UNITA Thematic Research hubs

 1. INPUTS/RESOURCES (OK), 2. ACTIVITIES/SUB-TASKS (OK), 3. OUTPUTS (OK), 4. OUTCOMES (OK), 5. IMPACT (OK), 6. INDICATORS DATA SHEET (OK), 7. DATA COLLECTION (OK), 8. INDICATORS CONFIRMATION (OK).

Task number	4.2
Name	UNITA Thematic Research hubs
Strategic Axes	Education and Pedagogical Innovation, Research and Innovation
Workpackage	Knowledge-based growth in rural, mountain and cross-border territories

Objectives

Strategic knowledge sharing through territorial and inter-territorial communities of stakeholders in research, working on existing and emerging alliance thematic hubs, originating in complementary competences, alliance strategies, SDGs and territorial smart specialisation strategies.

Inputs & Resources

Source documentation:

• UNITA Tasks_Team_List_20231120
• UNITA Budget documents

Resources

• Human Resources: List of staff on the task, roles and position: 32 members (all universities involved).Profiles: Vice-Rector for Research, Vice-Dean, Head of research.
• Financial: Budget allocated to the task: 961.496€, for the Advanced Grants: it is considered that the AG will be roughly destined for 60 % (600 935 €) for travel and subsistence & for 40 % (360 561 €) for other costs (publications fees, event organization...).
• Materials: Type of materials required (computers, software, scientific tools): Not foreseen at the moment – a reflection should be made on communication tools / website and sharing it among the universities (in connection with tasks 4.3 and 5.1).
• Intangible: Type of intangible materials (communication tools, data bases,…): There should be a “research technician” in every hub, but it has not been formalized nor there is any budget in the project.

Activities & Actions

Source documentation: In each WP folder, document entitled “WPx_full_description)

• Task Description – T4.2 description
• GANTT – WP4 GANTT

List of Activities	Activity Title	Actions	Deadline
1	Evolve and update the researcher's cartography.	To include researchers from new and existing partners. Organize a feedback seminar on strategic R&I plans to develop the links between current hubs on new perspectives and thus the updating of the strategic R&I plans, notably the financial endowments of the hubs. An analysis of the publications of all the partners will be performed in order to suggest enrichment of the cartography. This cartography will be continuously updated along the UNITA life, possibly including GEMINAE partners.	(M1-M8)
2	Design, implement and deploy the new hubs and reinforce the existing ones.	In order to establish networks of researchers, making visible their expertise within the alliance and at European level. Organize joint actions to create new thematic hubs to strengthen the impact of the alliance on its territories and beyond, to involve more researchers of all partners, according to a process of co-creation between partners and their stakeholders. An analysis of the publications of all the partners will help identifying scientific themes to which the alliance can contribute significantly in terms of critical size and excellence. Matching events will be organised to define within the academic communities the new joint research projects, and to strengthen exchanges with the partners of the UNITA ecosystem. Accompany the development of the Hubs by a common organizational design based on previous best practices. Each Hub will organize workshops during the project, both on-line and face-to-face, open to socio-economic partners.	(M7-M36)
3	Develop common principles, rules, and procedures informing UNITA Open Science research policy.	Piloted and fine-tuned during actions and events gathering researchers, students, citizens, industry and NGOs representatives. A forum will be organized to share good practices to promote FAIR data development and to incite researchers to open science in line with the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (COARA). New actions aiming at disseminating research results will be developed by mobilizing original tools (videos, comics, STEAM approach, etc.).	(M13-M48)
4	Evolve this common basic organization into more institutionalized international research centres.	Within which research activities will be conducted jointly around an identified program. These emerging centres will embed inter-territorial interfaces (T4.1) shared infrastructures (T4.3) and graduate schools (T4.4) and will operate "outdoor" or/and with physical location. They could give rise to European and national labels of excellence, such as the IRL label of the CNRS in France.	(M36-M48)

Indicators

These indicators have been gathered from the different source (list below) and have been gathered from interviews driven by Task 5.4 UNITA impact observatory.

Source documentation: In each WP folder, document entitled “WPx_full_description)

• Task Description – T4.2 description
• GANTT – WP4 GANTT
• List of Indicators – UNITA indicators

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Primary IndicatorsSecondary IndicatorsSub-Indicators

These indicators have been chosen and agree during the Phase 2 proposal made to the European Commission.

