Scientific Director of

the Institute, as BRFAA is a research

institute that hosts several MSC alumni,

as well as the Chair of the Greek Chapter.

Athens’ proposal was overbidded by

Venice application, who hosted an excellent event. As the local community greatly

supported such an initiative, and as several of the Greek Alumni attended the GA

2016 in Venice, we hope that Greece will be able to host such an event in the

future.

Presentation of MCAA activities at Euraxess Roadshow Athens. Athens was one of

the cities that participated at the Euraxess Roadshow, this pan-European

information campaign that aims to help researchers seek careers abroad. The local

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organizers invited the Chair of the Greek Chapter to participate at the event by

presenting the local organization of the MSC fellows. The event was advertised at

the official MCAA webpage (https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/events/euraxess-

bus-roadshow-athens), as well as the Greek Chapter webpage

(https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/groups/greek-chapter), where alumni could also

find information on the program and location (held in Greek language).

Unfortunately, due to extensive strikes of the public means of transportation, in

combination with bad weather on the day of the event, the attendees were limited

to about 50, although the expectations were for a much greater audience.

MCAA and Greek Chapter as partner organization to the ITN proposal 'P4-Asthma'.

In January 2016, the MCAA Board took the decision to support the application of

the MSC Initial Training Network of the Horizon 2020 ‘P4-asthma’, as partner

organization. MCAA agreed to

contribute to the Consortium with its

specific expertise about net-working

and career prospects of early-stage

researchers and by advising the

Supervisory Board of the project. The

Chair of the Greek Chapter agreed to

be directly involved in the

implementation of all the above

activities. Unfortunately, although the

proposal received a very high score, it

did not reach the threshold for being

funded. Nevertheless, due to its

excellence, the proposal has the

opportunity to be resubmitted next

year. We, thus, aim to the continuous

support of the MCAA Board to such

initiatives that promote science in

Greece.

Participation at the MCAA General Assembly 2016 in Venice. The MCAA General

Assembly 2016 excellently hosted in Venice was warmly supported by Greek

fellows. Overall, 12 MCAA members of Greek origin participated at the event. Four

members of the Greek Chapter (Greek and non-Greek) attended, while during the

event 4 new members were recruited at the Chapter. Several more members had

expressed their interest to attend the GA, however they were not able to find

funding to cover their travel expenses. One great initiative that took place in Venice

was to approach MCAA fellows of Greek-Cypriot nationality, who expressed their

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interest in becoming members of the Greek Chapter. As Cyprus does not currently

have its own Chapter, we discuss creating a common Greek/Cypriot Chapter for the

next year of activities.

Members of the Greek Chapter participating at the MCAA GA 2016 in Venice. From left to right:

Alexios Tamparopoulos, Alexandros Petropoulos, Charalambos Frantzis, Efstratios Fonias, Ioanna

Galani (Chair of the Greek Chapter), Nicolas Das Neves.

Presentation of the Greek Chapter in an event organized by the NCP on Marie

Sklodowska Curie actions. In March 2016, the Chair of the Greek Chapter was

invited to give a presentation on the Greek MSC Alumni organization in an event

aiming to inform the general public about funding opportunities under the MSC

actions. The event was attended by approximately 100 participants who had the

opportunity not only to be informed about the MSC fellowships, but also the

continuous benefits that the MSC Alumni have via their participation in the MCAA.

The event was held in Greek language, while all the presentations are available

online at the official webpage of the NCP

(http://www.ekt.gr/el/events/program/19476).

Annual Greek Chapter meeting. On May 22nd 2016, the Greek Chapter organized its

annual meeting, co-hosted by the National Contact Point, on an event focusing on

MSC Actions and their importance in motility and career development of

researchers. The list of presentators included Maria Tsivertara, DG for Education

and Culture of the EC, who informed the audience about funding opportunities

under the MSC Actions of the Horizon2020 program. The event was a great success,

attended on-site and by live web-streaming by over 100 attendees. One of its

highlights was the panel of MCAA fellows –all members of the Greek Chapter– that

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presented to the audience how their career was benefited by MSC funding

opportunities. The event was held in Greek language, while all the presentations are

available online at the official webpage of the NCP

(http://www.ekt.gr/el/events/program/19732).

