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EASY-ECO FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How many different e-courses and trainings do you offer?
  2. Am I eligible for an EU Grant if I am of a non-EU nationality?
  3. What does it mean to be “active in research”?
  4. What does the EU Grant cover?
  5. Where should I ask for sponsoring of my participation if I am not receiving an EU Grant?
  6. What does the selection procedure for e-courses and on-site trainings look like?
  7. What does the selection procedure for conferences look like?
  8. Can I participate in an e-course only?
  9. Can I participate at an on-site training only?
  10. How many times can I apply to an e-course/on-site training if I was not selected?
  11. If I have not been selected for the on-site training and would like to reapply for the next, do I need to participate in the next e-course again?
  12. When will I be reimbursed?
  13. Can I participate in an e-course and/or on-site training for a second time?
  14. How many times can I participate at a conference with an EU Grant?
  15. What should I do when I have not received a confirmation email after filling in the online application form?
  16. How can I retrieve a lost password?
  17. I cannot access the training material or download conference proceedings although I am logged on to the website.

 

1. How many different e-courses and trainings do you offer?
We offer one e-course. The content of the e-course does not change beyond small updates to the training material. There is always a different group of people participating in the e-course. However, with the on-site trainings it’s slightly different. Each on-site training offers three case studies, from which every participant selects one. The case studies have a similar structure, but there are always different ones and with new trainers. If you are interested in the topic of a case study it might therefore make sense to visit a second on-site training.

2. Am I eligible for an EU Grant if I am of a non-EU nationality?
Yes, if your research experience is less than 10 years (full-time equivalent), you are eligible for funding through an EU-Grant. (According to the EU requirements up to 30% of EASY-ECO participants can be of non-EU nationalities.) Please see the eligibility criteria at the EU Grants page.

3. What does it mean to be “active in research”?
As a general rule, only persons “active in research” are eligible for funding. That does not mean you need to be working at a public university, but also at a private research institute, consultancy, international, national or regional/local agency, or other enterprise. We understand being “active in research” as working to contribute to scientific knowledge through publication/dissemination activity of results of research which upheld the standards of scientific quality. That includes performing evaluation research (i.e. research on themes such as which evaluation method is useful for which evaluation object, the usage of evaluation etc.) and publishing results in practitioners’ journals. Your involvement in research should be clear from your CV or letter of motivation.

4. What does the EU Grant cover?
The EU Grant for the e-course covers only the e-course fee (i.e. EUR 200). The EU Grant for the on-site training covers the training fee (i.e. EUR 250, including training materials and social program), accommodation, catering and travel costs. In the case of a conference, it covers the conference fee (including the social program and conference materials), living expenses (accommodation and catering), and travel costs. In rare cases we offer “partial EU Grants”, where the participant would cover a portion of the costs of the on-site training (most commonly the travel costs). Please see the Level of Support at the EU Grants page.

5. Where should I ask for sponsoring of my participation if I am not receiving an EU Grant?
If you are not awarded an EU Grant (or are not eligible for one), you can still participate as a self-paying participant. That does not mean, however, that you necessarily have to spend your private money to participate. There are many opportunities for funding beside the EU Grants which we offer to young researchers. In many cases the universities or employers are able to cover at least a part of the costs of the e-course/on-site training (through university grants or internal further education programs). Another option is to search for mobility schemes or further education/adult education programs which support individual applicants offered by national, international or local public agencies. National ministries of education, academic services, national contact points for EU adult education programs such as Grundtvig or Socrates, national contact points for EEA programs and organisations providing technical/development assistance or overseeing the implementation of EU Structural Funds (especially the ESF) are all good places to ask. A third option is corporate sponsorship or private donors/foundations. Many enterprises (including banks) offer research/education funding to outstanding students; the same is valid for various clubs or foundations of private donors. Remember to search for funding opportunities well in advance.

6. What does the selection procedure for e-courses and on-site trainings look like?
The evaluation and selection procedure for the e-courses is conducted by RIMAS, and the evaluation and selection for the on-site courses is conducted by the local host in cooperation with RIMAS. First, various aspects of the application documents submitted by the applicants are scored. The CV is scored covering the following criteria: quality and level of qualification, relevance of qualification, and English and presentation. The letter of motivation is scored using the following criteria: graps of concept, relevance of practice and future use of the acquired competences, and English and presentation. The essay is scored using the following criteria: demonstration of understanding of the concept through choice of theme and references, coherence and structure of writing, imagination and analytical contribution, engagement with own experience, and English and presentation. The applicant can also receive additional score points for references. The applicants are ranked by their total score. In the case of on-site trainings three additional evaluation criteria associated with the applicant‘s performance in the e-course are considered: quantitative performance assessment, qualitative performance assessment, and assessment of the contribution to the learning of others. Secondly, the selection generally follows the ranking of the applicants, with consideration of the following: research experience and EU Grant eligibility, gender, and nationality. In the case of on-site trainings an additional selection criterion is travel distance (as we want to strengthen evaluation culture in the particular region where the training is held and also save costs). Please note that the above criteria are valid for the EU Grant applicants; self-paying participants generally do not need to submit the essay.

