Call for Applications in Spinaker 2021

Pursuant to Article 19(1) of the Act of 7 July 2017 on the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, the Director General of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange hereby announces a call for applications to the SPINAKER – International Intensive Programmes (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Programme’).

The main objective of the Programme is the internationalisation of Polish higher education and research institutions.

Specific objects shall be the following:

1)        increase the interest in the education offer of Polish higher education and science institutions among foreign students and doctoral candidates;

2)        increase the participation of foreign students and doctoral candidates in curricula at Polish universities;

3)        expand the offer of intensive international curricula that can be carried out in the form of remote education, as well.

Deadline for submitting applications

The call for applications will be open until 30 November 2021, 3:00 p.m. local time (Warsaw)

Manner of submitting applications

Exclusively in electronic form via NAWA’s ICT system

FILL IN THE APPLICATION

Language of the application

The application has to be made in Polish

Maximum number of applications from one Applicant

Maximum 3 applications

Eligible activities:

1)             creation of intensive international curricula to be carried out in the form of remote learning or blended learning, i.e. combining intramural and remote education;

2)             adaptation of the existing intensive international curricula with regard to:

a)             their internationalisation, i.e. preparing them in other language(s) than Polish and enabling foreign students or doctoral candidates to participate in them, and

b)             their possible implementation in the form of remote education in whole or in part;

3)             recruitment of curriculum/curricula participants;

4)             preparation of teaching staff (trainings or other forms of education) to carry out the curriculum/curricula, particularly in the form of remote education;

5)             implementation of the curriculum/curricula.

Each project has to cover the creation, introduction and implementation of at least one intensive international curriculum.

An intensive international curriculum (hereinafter referred to as IIC) is understood as a short (between 30 and 150 didactic hours) form of education dedicated to students and doctoral candidates from abroad.

An IIC may be carried out, among others, in the form of:

1)             a summer or winter school,

2)             specialist courses,

3)             trainings,

4)             study visits (including abroad),

5)             visits from foreign professors,

6)             additional education offer for curriculum participants,

7)             other forms of raising the attractiveness of international studies.

The Applicant is obliged to ensure that at least 40 students or doctoral candidates from abroad in total participate in the Project (i.e. in one or more IIC); under each Project, one person may participate in only one IIC.

Polish students and doctoral candidates may participate in classes held as part of an IIC in Poland or in the form of remote education, yet the Applicant may not include any costs related to the participation of Polish students or doctoral candidates in the Project budget.

The Applicant may not charge any fees for the participation of foreign students or doctoral candidates in an IIC.

An IIC should be characterised by:

1)             internationalisation, i.e. content and implementation in a language other than Polish as well as participation of foreign students or doctoral candidates;

2)             flexibility, i.e. the possibility to be carried out in the form of remote education in whole or in part;

3)             usefulness, i.e. it is recommended that the curriculum enables the participants to obtain credits (e.g. under the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System or under other systems, such as US College Credit Hours);

4)             attractiveness for foreign students or doctoral candidates, i.e. the curriculum should present interesting topics;

5)             intensity, i.e. the education should be continuous, and if a curriculum involves the visit of foreign students or doctoral candidates in Poland, it can only consist in a person’s one uninterrupted stay in Poland.

IIC should:

1)             contain specialist module(s) and elements that promote the Polish culture as well as Poland as a country that offers attractive educational opportunities;

2)             be adapted to the needs of students or doctoral candidates with disabilities (including by implementing the recommendations following from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0).

IIC may not entail Polish students or doctoral candidates going abroad and participating in foreign curricula.

One Project may cover more than one IIC or several editions of the same IIC.

Forms of documenting the end of Project participation:

1)        for students or doctoral candidates: the participation in IIC has to end with each participant receiving a certificate of participation;

2)        for teaching staff participating in trainings that enhance their teaching competences: the participation in a training or other form of education has to be confirmed with an appropriate document (e.g. certificate).

Applications for funding under the Programme may be submitted by institutions that hold the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education or by scientific institutions that offer education for foreigners including first and/or second and/or third degree studies programme.

A Project may not be implemented in a partner formula.

Project start date and duration

A Project may be carried out between 1 June 2021 and 31 August 2023. A Project may last between 12 and 15 months.

General principles

Applications are subject to formal and substantive evaluation.

Formal evaluation

The purpose of formal evaluation is to verify the applications to ensure that they meet the formal criteria specified in this Call for Applications and in the Regulations of NAWA Programmes for Institutions.

 Substantive evaluation

The purpose of substantive evaluation is to verify the applications to ensure that they meet the qualitative criteria specified in this Call for Applications.

