About NGI
The NGI initiative, launched by the European Commission in the autumn of 2016, aims to do things very differently from the research and development activities of past programmes. The NGI initiative aims to shape the future internet as an interoperable platform ecosystem that embodies the values that Europe holds dear, including openness, inclusivity, transparency, accountability, privacy, cooperation, protection of data and information, and freedom. Since its launch, the NGI initiative has been developed to drive this technological revolution by attracting smaller-scale project teams, with an expressed emphasis on high impact innovators, to bid for regular open calls on a number of relevant NGI topics. These topics span the domains of privacy and trust enhancing technologies, decentralised data governance, discovery and identification technologies, strengthening internet trustworthiness with electronic identities, service and data portability, and open Internet architecture renovation, and many more, while contributing to making the future internet more value-centric, human and inclusive for all citizens.
About NGIatlantic.eu
- 1. What is NGIatlantic.eu?
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Over its lifetime, NGIAtlantic.eu will launch 5 open calls for proposals, with a total of €2.8 million available for European organisations, with US-based counterpart organisations being funded by US funding agencies, willing to carry out high-quality research & innovation activities on NGI experimental platforms. The purpose is to develop collaborations between EU and US research teams around the technical challenges posed by the vision of developing a more human-centric Next Generation Internet.
For more information visit our About page
- 2. What are the Open Calls?
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They are calls for proposals that are open to EU-US teams (the "Applicants"). The proposals should be submitted by the EU Applicant addressing the NGI technical challenges described in the Call text.
- 3. What is the Twinning Lab?
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The Twinning Lab is a virtual ecosystem on the NGIatlantic.eu platform that will support researchers, hi-tech start-ups, SMEs and Internet-related EU & US communities to find an ideal counterpart, in the US as well in the EU, to collaborate on their NGI experiments. The Twinning Lab can provide a matching facility for the establishment of complementary partnerships addressing NGI challenges across a number of topics.
The Twinning Lab supports NGI specialists to:
- Discover existing experimental platforms and research teams in the EU and US;
- Help find a partner to submit a EU/US proposal to fund a given NGI experiment to the NGIatlantic.eu Open Calls.
Click here to discover more and join the Twinning Lab.
- 4. What is the EPE, the External Pool of Evaluators?
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The EPE, or External Pool of Evaluators, is a panel of independent experts in the various priority domains of the NGIatlantic.eu Open Calls. The EPE members evaluate the proposals submitted by the applicants. They apply to this important role via a dedicated, continuous Open Call, and are selected and retained under contract on the basis of proven experience and expertise. The Evaluators will be remunerated by objectives (no. of applications evaluated) at a daily rate of 400 Euro. All evaluations are to be carried out remotely, accessing the online NGIatlantic.eu Open Call facility.
You can join the EPE by submitting your application here. You can submit the application in your personal capacity or via the organisation you belong to.
- 5. What is the EAG?
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During its life time, NGIatlantic.eu will avail itself of an External Advisory Group (EAG), a body of EU/US experts selected from various backgrounds such as academia, business associations and industry (including SMEs), to become part of the organisational and governance model of the initiative. Members of the EAG who have already endorsed their support before launch of the Project include existing consortia members from the EU’s NGI projects and the US-EU programme. The main role of the EAG is to provide information and guidance in relation to the synergies between the US and EU initiatives that are active in NGI, as well as to discuss and provide guidance on the priority topics of the various Open Calls.
About our Open Calls
- 1. What are the Open Call priority topics?
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The Open Call priority topics are the prime challenges the NGIatlantic.eu EU – US proposals will need to address. They are listed in the call text here and they are derived from the EU’s Next Generation Internet Initiative (NGI) related topics, which include privacy and trust enhancing technologies, decentralised data governance, discovery and identification technologies, and others. The future open calls topics will also be further refined on the basis of the recommendations made by the EAG and other priorities emerging as a result of experience gained from the more recently started NGI open calls; for instance, on strengthening internet trustworthiness with electronic identities, service and data portability and open Internet architecture renovation.
- 2. Which platforms should I use for my proposed experiment?
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It is the responsibility of the proposers to have the experimental platform as part of their EU-US team, if applicable to the project. As some examples (not exhaustive), in terms of EU – US experimentation, there are platforms such as FED4FIRE+, 5G-PPP, or the ones from US’s relevant Internet programmes, including the NSF’s wired funded programs, ENTeR / GENI, FABRIC, and Future Cloud Platform, and Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) and dedicated US-EU Internet Core & Edge (ICE-T) programmes. Other examples are Open radio, SDR, SDN, massiveMIMO, optical, etc. As more technical options are available to you, please feel free to contact our Twinning Lab to see if any others have made themselves available.
