In order to ensure the smooth implementation of the FLAG-ERA project and to facilitate the internal decision making processes, the following bodies were created: General Assembly (GA), National Representatives Board (NRB) and Executive Board (EB) as well as two Liaison Groups in direct contact with the Human Brain Project and Graphene Flagships. These meet on a regular basis, for instance at the FLAG-ERA Project workshops.
The French Research Agency ‘ANR’ coordinates the Consortium and also fulfils the role of the Joint Secretariat.
Executive Board
The Executive Board (EB) gathers the work package leaders, task leaders, and their supporting staff. The Executive Board assumes overall responsibility for coordination between the parties in relation to the project, for analysing and approving the results, and for proper administration of the project. The Executive Board shall be responsible for the planning, monitoring and reporting of the activities (including contributions to progress reports) as well as the coherence across work packages and tasks. It reports to the General Assembly at the occasion of the consortium meetings. It is chaired by the coordinator (ANR) and co-chaired by the party (F.R.S.-FNRS) in charge of the communication and information dissemination.
General Assembly
The General Assembly (GA) gathers all consortium partners. Associated members participate to the meetings of the General Assembly and are granted a consultative vote. It is the decision body for accepting new members and for approving contractual amendment proposals. It also monitors the work of the Executive Board, and as such is the ultimate decision-making body of the consortium, and takes as input the outcomes of the National Representative Board meetings. The General Assembly is chaired by the coordinator (ANR) and co-chaired by the party in charge of the interface with potential new members.
Liaison Groups
The Liaison Groups (LGs) gather the work package leader and task leaders of the work package in charge of a specific Flagship or non selected Pilot, together with the representatives of this specific Flagship or non selected Pilot. They ensure the daily coordination with these representatives and the specific work to be done together with them. The FLAG-ERA part of each LG is chaired by the leader of the task dedicated to that purpose and, if different, co-chaired by the work package leader.
National Representative Board
The National Representative Board (NRB) gathers national policy level representatives. Ideally these representatives are those standing in the FET Flagship relevant Committee of the Commission. The coordinator, the Joint Secretariat, the European Commission and any other relevant consortium member or stakeholder can be invited as observers. The NRB act as an interface between this Committee and the project operational level. The NRB is chaired by a representative from the country leader of the work package in charge of the non selected Pilots (Italy) and co-chaired by a representative from the country of the coordinator (France). The National Representative Board shall meet at the occasion of the project workshops, at least once a year.
The National Representatives Board ensures the liaison with the FET Flagship related committee of the European Commission. It shall be responsible for:
- Informing the project operational level and in particular the Executive Board on the FET Flagship policy state and possible evolutions;
- Enabling a reporting from the operational level and in particular from the Executive Board to the Member State level on the project implementation, in particular the potential problems that it may have to face while dealing with the other stakeholders (Commission, Flagship Core Projects or joint initiatives in the areas of non selected Pilots);
- Proposing recommendations towards Member States and Commission on the governance and instrument of the FET Flagships beyond the ramp-up phase, the implementation strategies for FET Flagships in H2020, the strategies to activate new Flagship initiatives in H2020;
- More generally, working with the rest of the consortium and with the other stakeholders to develop the Flagship governance structure.