EEA Scholarship Programme

Programme Summary

Why is the programme needed? The EEA Scholarship Programme Slovakia will finance international cooperation in the education sector, which is acknowledged as an important instrument in the effort to increase the quality and relevance of national education, educational processes and education management. There is a lack of available funding at both European and national level supporting international education partnerships. The programme will contribute to filling a funding gap in Slovakia in regard to support for education sector cooperation with the Donor States and individual student and staff mobility in the higher education sector. What will the programme achieve and who are the beneficiaries? The programme will increase higher education student and staff mobility, as well as strengthen inter-institutional cooperation between higher education institutions and institutions on upper secondary level in Slovakia, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Higher education students, and teachers, leaders and other staff of higher and secondary level education institutions can participate in the programme. The programme is expected to have a high multiplier effect, taking advantage of the direct and indirect impact of participation in the programme on both the individual participants and the collaborating organisations. How will it be achieved? The programme will support projects under 4 different measures: • Preparatory visits and meetings in order to establish or further develop cooperation between institutions; • Mobility projects in higher education aiming at long-term student and PhD student mobility as well as short term teaching assignments of academic staff. Around 50 persons will receive mobility grants; • Inter-institutional cooperation projects between higher education institutions; • Inter-institutional cooperation projects in education/training at secondary education level of education. Around 13 projects will receive funding. The programme enables cooperation based on bottom-up approach, i.e. there are no pre-defined priority topics. Beneficiaries involved in inter-institutional cooperation shall be given the possibility of choice from a broad list of activities: e.g. development or preparation of new teaching aids and methods, organisation of intensive courses, conferences, seminars, training, workshops, summer schools etc., or a combination of these, so that they can meet their needs in the area of institutional cooperation or increasing the quality of the educational processes and/or management. How will bilateral relations be strengthened? The programme will directly address networking, exchange, sharing and transfer of knowledge, methods, experience and good practice between Slovakia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The Programme Operator, in collaboration with the Donor Programme Partners (DPPs) RANNIS, AIBA, and SIU, will actively contribute to the broadening of opportunities for cooperation at secondary-school and higher education level. The DPPs will have an invaluable role in advising the programme operator and informing the target groups and the general public in their countries on the opportunities available through the programme. What are the partnership opportunities? As all projects must include a partner from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and/or Norway, the programme is particularly well-suited for bilateral or multilateral partnerships. In order to initiate the cooperation and/or prepare project proposals funding for preparatory visits and meetings are available to Slovak, Icelandic, Liechtenstein and Norwegian higher education institutions and secondary schools. Application can be submitted in late 2013 and in 2014. Starting from 2014 calls for proposals for mobility projects and inter-institutional cooperation projects will be announced. HEIs can jointly apply for projects of inter-institutional cooperation with a budget from €50,000 to €120,000, and upper secondary schools can apply for €30,000 - €100,000. HEIs focusing only on mobility of students, PhD students and teachers’ mobility within mobility projects can apply for €25,000 - €80,000. There will be 6 open calls announced within the duration of the programme. Who can apply for funding under this programme? Higher education institutions (HEIs) or secondary schools situated and registered in Slovakia are eligible to apply. An applicant must have at least one partner from at least one Donor State – Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Project partners must also be HEIs or secondary schools. Partners from private and non-profit sector may participate in the projects as experts. These sectors may also offer placements, internships and practical training to HEI and PhD students, secondary-school students and teachers as part of the projects.