The substantive evaluation of applications under the Programme is carried out by the External Experts based on the following criteria:

Description of criterion

Reviewers

Evaluation Panel

1.

Analysis of the needs/problems of the Applicant institution and the target groups that the Project intends to address

0-15

0-15

2.

The Project’s objectives and their compatibility with the Applicant’s objectives and strategy with regard to internationalisation and with the objectives of the Programme, including the selection of the Project’s target groups

0-20

0-20

3.

Activities under the Project together with their justification and the Project’s results and its impact

0-27

0-27

4.

The Project’s feasibility resulting from the Applicant’s potential and experience and the manner of managing, supervising and evaluating the Project

0-18

0-18

5.

Justification of the costs related to carrying out the planned activities

0-20

0-20

In total:

0-100

0-100

Evaluation weight:

0.4

0.6

Maximum number of points:

100 points

The amount of funding allocated for the implementation of a single Project is between PLN 100,000.00 and PLN 800,000.00.

Eligible costs

1)             Costs of remuneration of persons directly involved in the implementation of the Project, including in particular:

a)              persons involved in the development or adaptation of IIC and IIC teaching materials (including materials in electronic form) – up to 30% of the Project budget;

2)      Remuneration cost of lecturers, trainers or tutors who carry out IIC.

3)             Costs of organising trainings or meetings and other events in Poland or abroad:

a)              costs of participation in a training or another form of education by Polish or foreign teaching staff in connection with their involvement in preparing to carry out IIC;

b)             costs of printing training material.

4)             Travel and subsistence expenses – incurred in connection with the Project:

a)              travel expenses, costs of board, accommodation, visas and accident insurance of Polish or foreign teaching staff in connection with the participation in a training or another form of education preparing them to carry out IIC;

b)             costs of local transport (for foreign students or doctoral candidates and teaching staff) connected to the implementation of IIC.

5)             Costs of purchase of other goods and services necessary to implement the Project:

a)              costs related to the adaptation of IIC to the needs of students or doctoral candidates with disabilities;

b)             costs of recruitment of IIC participants;

c)              other costs of preparing teaching staff to carry out IIC (in the form of intramural or remote education, in Poland or abroad);

d)             costs of operating infrastructure necessary to carry out IIC in the form of remote education;

e)             other costs related to the implementation of IIC.

6)             Purchase of software, equipment and accessories up to the maximum amount of PLN 40,000. Purchase of infrastructure necessary to carry out IIC in the form of remote education,

a)              enabling synchronous and asynchronous interaction between student or doctoral candidate and teaching staff, or

b)             infrastructure that ensures sufficient data transfer for the purpose of the implemented IIC.

Purchase of the above mentioned fixed assets and intangible fixed assets that enables their classification as one-off costs may be deemed eligible under a Project (provided that their initial value does not exceed PLN 10,000).

7)             Scholarships for foreign students or doctoral candidates for the period of their stay in Poland involving their participation in IIC – up to the maximum amount of PLN 5,000 per person; these costs may cover:

a)              travel to Poland and back;

b)             board;

c)              accommodation;

d)             visas;

e)             accident insurance.

The Applicant should explain in the Application the manner of calculating the amount of lump-sum scholarships for the individual target groups. The categories of costs listed in the calculation of the amount of scholarship may not be settled by the Applicant under the Project twice, i.e. they may not be additionally listed as costs settled on the basis of actually incurred expenses (prohibition of double funding).

The total amount of funds allocated for the call is PLN 13 500 000. The Agency reserves the right to increase the amount of funds allocated for the call.

Payment scheme – B, pursuant to the Regulations of NAWA Programmes for Institutions.

Reporting Scheme – B, pursuant to the Regulations of NAWA Programmes for Institutions.

Reporting Scheme – C, pursuant to the Regulations of NAWA Programmes for Institutions.

The results of the Call will be announced by 31 May 2022.

The Programme is funded under the out-of-competition project POWR.03.03.00-00-PN16/18 titled ‘Support for institutional capacity of Polish HEIs through establishment and implementation of international study programmes’ carried out under Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development (hereinafter referred to as PO WER), Priority axis III ‘Higher education for economy and development’, Measure 3.3 ‘Internationalisation of Polish higher education.’ Pursuant to the agreement on the funding of the above project, concluded between the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) and the Intermediate Body for this action (National Centre for Research and Development), NAWA is the beneficiary in this out-of-competition project. An institution which submits an application to a NAWA programme financed under the above out-of-competition project is the final recipient and project participant.