This article belongs to: Step 1: What is it?
Host Driven Action: IRSES: International Research Staff Exchange Scheme
The International Staff Exchange Scheme aims at strengthening research partnerships through staff exchanges and networking activities between at least two European research organisations and one organisation from third countries with which the Community has an S&T agreement. The IRSES provides support to research organisations to establish or reinforce long-term research co-operation through a coordinated joint programme of exchange of researcher staff for short periods. The IRSES targets early stage and experienced researchers, but if appropriate and justified, technical and managerial staff can also benefit from the exchange programme. The duration of exchanges for each researcher or technical/managerial staff member will be for a maximum of 12 months. All partners involved in a joint exchange programme are expected to temporarily "second" their staff and thus continue paying their salary during the stay abroad. For each member of staff from an EU Member state or Associated Country staying in an eligible Third Country partner organisation, the Community will pay a subsistence allowance of €1,800 per month. Partner organisations from eligible Third countries are supposed to cover themselves the costs for their "outgoing" staff.
Examples:
A) An Austrian and a Hungarian university propose an exchange programme with a research institute in Brazil. This programme is eligible.
B) A Dutch research centre and an Estonian university propose an exchange programme with the USA. Staff from the US partner will be seconded to the Netherlands and Estonia, Dutch staff will be seconded to Estonia and the US and Estonian staff will be seconded to the Netherlands and the US. This exchange programme is eligible. However, the subsistence costs for the Estonian staff going to the Netherlands and the Dutch staff going to Estonia are ineligible.
