Abstract

In 2019, Université Côte d’Azur initiated a transformation process to merge the departments in charge of external fundings, which, led to the creation of the European and Territorial Office. ETO is a one-stop shop gathering policy and project Experts for all type of funding programmes (HE, E+, National Research Agency, etc.) and at any level (local to international). ETO adopts an approach by project, thus creating synergies between funding programmes and supporting the scaling up from the local level to the European and international one.

Within the context of European Alliances, this approach had been valuable as it is aligned with the philosophy to rethink the European Research Area and the European Education Area globally and in synergy. As an example, within the European Alliance Ulysseus, Université Côte d’Azur oversees the development of training, research, innovation and citizen engagement projects related to Ageing and Well-Being. On that note, ETO’s transversal and multi-level structuration favours greatly the development of complementary projects.

At organisational level, ETO relies on three pools:
- Research, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity: covering a range of projects from individual fundamental scientific projects to collaborative projects focusing on innovative hybrid teaching models, and even deep tech projets build with industries.
- Mobility, Career Development and Young Researchers: covering a range of projects from projects linked to teaching and training mobility of students or staff, to individual scientific project carried by junior researchers and, the development of Excellence training PhD networks.
- Strengthening scientific and university cooperation: covering a range of projects from institutional structuration projects, to networking projects and, capacity building initiatives at an international level.
- Within each pool, even though each expert has a speciality (drafting projects, managing projects, supporting administrative and financial project, etc) and programme knowledge major (E+, HE, etc.) the idea is for them to be polyvalent and master all specialties and programmes. Furthermore, all experts contribute to transversal missions, such as but not limited to: call watch, policy analysis, training the community, communication events, etc. This approach allows our Experts to advise wisely and transversally our community. It also supports their career development by deepening and widening their skills, knowledge and expertise. To do so, ETO implemented monthly peer-learning activities for each Expert to teach and transmit his/her expertise to the rest of the team. Additionally, these activities participate to the team building dynamic by triggering valuable sharing moments.

Learning outcomes
Rethinking our organisation:
− Ensures a continuum between training, research&innovation,
− Breaks down the silos between funding programs,
− Supports projects in their scaling-up
− Makes the European and international potential of our community more visible,
− Improves the readiness our services,
− Supports non-academic staff in their career