Training and workshops on HORIZONTE 2020 in Bogotá

On June 5th, 6th and 7th, the EU Liaison Office in COLCIENCIAS, the National Contact Points (NCP) of Colombia and the country's scientific community received information and training from the coordination of the ALCUE NET Project with the objective to increase its participation in the HORIZONTE2020 Program.

During a long day the Colombian NCPs met in Bogota where they held their first meeting as a Network of National Points of Contact for the HORIZONTE2020 Program of the European Commission. They trained, defined work plans, identified actions and target groups to enhance their roles in addition to holding networking meetings. The opening of the NCPs training workshop was welcomed by Alejandro Olaya, Deputy Director of Research for COLCIENCIAS. The workshop was led by Soc. Mag. Claudia Romano, Coordinator of the Latin American and Caribbean Network of National Contact Points -Red LAC NCP- and Manager of International Cooperation and Projects in the Ministry of Education and Culture of Uruguay -MEC-, with support from Lic. Florencia Acosta, Project Officer for HORIZONTE2020 in Uruguay and Ing. Angela Goyeneche, National Contact Point Coordinator for Colombia.

The presentation and workshop "Opportunities for financing and participation in HORIZONTE2020" had more than 80 participants from the scientific, academic and business community of Colombia. The opening ceremony was led by Dr. Oscar Gualdrón, Director of Research for COLCIENCIAS and Viktoria Csonka, representative of the Delegation of the European Union in Colombia. The objective has been to strengthen the national capacities of science and technology agencies, researchers and companies to increase the country's participation in the HORIZONTE2020 Program.

The HORIZONTE2020 Program was presented, the mechanisms for participation, the tools for finding calls and for partners, as well as different aspects that contribute to motivate and appropriate the program on the part of the participants. The mechanisms for access and participation conditions for the Marie Sklodowska.-Curie Actions (MSCA) were also presented. The presentations were in charge of Soc.Mag. Claudia Romano, Manager of International Cooperation and Projects of the MEC and Network Coordinator LAC NCP, Lic. Florencia Acosta, Project Officer for HORIZONTE2020 in Uruguay and Ing. Angela Goyeneche, National Contact Point Coordinator for Colombia.