Highlights from the Annual meeting of the Greek Chapter, co-hosted with the NCP, as transmitted

via live web-streaming. On the left, a panoramic view of the auditorium, where the meeting took

place, during the presentation of Maria Tsivertara, DG for Education and Culture of the EC (right

panel).

Final Chapter Report. The present report aims to document the first year of

activities of the Greek Chapter. Its role is to inform all members about the activities

of the Greek Chapter during the previous reporting year, and to motivate them to

participate in the activities of next year. Most importantly, the report aims to

inform the EC about the many initiatives the Greek Chapter took during the last

year in order to promote MSC and MCAA actions in the Greek scientific community,

as well as to a greater audience. Having the excellent experience of the first active

year of the Greek Chapter, we hope for a renewal of our funding from the EC, with

the scope to assist the implementation of our goals set for the coming year.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

The table below summarizes all the important events where the Greek Chapter participated

during the reporting period:

Date Activity 24 April 2015 Promotional MCAA event held in Athens, hosted by the

Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens. May 2015 Proposal submission for the establishment of the Greek

Chapter. August 2015 Athens candidacy for hosting MCAA General Assembly

2016. 23 October 2015 Presentation of MCAA and Greek Chapter activities at

Euraxess Roadshow Athens. January 2016 MCAA and Greek Chapter as partner organization to the

ITN proposal of Horizon 2020 'P4-Asthma'. 4-5 March 2016 Participation at the MCAA General Assembly 2016 in

Venice. 15 March 2016 Presentation of the Greek Chapter in an event hosted by

the NCP about MSC fellowships. 22 May 2016 Annual Greek Chapter meeting co-organized with the NCP. July 2016 Annual Greek Chapter report.

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BUDGET

Funding awarded by the MCAA 1000 €

EXPENDITURES

Budgeted (as in initial activity plan)

Executed

Promotional material for advertisement of MCAA actions.

400 € 0 €

Expenses covering the events held by the Greek Chapter (Booking of auditorium and catering).

800 € 530.50 €

Travel expenses refund 600 € 0 €

Greek ‘Alumni of the year’ Award 200 € 250€

TOTAL OF EXPENDITURES 780.50 €

REVENUES

Budgeted

(as in initial activity plan) Executed

«Description» xxx € xxx €

«Description» xxx € xxx €

«Description » xxx € xxx €

«Description» xxx € xxx €

TOTAL OF INCOMES 0 €

Add as many rows as needed

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CHAPTER’S CONTRIBUTION FOR MCAA MISSION

The MCAA Greek Chapter dates only one year of activities; we are proud though to say

that it has been a very fruitful year, with the organization and attendance in several

events. Most importantly, the Greek Chapter achieved in fulfilling MCAA overall goals,

such as:

1. Bring together former and present MSC fellows. With the establishment of the

Greek Chapter, the local community of MSC fellows in Greece gained access to an

online platform where they could interact and exchange knowledge. This proved to be

particularly useful for new MSC members who had questions about their fellowships,

and could be offered assistance by former alumni.

2. Promote networking with MCAA international community. The Greek Chapter

includes members of non-Greek nationality that chose Greece as their host for their

outgoing fellowships. The on-line platform gave them the opportunity to interact with

their Greek fellows. Moreover, the participation at the MCAA GA 2016, gave the Greek

alumni the opportunity to interact with the global MCAA community.

3. Advertise MSC and MCAA actions. During the first year of activities, the Greek

Chapter organized and participated in several events that aimed to advertise MSC

fellowships and MCAA benefits. Via these activities, a general audience was informed

about the motility opportunities that MSC actions offer to fellows, and the continuous

support that MCAA offers to the alumni.