- 3. Who can apply to the Open Calls?
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Applications to the Open Calls can be made by both private and public organisations (not individual researchers), located within the EU Member States or Associated Countries, twinned with a US counterpart for execution of the work programme proposed. The application will be made by the EU team member, and funding will be limited to coverage of the work to be carried out by the EU team.
- 4. Can a UK-based organisation participate in the NGIatlantic.eu open calls?
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Yes. There is no restriction on UK-based legal entities to participate and receive funding in the NGIatlantic.eu open calls. According to the guidelines available at https://www.ukri.org/research/international/ukri-eu-exit/, UK-based legal entities can continue to be fully eligible to participate and receive funding in the current Horizon 2020 programme, as if the UK were a Member State until the closure of the programme. This includes participation to open calls such as those being run by H2020 projects such as NGIatlantic.eu. This applies to all calls and exceptions, if any, will be specified at call/topic level.
- 5. Can we apply to another RIA’s open calls at the same time as applying to NGIatlantic.eu open call?
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There is nothing to prohibit application to NGIatlantic.eu at the same time as application to a RIA call, however, under no circumstances is double funding for the same activity admissible. The main aim of NGIatlantic is to incentivise EU-US teams to carry out experiments of results on EU and/or US based experimental platforms. Under an RIA, you will not necessarily have a US partner already NGIAtlantic.eu implies i). something to experiment ii. a US partner, under the topic of the call text. Close attention should also be given to the Open call text as NGIatlantic.eu’s open calls programme is designed to mirror the other NGI RIA's open calls topics as and when their 3rd party project's results are going to be available for experimentation with US teams. Therefore, it may be a little early for experimentation in your topic or project idea if the other RIA you are applying to is just starting. With this in mind, if the other RIA you are applying to is just starting, it would probably be more prudent to first apply to the RIA’s open call and, after results are obtained, apply to NGIAtlantic.eu in a later call, when more focus will be given to the topics in the recently started RIA for experimentation of the results with a US team.
- 6. If some research and innovation activities are necessary prior to experimentation would such a proposal be eligible to apply to NGIatlantic.eu?
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A project requiring joint R&I and experimentation would be most suited for a LT project (max 6 months duration), which is designated as a longer term R&I project. The proposal could balance the R&I with the experiments. For example, a balance of 40% of effort on R&I to achieve the results and 60% devoted to experiments of the results would be considered as a suitable balanced proposal.
- 7. Are submissions including more than one EU or US partner eligible?
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Applications are encouraged from an EU-US team formed of one partner per side. In exceptional circumstances, to be adequately described, applications from teams formed of more than one partner per side may be considered eligible on a cases by case basis.
- 8. Are there an restrictions as to a EU based organisation affiliated to a US organisation make an application as a EU-US team?
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We feel this is not in the spirit ot the EU-US cooperation in the Open Call text. While work could be carried out in cooperation with the US affiliate, a third US party independent of the EU or US affiliates would be required to carry out the project.
- 9. The Open Call states that EU partners have to team up with US partners. Can the US partner be any US organization, or is this limted to the organizations providing the testbed to carry out experiments?
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There are no restrictions posed as to the type of US partner, simply the limitation that US activities are not covered by the Open Call funds, so alternatives must be sought, such as funding from the NSF (or even self-funding). As stated in the Open Call text, the experiments can also be run on EU-based platforms, such as FED4FIRE, however there is still an obligation to be partnered to a US organisation for the experiments.
- 10. I have an idea for a proposal to the 1st Open Call, how do I get in touch with possible US partners interested in developing the experiment?
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It is the resposibility of the EU applicant to find their own US partner, however, our Twinning Lab, has been designed to help the process as it provides a devoted space for EU/US researchers to connect and establish transatlantic partnerships. Once registered to the Twinning Lab, our US partners will also check your profile against funded projects in the US. We also encourage EU participants to check with our sister projects, Think-Nexus and NGI Explorers, who also have numerous contacts in the US.
- 11. How can I apply?
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Submission of a proposal to the Open Calls will be a simple process to be completed entirely online through this website.
Each Open Call has a dedicated page with detailed information and the link to access the application process:
1st Open Call - 1 April - 29 May 2020
2nd Open Call - 3 August - 30 September 2020
3rd Open Call (not launched)
4th Open Call (not launched)
5th Open Call (not launched)
More questions?