Indicator	Indicator Description	Unit of Measurement	Data Source	Frequency	Baseline	Target	Type
b	Number of researchers in the cartography	Numerical	Cartography	Annual	600	2000	Output
a	Number of research Hubs	Numerical	Minutes of GB	Annual	3	6	Output

These indicators have been chosen and agree during the Phase 2 proposal made to the European Commission.

Indicator Description	Unit of Measurement	Data Source	Frequency	Baseline	Target	Type
Number of accesses to the cartography	Numerical	Cartography	Annual	1000	5000	Outcome
Number of submitted proposals for European calls per hub	Numerical	HUB leaders	Annual	3	10	Output
Number of international research projects involving at least 2 UNITA partners	Numerical	HUB leaders	Annual	1	3	Outcome
Number of summer-winter schools / BIPs organized by the research hubs	Numerical	HUB leaders	Annual	4	20	Output
Number of joint publications in each hub	Numerical	HUB leaders	Annual			Output
Percentage of projects submitted for starting grant calls that apply for advanced grant calls	Numerical	UNITA Offices	For each AG	0.00%	30.00%	Output
Number of projects in the cartography for each hub	Numerical	Cartography	Annual	600	1500	Outcome

These indicators have been chosen and agree during the Phase 2 proposal made to the European Commission.

Sub-Indicator Description	Unit of Measurement	Data Source	Frequency	Type	Parent Indicator
Range of partners involved in the calls	Numerical	Cartography	Annual	Outcome	Number of researchers in the cartography
Number of researchers participating to the Advanced Grant calls	Numerical	HUB leaders	Annual	Outcome	Number of summer-winter schools / BIPs organized by the research hubs

Impact

Source documentation:

• Task and WP long-term objectives Task Description – T4.2 description - WP4 Objectives
• UNITA Mission Statement (from Grant Agreement)

1) Who are the stakeholders benefiting of the task’s actions? to check with the T5.1 list. The territories (industrial partners, local authorities...), the European citizens, the students (master and PHD), the researchers (permanent staff, post-doc, …), technical laboratory staff.

2) To what extent has the local/international society changed as a result of outcomes compared to before UNITA? What are the long term results for them? The above-mentioned contamination of knowledges will impact the society and will also contribute to create an Open Society, in parallel and as a result of the Open Science principles, with a stronger feeling of belonging for the European citizens of the areas and territories where the UNITA universities are located

Sub-task	Targeted stakeholders
Sub-task 1 Evolve and update the researcher’s cartography	* UNITA researchers * GEMINAE researchers
Sub-task 2 Design, implement and deploy the new hubs and reinforce the existing ones	* Researchers * Master students * PhD students * Post-docs * Industrial partners
Sub-task 3 Develop common principles, rules, and procedures informing UNITA Open Science research policy	* University libraries * Researchers * Citizens * NGOs * Institutions (e.g., municipalities) * Industrial partners
Sub-task 4 Evolve this common basic organization into more institutionalized international research centres	* Research laboratories

Task Progress Overview

As part of our ongoing Open Project tracking, we’re surfacing here every activity, action, deliverable, milestone and risk grouped under the task UNITA Thematic Research hubs.

Subject	Start Date	Due Date	Type	Priority	Status	Assignee	Description
4.2.4. Evolve this common basic organization into more institutionalized international research centres			Activity	Normal	To Do
4.2.1. Evolve and update the researchers cartography			Activity	Normal	Done	TL4.2
4.2.2. Design, implement and deploy the new hubs and reinforce the existing ones	2 May 2025	30 January 2026	Activity	Normal	In Progress
4.2.3. Develop common principles, rules, and procedures informing UNITA Open Science research policy			Activity	Normal	In Progress
D4.2 UNITA thematic research hubs implemented			Deliverable	Normal	To Do	TL4.2	Electronic format. In English with summary in each partmer's national language. ± 50 pages. Report on UNITA thematic research hubs describing the actions undertaken to develop the existing hub and creating the new ones, defining their structure and fonctioning and their impact on the different stakeholders. USMB, UNIBS PU
MS06 Establishment of thematic research hubs			Milestone	Normal	To Do	TL4.2	Deployment of the new research hub with defined research areas. Thematic research Hubs report published USMB, UNIBS
R4.2.1 The researchers do not contribute to the thematic Hubs			Risk	Normal	In Progress	TL4.2	Resolution or mitigation action based on the risk response strategy: Grants (started and advanced) will be given to researchers to support the development of collaborations inside UNITA. The UNITA legal entity will develop a support team for the writing of common projects.