10 Frequently Asked Questions about the ATTRACT Call

The ATTRACT Project will fund 170 breakthrough technology concepts in detection and imaging technologies across Europe. The ATTRACT Call opened on 1st August 2018 and the deadline for applicants to submit their ideas is 31st October (23:59 hours CET).

Are you a researcher or an entrepreneur interested in submitting your breakthrough idea to the ATTRACT Call? Read the 10 most Frequently Asked Questions to find out whether your idea can get funded.

1. Who can apply for the ATTRACT Call?Project proposals shall be submitted as a joint proposal by a group of at least two independent legal entities with their Registered Office in the EU or in H2020-Associated Countries. Individual persons or single entities are NOT eligible for ATTRACT funding.
2. What kind of proposal is the ATTRACT Call for?Project proposals are invited in the following domains: sensors/detectors; front and back end electronics; data acquisition systems and computing; software and integration. There are no limitations to the specific scope of the proposals within these domains. Nevertheless, the ATTRACT Open Call targets proposals with breakthrough innovation potential.The ATTRACT Consortium considers ‘breakthrough innovations’ as highly novel technology concepts, or combinations of existing technology concepts that can lead to a significant increase in their performance or usability over existing ones. They also have the potential to create an entire new range of applications and markets that can change our society.The ATTRACT Open Call does not target incremental innovations, understood as the continuation of existing technologies or practices. For example, in this context, a 20% performance increase or cost reduction is still considered as incremental.
3. Which Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) are the prime target for the ATTRACT Open Call?The ATTRACT Call looks for breakthrough ideas in the field of detection and imaging. Therefore, the TRL is expected to be 2 or 3, as a guideline.
4. How do I submit my proposal?All proposals are submitted by using the eATTRACT proposal submission system. A link is provided at phase1.attract-eu.com and a user manual for applicants is also available.
5. Do the project partners need to come from different countries? What type of legal entities do they need to be?The project partners need not necessarily come from different countries, even one country will do. Project partners need to include at least two independent legal entities having their Registered Office in EU Member States (MS) or H2020 Associated Countries (AC). The composition of the group of participants should support the objective of the proposed work.
6. What deliverables are obligatory if my project is funded by ATTRACT?All funded projects are required to provide the following deliverables:– A final project summary in PDF format of no more than 2,000 characters, including spaces– A poster and PowerPoint presentation– A ‘scientific journal-type’ article summarising the main project results and methodology used to achieve themAll funded projects are required to present the above deliverables at the ATTRACT Final Assessment Conference (FAC) in Brussels.The three above-mentioned deliverables of the ATTRACT funded projects will be of a public nature. Concerning the results generated by the ATTRACT funded projects, the H2020 rules for IP apply.Nevertheless, the ATTRACT Consortium encourages all projects to openly share results beyond what is strictly required. More details about how IP is addressed in the Open Call can be found in the ATTRACT Open Call TPPA.
7. How will the monitoring be performed?The ATTRACT Consortium, supported by the Project Administrative Office (PAO), will perform light monitoring of the funded projects by establishing periodic interactions (e.g. e-mail) with the project coordinators asking for updates on their projects. A monitoring system will be established to give an overview of the technical and scientific progress of the projects over the course of their funding period. The system will:– ensure that the €100,000 is used for its approved purpose– notify the Consortium management bodies of any problems that may arise– encourage the use of a simple but structured layout for the projects, with agreed milestones and deliverablesThe teams of the awarded projects are required to actively assist the work of the PAO and/or its mandated representatives while conducting their monitoring activities. More details of the monitoring process can be found at phase1.attract-eu.com project description details (Work Package 5).
8. What is the timeline for the funded projects?An indicative timeline is given below:– 1st August 2018: Opening of the ATTRACT Open Call– 31st October 2018 at 23:59 hours (CET): Closing of the Open Call– February 2019: Selection of funded projects– April 2019: Signature of the TPPA setting the official start of the project in May, 2019– September 2020: Final Assessment Conference where all the funded projects present their results
9. What criteria must the project coordinator meet, both in terms of legal status within the organisation and in terms of how the CV will be evaluated?There are no particular requirements for the project coordinator as long as she/he is allowed by her/his organisation to submit and coordinate an ATTRACT project and ensures that the authorised person mandated to sign legal documents and the required Power of Attorney by the partners to act as coordinator is fully informed. The project coordinator’s experience does not form part of the explicit evaluation criteria.
10. If my project gets funded, would I need to attend any events organised by the ATTRACT Consortium?Yes, at least one project member must attend the ATTRACT Final Assessment Conference in Brussels (the Conference is currently planned for the 21st-25th September 2020).Although not obligatory, the ATTRACT Consortium will also strongly encourage attendance at:– ATTRACT projects Kick-off Meeting (CERN premises 20th-21st May, 2019)– Pre-Final Assessment Conference event in Grenoble (ESRF premises 15th-17th April 2020)

For any other questions about the Call read the full ATTRACT Call FAQs or contact questions@attract-eu.com.