- 12. What is the total funding of the NGIatlantic.eu Open Calls? What budget can I apply for with my proposal?
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NGIatlantic.eu has a budget of 2,800,000 Euro to be distributed to successful applications made to the Open Calls envisaged from April 2020 - November 2021. The budget allocated to each call will be set depending on the priority topics published in the call text. Applications can be made for a budget ranging from a minimum of 25,000 Euros to a maximum of 150,000 Euros, dependent on whether it is a Long Term (LT) project of 6 months duration, or a Short Term (ST) project of 3 months duration. ST projects have a funding range from 25,000 Euros to 75,000 Euros and LT projects have a funding range from 50,000 – 150,000 Euros.
- 13. What are the eligible costs of my proposal?
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All EU organisations will detail the costs of their proposals, specifying the amounts in the following budget categories only: personnel, travel & subsistence, and flat rate overhead, which shouldn't exceed 25%.
- 14. Can I include costs for equipment in my proposal to the Open Calls?
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No. The only admissable costs for funding under NGIatlantic.ue Open Calls are personnel and travel and subsistence, to which a flat-rate, 25% overhead will be added automatically during the online proposal process.
- 15. Who evaluates the application?
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All applications will be submitted to the NGIatlantic.eu independent External Pool of Evaluators for evaluation. Each application will be assigned three separate evaluators and the ranking of the call determined on the average of the three scores assigned.
- 16. Is it mandatory to be partnered to a US team to apply?
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Yes. As the basis of the initiative is to establish joint EU-US experiments, it is mandatory that each EU team is partnered with corresponding US team. Funding will be provided by NGIatlantic.eu to cover the costs of the EU team only.
- 17. Will all the Open Calls be focused on the same topics?
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While the initial priority topics have been established, as outlined in question 1 above, slight adjustments and modifications may be made to each Open Call on the basis of the previous ones and new emerging priorities in NGI.
- 18. My proposal idea is matching some of the key NGI technologies and experimental platforms, but not exactly matching the Open Call priorities: would such a proposal be taken into consideration?
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The NGI programme is agile by its very nature.
In our opinion, provided that your proposal addresses some parts of the call (e.g. EU-US collaboration on key NGI technologies such as 5G, with experimentation of the results on a EU or US experimental platform), while not a perfect match to the Open Call topics, it should be submitted for consideration.
Please contact us at info[at]ngiatlantic.eu and we will discuss with you about the potential suitability of your proposal idea.
- 19. Will my proposal that was not selected for funding, be automatically included in the submission for the next call and evaluated again?
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No. The proposal submitted will be valid only for the Open Call under which the application was made. However, a proposal not accepted for funding may be re-oriented and submitted again, also taking into account the comments of the EPE and the following Open Call priority topics, to subsequent calls.
- 20. I am based in the US, is my organisation eligible to be funded under the Open Calls?
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No. Funding is limited to coverage of the activities to be carried out by the EU research team with which the US team is twinned. US teams will have to either sustain their own costs or refer to the US-based research funding schemes.
- 21. How will I need to justify the funds granted?
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The funds are to be justified on the basis of standard deliverables to be submitted, reporting on the progress of the work and results obtained upon its conclusion.
- 22. I have registered as a user, can I change my profile and become an applicant?
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Yes. You may change your profile at any time. Further information will be requested if you wish to register as an applicant.
- 23. I am an External Evaluator; can I submit a proposal?
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To ensure fair and impartial conditions for each team making an application to the Open Calls, proposals from members of the EPE will not be accepted as eligible for funding. If someone in the same organisation as the EPE applies, the EPE member will be recused from evaluation on those proposals. Further, each EPE will sign, under their own responsibility, a declaration of no Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality for any proposal evaluated.
- 24. Can EU/UK researchers from different institutes work on one proposal, and collaborate with US partners?
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Yes, partners can come from different institutes
- 25. Can a US company with no experience in NSF programmes be part of a consortia?
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Yes. Experience and qualifications of the applicant are one of the evaluation criteria, but there are no limitations in this sense.
- 26. Can I apply more than one proposal? What happens if my team wins more than one?
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Proposals are evaluated by independent teams of evaluators and ranked individually. In the final screening we will ensure that the projects satisfy the double funding and operational capacity checks of the NGI programme
- 27. Are there any suggested/enforced starting dates for the projects?
