Task number	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:

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 & Sub-Tasks

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

List of activities	Activity title	Activity description	Deadline
1	Introduce the new partners to the achievements and lessons learned from phase one and to Quality Assurance practices.	The new partners have been associated with the project's activities since June 2021, resulting in an easier and shorter acquaintance process.	(M1-M2)
2	Update the general synoptic assessment of partner Quality Assurance systems.	Building on phase one benchmarking by the QEB, by including the new partners' QA systems frameworks. Update and adopt the UNITA Quality Assurance policy to be implemented at partner and alliance level, with quantitative and qualitative indicators fitting the new WP and Tasks structure. Define opportunities of partner Quality Assurance synergies, further developing the common Quality Assurance policy respecting different institutional/regional/national contexts. Together with TTs 1.2 and 5.4, agree on the methodology for the evaluation of progress, processes, cost-efficiency, and deliverables, including systematic feedback from students, staff and stakeholders. Update the Quality Assurance plan by drawing a map through a logical table relating Tasks and indicators, defining all the processes to reach the objectives, and building a management quality system with procedure and codification for each process or activity. Train all the Task teams to the quality assurance policy and plan.	(M3-M12)
3	Implement and test the evaluation of progress, processes, cost-efficiency, and deliverables of the first year.	Producing a report for the QEB. Support the QEB in the production of the annual report with recommendations for the Governance Board (GB). Monitor the implementation of the corrective actions decided by the GB and evolve the quality assurance requirements and plan accordingly. Repeat evaluations emphasising identified areas of improvement. Evaluate and realize the independent assessment given by an external European Evaluation Agency, accommodating modifications in the interest of improvement. Draw lessons from the implementation of the quality assurance plan integrating best practices based on an inventory, mapping of the main QA processes on teaching, research, and public engagement.	(M13-M48)
4	Co-develop together with TT1.1 and disseminate the UNITA Quality Assurance strategy.	Matching with the ambition of developing a model of European University. Internally disseminate the strategy to all actors and in particular to the Quality Assurance Boards of the partners. Benchmark Quality Assurance strategy and practices with other European Universities by organizing and participating to mutual learning workshops.	(M24-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)

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

To be defined by T5.4 members previously to interviews and to be proposed to task co leader

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

To be defined by T5.4 members previously to interviews and to be proposed to task co leader

Sub-Indicator Description	Parent Indicator	Type
Range of partners involved in the calls	Number of researchers in the cartography	Outcome
Number of researchers participating to the Advanced Grant calls	Number of summer-winter schools / BIPs organized by the research hubs	Outcome

Data collection

Indicator Description	Data Source	Collection Type	Data Owner
Number of accesses to the cartography	Cartography	Automatic	person in charge of the cartography at USMB
Number of researchers in the cartography	Cartography	Automatic	person in charge of the cartography at USMB
Number of submitted proposals for European calls per hub	HUB leaders	Manual	HUB leaders
Range of partners involved in the calls	Cartography	Manual	person in charge of the cartography at USMB
Number of international research projects involving at least 2 UNITA partners	HUB leaders	Manual	HUB leaders
Number of research Hubs	Minutes of GB	Manual	Task Team 4.2
Number of summer-winter schools / BIPs organized by the research hubs	HUB leaders	Manual	HUB leaders
Number of joint publications in each hub	HUB leaders	Manual	HUB leaders
Percentage of projects submitted for starting grant calls that apply for advanced grant calls	UNITA Offices	Manual	Task Team 4.2
Number of projects in the cartography for each hub	Cartography	Automatic	person in charge of the cartography at USMB
Number of researchers participating to the Advanced Grant calls	HUB leaders	Automatic	HUB leaders

Milestone/Deliverable	Description	Date
MS6	Establishment of thematic research hubs	10/31/2026
D4.2	UNITA thematic research hubs implemented	10/31/2026

Outcomes

Source documentation:

Actions – Tasks – (Deliverables)	Achieved Outcomes
Report on UNITA thematic research hubs Describing the actions undertaken to develop the existing hubs and create new ones, defining their structure, functioning, and impact on the different stakeholders. (Electronic format. In English with summary in each partner's national language. ± 50 pages).	Identification of strategic hub for the alliance: Bringing together scientific communities of each partner Publication potential Connection to Master & PhD programs Sharing infrastructures Ability to mobilize the scientific community: Summer schools for PhD and Master students Workshops Communication tools Ability to develop international research projects: PhD co-tutelles Horizon Europe National projects Connection to citizens and territories: Actions aiming at disseminating research results Actions connected to socio-economic partners

1) How have the actions contributed to achieve UNITA’s goals? The task has a very strong interplay with other tasks, in particular those of the WP4 (territorial interfaces, sharing of infrastructures, graduate schools) and T5.2 (financial sustainability and project engine). Moreover, the cooperation with task 2.3 on the matching events and the ideal chain linking matching events, starting grants and advanced grants is necessary to create a community among researchers.

2) What are the benefits of the actions for the alliance partners? How does UNITA transform the partners? The contamination born from sharing knowledge will allow to develop new knowledge and new research ideas, allowing each partner to become stronger in the research field. The creation of research hubs at a European level will also allow the partners to get a better acknowledgement of their research activities and success.

Impacts

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

Indicators' data sheet

Description	Unit of measurement	Source of data	Frequency	Baseline (2022)	Target 2027	Possible sub indicators
Number of research Hubs (primary indicator)	Figure	Minutes of GB	Each year	3	6
Percentage of projects submitted for starting grant calls that apply for advanced grant calls (secondary indicator)	Figures	Submission system – UNITA offices	For each AG	0 (2024)	30%	Number of researchers participating in the Advanced Grant calls
Number of submitted proposals for European calls per hub (secondary indicator)	Figures	Hub leaders	Each year	3	10	Range of partners involved in the calls
Number of joint publications in each hub (secondary indicator)	Figure	Hub leaders	Each year	??	??
Number of international research projects involving at least 2 UNITA partners (secondary indicator)	Figure	Hub leaders	Each year	1	3 (total by end of UNITA 2 project)
Number of summer-winter schools / BIPs organized by the research hubs (secondary indicator)	Figure	Hub leaders	Each year	4	20
Number of researchers in the cartography (primary indicator)	Figure	Cartography	Each year	600	2000
Number of projects in the cartography for each hub (secondary indicator)	Figure	Cartography (person in charge at USMB)	Each year	600	1500
Number of accesses to the cartography (secondary indicator)	Figure	Cartography (person in charge at USMB)	Each year	1000	5000

Data collection