Work programme
Work packages
CO-REACH will initially undertake a five-year programme of work, designed to build mutual understanding and trust between the CO-REACH partners. Partners will cultivate incremental levels of practical cooperation and collaboration. The work will be carried out in 6 workpackages (WP).
Workpackage 1
WP1 is devoted to building the foundations of the CO-REACH network and managing it during the full five-year period of the project. The WP has four specific objectives:
- To put in place and to maintain the necessary structures, systems and processes required for the management of CO-REACH.
- To strengthen the network by expanding its European membership
- To promote the network's visibility and strategic role in strengthening European S&T relations with China by fostering its engagement with other relevant international networks, fora, programmes, organisations and other, ad hoc initiatives
- To develop a strong partnership with the Chinese counterparts by fostering their input and participation in CO-REACH activities.
Workpackage 2
This work package focuses on mapping and benchmarking European bilateral programmes with China. In doing so, it seeks to realise the following four objectives:
- To provide a detailed and comprehensive overview of the nature, scope and content of CO-REACH partners various bilateral programmes with China
- To benchmark the programme management systems and identify best practice programme management choices
- To ensure that network partners regularly share information about ongoing developments related to their bilateral programmes with China
- To make the programme information collected and updated by the network available to a wider audience of European and Chinese S&T policy makers, programme officers and researchers.
Workpackage 3
The overall purpose of WP3 is to prepare the ground for transnational cooperation and coordination that CO-REACH partners have committed themselves to. The specific objectives are:
- To determine existing overlaps and complementarities, as well as important differences between the network partners programmes
- To highlight practical opportunities for and barriers to transnational cooperation and coordination, and develop solutions for possible barriers
- To develop a programme design, management and evaluation protocol and, if necessary, a programme management web tool for use in setting up joint European programmes of research cooperation with China.
Workpackage 4
This WP focuses on building up trans-national cooperation and coordination between CO-REACH partners by implementing (some of) the recommendations made during WP3 (Task 3.3) and agreed on by the CO-REACH Board. The WP has four specific objectives, namely:
- To increase the extent and depth of practical collaboration between CO-REACH partners by developing a series of joint activities between existing China programmes
- To promote the networking of researchers participating in CO-REACH partners programmes, as well as the clustering of their activities
- To secure the input of such researchers in the network' s cooperation and coordination plans
- To develop a plan of action for launching one or more new joint European programmes of research cooperation with China
Workpackage 5
In WP5 two new CO-REACH programmes of research cooperation with China will be launched. Each of these programmes will have a pilot phase of three years. As such, the specific objectives of this WP are twofold, namely:
- To test the functionality of funding programmes of research and/or research-related activities between Europe and China on a transnational basis
- To prepare the way for the CO-REACH network's successful launch of the main phases of these programmes.
Workpackage 6
WP6 seeks to anchor the CO-REACH network and ensure its longer-term continuity. The activities undertaken during this WP are intended to:
- Evaluate the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the CO-REACH network and its activities
- Secure the future development of CO-REACH.