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It is our preference that the indicative start date of the project will be in the month immediately following the contract signatures.
- 28. If dissemination activities are not included in the kind of projects to be funded, how much user testing should be included or not included and how are results to be logged and published?
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Dissemination is mainly covered by the main NGI Programme and we should avoid double funding on this specific field. There is a bit of flexibility on the dissemination PMs allowed, but cannot be accepted for a relevant part of the budget.
- 29. If we submit the Twinning Lab form with an overview of our idea, partner in the EU and partner in the US, will we get feedback on the adequacy of the idea, the technology and the consortium?
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Yes, but please contact us directly as soon as you submit your idea to the Twinning Lab
- 30. The experiments funded on the first call seem to be very academic, we are applied researchers and practitioners, testing to develop a product, is this call for us?
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Yes, the call is open to innovators and practitioners as well.
- 31. Which US facilities fit well for cloud-based services and experiments?
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Some examples: Cloudlab, ExoGENI
- 32. The experiments funded on the first call seem to be very academic, we are applied researchers and practitioners, testing to develop a product, is this call for us?
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Yes, the call is open to innovators and practitioners as well.
- 33. Can the US partners of NGIatlantic.eu participate in the Twinning Lab and Open call projects?
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Yes, the US members of the NGIatlantic.eu project can participate in the Twinning Lab and Open call projects as a partner in an EU – US team in the open calls due to the following reasons: 1. The US partners were carefully selected since they are involved at least two of the most important experimental platforms in the US PAWR ecosystem, namely NSF funded COSMOS and POWDER, and it is important these platforms are available for participation in the open calls; 2. The US partners are unfunded partners of NGIatlantic.eu, as they are participating via the EU – US implementation agreement in which US partners receive no EU funds; 3. The US partners are excluded from the process of reviewing the EPE members for selection; 4. the evaluation of submitted projects by the EPE is entirely independent of all of the NGIatlantic.eu partners, including the US partners; 5. The applicant / department involved cannot be involved in any of the monitoring activities of their involved projects.
- 34. What are the types of travel envisaged?
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A. In normal times, we would recommend for LT type projects (6 month duration) to plan at least 3 travels planned for
a. kick-off with the US project team and getting set up on the exp. platform,
b. mid-term prototype experiments, and
c. final experiments and workshop.
Accordingly, for ST type projects (3 month duration), we recommend at least 2 travels.
B. As we are still dealing with the COVID-19 crisis and a block on travel from a number of EU Member States to the USA is still in effect, the applicants should consult with their institutions and local policy makers in relation to policies on travel restrictions in the envisaged period of the project, if successful, and reflect accordingly in your application.
About the Call for External Evaluators:
- 1. How can I apply to become a member of NGIatlantic.eu's External Pool of Evaluators (EPE)?
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As the Open Call for the External Pool of Evaluators is a continuously open one, you may apply to become a member of the Pool at any time by filling in the application form and attaching your CV. Please note that in order to complete your application, you need to be registered to the NGIatlantic.eu website.
- 2. I am an External Evaluator; can I submit a proposal?
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No. To ensure fair and impartial conditions for each team making an application to the Open Calls, proposals from members of the EPE will not be accepted as eligible for funding.
- 3. Where do the evaluations take place, do I need to be physically present?
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As all evaluations will be carried out online via the NGIatlantic.eu platform, actual physical presence is not required. All External Evaluators will receive a briefing kit on how to carry out the evaluations of the proposals they will be assigned to.
- 4. What are the application eligibility and evaluation criteria?
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Evaluators will be selected on the basis of their knowledge, experience and proven track-record in the technical areas that will be part of the priority topics of the NGIatlantic.eu Open Calls.
- 5. When does the Open Call for the External Pool of Evalutors (EPE) close?
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The Open Call for the External Pool of Evaluators (EPE) will remain open until a sufficient number of members to evaluate the five Open Calls has been reached.
- 6. I have submitted an application to become a member of the EPE, when will I recieve notification of the outcome?
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Applications for the EPE received up to and including the 31st of March 2020 are currently under evaluation and notification will be given shortly. For applications received after this date up to and including the 30th of April, 2020, notification will be sent during the first week of May, 2020.
About my user profile:
- 1. I have registered as a "normal" user, can I change my profile and become an "applicant" (to an NGIatlantic.eu Open Call)?
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Yes. You may change your profile at any time. Further information will be requested if you wish to register as an applicant.
- 2. Can I delete my user profile?
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Yes. Your user profile may be deleted at any time. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use here.