7. What does the selection procedure for conferences look like?
The evaluation and selection for the on-site courses is conducted by the local host in cooperation with the scientific board of the conference. The details are similar to the selection procedure used for e-courses, although the documents differ – instead of an essay the abstract of the paper (its timeliness, pregnancy, scientific quality etc.) is considered.

8. Can I participate in an e-course only?
Yes. This is an especially cost-effective option to increase evaluation capacity for participants from developing countries.

9. Can I participate at an on-site training only?
Generally, no. The e-course provides a theoretical basis, a language if you will, to people coming from various backgrounds and scientific disciplines. It also ensures that the case trainer at the on-site training will be able to work with a relatively homogenous group with a certain minimum competence standard without the need for constant explanations of basic concepts. However, if you already possess evaluation experience and are interested in participating only at the on-site training, send us an e-mail with your CV and we will see what we can do.

10. How many times can I apply to an e-course/on-site training if I was not selected?
As many times as you like. Neither is there a penalization for subsequent applications, nor a limited number of attempts. You might consider improving your application documents before re-applying, though.

11. If I have not been selected for the on-site training and would like to reapply for the next, do I need to participate in the next e-course again?
If you have successfully participated in an e-course, you do not have to do so again. However, you will still need to fill in the online application form so we can count with you during the selection process and contact Michal Sedlacko (michal.sedlacko@wu.ac.at). If you have not been accepted due to low performance in the e-course, then you have to reapply for a next e-course. You will also need to fill in the online application form and submit your application documents anew.

12. When will I be reimbursed?
When you are awarded an EU grant, most commonly you will first have to carry the costs for getting to the event and back home yourself, and will be reimbursed after the event. Please note that the event host will be able to reimburse your travel costs mostly only upon reception of the original travel tickets and invoices, therefore please keep them when travelling and follow the instructions of the event host! The sooner after the event you send the receipts, the sooner the host is able to reimburse your expenses. Reimbursements are usually carried out within several weeks after the host receives your receipts (and most commonly within 3 months following the event).

13. Can I participate in an e-course and/or on-site training for a second time?
Generally, yes. However, within the 2008-2010 project (which contains six e-courses and on-site trainings) you can receive the EU Grant only once. This means that if you want to repeat the e-course or participate at a second on-site training, you need to do so as a self-paying participant (see above). If you have participated at a training in the 2005-2007 period (trainings held in Bratislava, Szentendre, Brasov and Krakow), you can still apply for an EU Grant now, as the training content is sufficiently different from the previous period so as to allow a useful learning experience even for past EASY-ECO participants.

14. How many times can I participate at a conference with an EU Grant?
Up to two times. The “full EASY-ECO participation” covers with an EU grant a first participation at a conference (where you do not necessarily need to present a paper yet as the participation serves to introduce you to the topics and the network), a participation at an e-course and an on-site training (to acquire competences), and a second participation at a conference (where you present a paper which serves as the demonstration of your newly acquired competences). If you are interested to participate in EASY-ECO events beyond this (and we would like you to!), you will have to do so a self-paying participant.

15. What should I do when I have not received a confirmation email after filling in the online application form?
A confirmation e-mail is automatically sent out by the website after filling in Step1 or Step 3 of the online application form. Sometimes, these e-mails are marked as spam by the provider of your mail account and therefore will not be delivered to your mailbox. To check whether your application for an event has been registered, please go to the 'registered users area' and check the 'Your applications' box for the respective entry. If the event is listed, we have received your application. Otherwise, please continue with Step 3 of the application form.

16. How can I retrieve a lost password?
To retrieve your password, please use the login form and leave the password field blank. Your password will then be sent to your e-mail address.

17. I cannot access the training material or download conference proceedings although I am logged on to the website.
Please check whether cookies are enabled in your browser or not. Cookies need to be enabled to access password-protected pages on this website. If your browser does not accept cookies, you will not be able to apply for events, download conference proceedings or access the EASY-ECO training material. A short manual of how to enable cookies is available here: http://www.google.com/cookies.html

EASY-ECO | EvAluation of SustainabilitY - European COnferences & Training Courses

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