Tempus is the European Union’s Programme which supports the modernisation of higher education in the Partner Countries of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Western Balkans and the Mediterranean region, mainly through university cooperation projects.
It also aims to promote voluntary convergence of Partner Country higher education systems with EU developments in the field of higher education such as the Lisbon agenda and the Bologna process. In addition to institutional cooperation Tempus also promotes a "people to people" approach.
Tempus provides support to consortia of institutions composed mainly of universities or universitie associations. Non-academic partners can also be part of a consortium.
Objectives
The overall objective of Tempus is to contribute to the creation of an area of cooperation in the field of higher education between the European Union and Partner Countries in the countries neighbouring the EU.
The specific objectives of Tempus are as follows:
* To promote the reform and modernisation of higher education in the Partner Countries;
* To enhance the quality and relevance of higher education to the world of work and society in the Partner Countries;
* To increase the capacity of higher education institutions in the Partner Countries and the EU, in particular their capacity to co-operate internationally and to continually modernize, and to assist them in opening up to society at large, the world of work and the wider world in order:
o to overcome inter-country fragmentation in the area of higher education and inter-institutional fragmentation in countries themselves;
o to enhance inter-disciplinarity and trans-disciplinarity between university faculties;
o to enhance the employability of university graduates;
o to make the European Higher Education Area more visible and attractive in the world;
* To foster the reciprocal development of human resources;
* To enhance mutual understanding between peoples and cultures of the EU and the Partner Countries.
Actions
Tempus finances three types of Actions:
- Joint Projects based on multilateral partnerships between higher education institutions in the EU and the Partner Countries aimed at exchanging knowledge and know-how between EU universities and institutions in the Partner Countries and between Partner Country institutions themselves in certain cases. Joint Projects are implemented at institutional level. They aim to help develop curricula, enhance university governance and address issues relevant for Higher education and society. Joint Projects may include small scale mobility activities of short duration for students, academic staff, researchers, university administrators and companies.
- Structural Measures seek to contribute to the development and reform of education institutions and systems at national level in the Partner Countries. They can address issues linked to the reform of governance structures and systems (qualification systems, quality assurance, etc.) or enhancing the links between higher education and society. Structural Measures can include studies and research, conferences and seminars, training courses, policy advice and dissemination of information.
- Accompanying Measures comprise of dissemination and information activities, such as thematic conferences, studies and activities aiming at the identification and exploitation of good practice, stakeholder consultations, etc.
Joint Projects and Structural Measures are implemented through regular Calls for Proposals, while Accompanying Measures are launched through Calls for Tender or Framework Contracts.
Every year, the Calls for Proposal contain all the necessary information on how to apply for funding and the criteria that need to be met in order to obtain funding.
Programme management
The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) is responsible for the management / implementation of all Tempus Actions and acts under powers delegated by the European Commission.
The formal responsibility for supervising the activities of the Tempus Programme lies with two departments of the European Commission, EuropeAid Co-Operation Office and Directorate-General for Enlargement, since both allocate funds directly to the Executive Agency to manage the Programme. In line with their mandate, Directorate-General for External Relations contributes to the strategic orientations of the Programme and Directorate-General for Education and Culture brings in its sectoral expertise and facilitates linkages with the EU's internal higher education reform policies (Lisbon & Bologna). These two Commission Departments are therefore also associated with the implementation of the Tempus Programme.
Eligible participants
Higher education institutions who wish to implement Joint Projects or Structural Measures in consortia composed of institutions from the EU and the Partner Countries.
Any organisation who will contribute actively to the objectives of the projects (Joint Projects or Structural Measures).
Such organisations may be:
* Associations, organisations or networks of higher education institutions
* Rector, teacher or student organisations.
* Non-governmental organisations;
* Social Partners or their training organisations;
* Chambers of commerce, labour associations or other public or private professional organisations;
* Private or public enterprises;
* Research institutions.
Individual students, university and other staff
Individuals cannot apply directly to the Programme. Individual mobility is not an objective per se of Tempus. Limited and short term mobility of students, academic staff and university administrators may be possible as part of aTempus project, but only as long as it contributes to achievement of the project's objective(s).
Public administrations (Ministries, other national, regional and local administrations) or governmental organisations may also participate in the Tempus programme as partners/co-beneficiaries but may not receive funding from the Grant, with the exception of travel costs and costs of stay. This applies to both Joint Projects and Structural Measures.
'Individual Experts' who are not members of the partnership, may be invited to participate in project activities, provided that their involvement can be justified and will assist all partners in achieving the project's objectives. It is also necessary to justify that their particular expertise cannot be found within any of the Partner Institutions.
Please note that more information on which beneficiaries and participants will be considered eligible is included in the Tempus Calls for Proposal.
Eligible Countries
Tempus IV is open to higher education institutions and to other organisations active in the field of higher education, provided they are established in the EU Member States or in the Partner Countries.
There are four groups of eligible countries:
* 27 EU Member States;
* 4 countries from the Western Balkans region, as well as Kosovo under UN Security Council Resolution 1244;
* 17 countries South and East of the EU and the Russian Federation;
* 5 Central Asian countries.
Institutions from the following five countries may participate in Tempus projects as partners, but only if they finance their participation themselves: Turkey and the EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) and Croatia and fYROM.
Please note that a full list of the countries who are considered eligible to participate in the Tempus Programme is included in the Calls for Proposal.
How to apply?
Each Call for Proposals provides all the necessary information on the application criteria foreach of the Programme's Actions. It specifies the Call's eligible activities, the application criteria and the budgetary allocations. Higher education institutions and organisations active in the field of higher education have to apply centrally to the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency in Brussels in compliance with the application criteria and timetable specified in the relevant Call
There must be one co-ordinating institution that submits the application on behalf of the consortium/partnership/network of participating organisations.
Applicants must be located in an eligible 'applicant country'.
There are certain conditions to be complied with, concerning the composition of the partnership (eg. Number of organisations from each country, total number of partners etc
Deadline: 15 February 2010
For more information: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/tempus/programme/about_tempus_en.php
