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FaciLitating Access to Socio-economic ResearcH through Information and Communications Technology

Final Report Summary - FLASH-IT (FaciLitating Access to Socio-economic ResearcH through Information and Communications Technology)

Executive Summary:
The FLASH-IT project has been funded under the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission within the Socio-economic Science and Humanities theme.
The overarching goal of FLASH-IT is to contribute to further and future development of evidence-based policy-making coping with Europe 2020’s priorities through effective dissemination of the policy-relevant results achieved by FP6 and FP7 projects funded within the Social Sciences and Humanities programme (SSH).
FLASH-IT focused on five distinctive priorities, corresponding to those of the Europe 2020 strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive growth plus two global and forward-looking priorities.
The project aimed at improving the uptake of policy-relevant research findings of EU-funded SSH research though the implementation of different activities aiming at:
- Disseminating and valorizing the research results achieved by FP7 SSH projects, through several multimedia tools and promotional materials, in order to let European researchers, policymakers and citizens benefit as much as possible from innovative studies and discoveries in the field of socio-economic sciences and humanities;
- Facilitating opportunities for S&T Policy Dialogue between relevant stakeholders coming both from the SSH field and other research areas financed by the EU through FP7, in order to set up a long‐term communication, collaboration and mutual benefit through the organization of multi-stakeholders’ dialogue workshops
- Promoting the FLASH-IT project to the maximum number of relevant institutions and initiatives, creating an important online community which could take advantage of all the materials uploaded on FLASH-IT website.
In a nutshell, the consortium achieved the following results:
Number of events Outreach
SSH projects disseminated 100 >7000
SSH publications in database 673 >7000
Multistakeholders workshops 4 > 300
Policy overviews 9 10000 contacts (mailing)
1000 downloads on average
Press releases 21 10000 contacts (mailing)
400 downloads on average
Events attended >10 > 1000

Project Context and Objectives:
The overarching goal of FLASH-IT is to contribute to further and future development of evidence-based policy-making coping with Europe 2020’s priorities through effective dissemination of the policy-relevant results achieved by FP6 and FP7 projects funded within the Social Sciences and Humanities programme (SSH).
FLASH-IT seeks to contribute at closing communication gaps currently existing between researchers, policy-makers and multipliers such as:
(i) ineffective dissemination of research results and related policy recommendations
(ii) lack of appropriate strategies and tools for addressing European, national and local decision-makers and multipliers (namely policy-makers, journalists, academics, industry and civil society organisations);
(iii) lack of standardised rules and frameworks for data management related to FP funded research projects’ results.
FLASH-IT mapped and screened policy-relevant research findings from FP6 and FP7 SSH funded projects in order to project them towards the priorities of the strategy Europe 2020 and the Societal Challenges of Horizon 2020. This analysis aimed at capitalizing current research results at the benefit of evidence-based policy-making exercises so to sustain the contribution of Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities research to the future challenges Europe has to face.
Nearly 100 SSH projects have been classified and policy-relevant research results have been collected according to the following clusters and sub-clusters:
1. Smart Growth
a. Indicators, Service Economy & Intangibles
b. Macro-economics, globalization & innovation

2. Sustainable Growth
a. Nexus between Energy, Environment, Transports and Land use
3. Inclusive Growth
a. Social Innovation
b. Employment
c. Demography & Ageing
4. The European Union in the world
a. Global engagement & governance
b. Promoting peace & security
5. Looking ahead on societal challenges
a. scenarios & strategies

Project Results:
FLASH-IT aimed at improving the uptake of policy-relevant research findings of EU-funded SSH research though the implementation of different activities:
DIRECT ACCESS TO POLICY-RELEVANT FINDINGS
An innovative website www.flash-it.eu has been created to provide easy access to more than 600 categorized documents arising from almost 100 SSH research projects. The website contains an interactive database which allows to deepen the search related to specific domains and projects as well as to filter documents and information according to one’s own interest, giving also the opportunity to create an own personalized newsletter.
The website also gives direct access to the project’s social networks accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube profiles).
PUBLICATIONS
FLASH-IT produced two sets of publications providing information on and highlighting the policy relevance of EU-funded Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities projects:
Policy Snapshot series provided thematically focused syntheses of findings emerging from EU-funded SSH projects. Each edition was devoted to a separate research theme and highlighted correlations of findings that could prove useful in informing evidence-based policy-making.
Issue EU Policy Priority Research focus Featured Projects
1 Smart Growth Service economy, indicators & intangible assets COINVEST, IAREG, INDICSER, INNODRIVE, SERVICE-GAP
2 Inclusive Growth Demography and Ageing ASPA, MULTILINKS, REPRO
3 The European Union in the World Promoting Peace and Security EU GRASP, MULTIPART, PRIV-WAR
4 Sustainable Growth Nexus between Energy, Environment, Transport & Land Use PACT, PASHMINA, SPREAD
5 Inclusive Growth Employment NEUJOBS, WALQING, WORKABLE, YOUNEX
6 The European Union in the World Global Engagement and Governance CHINESE VIEWS OF EU, EU4SEAS, EUMAGINE, EUROBROADMAP, MERCURY
7 Inclusive Growth Social Innovation CSEYHP, EDUMIGROM, EUMARGINS, YIPEE
8 Inclusive Growth Social Inequalities GINI, GUSTO, WORKABLE
9 Smart Growth The Financial Crisis FINNOV, POLHIA, FINESS, PEGGED
The 9 Policy Snapshots issues were published by FLASH-IT on the clusters and sub-clusters as indicated in the table.
Developing Flash-IT’s Snapshot series involved careful analysis of Europe 2020 policy priorities in light of results from SSH research projects. The policy focus and the projects examined were selected in collaboration with other Flash-IT partners as well as Project Officers of the SSH unit.

Policy Research Alerts series – monthly topical documents similar to press releases intended to highlight newsworthy, policy-relevant developments in EU-funded SSH research, with an emphasis on project-generated content.
As for Policy Snapshots, feedback was overwhelmingly positive, leading to the decision to expand the series from 19 to 21 issues.
All project’s publications were distributed to target audiences primarily via email, but were also made available for download on FLASH-IT website and were handed out at FLASH-IT workshops and relevant SSH events.
Issue Topic Featured Projects
1 Joint database on intangibles unveiled: EU research playing a vital role INNODRIVE-COINVEST
2 Perennial poor? A major reassessment of poverty in developing countries gets underway NO-POOR
3 Handbook on cultural diversity offers guidance for inclusive societies ACCEPT PLURALISM
4 EU-Funded Research Supports Policy Learning on Employment 17 EU-funded projects
5 Nearly half of Europe's recently created jobs involve 'problematic working conditions' WALQING
6 Research find major health system problems in Central and Eastern Europe CEE
7 How can the EU Strengthen Regional Cohesion in its Neighbourhood? SEARCH
8 Personal Privacy: Are European Internet Users Giving Up Their Fundamental Rights? CONSENT
9 Improve Educational Trajectories: Toward Stakeholder Participation GOETE
10 Corporate Social Responsibility: What's the Impact? IMPACT
11 Identity with Rights: 20 Years of EU Citizenship 15 EU-funded projects
12 Minding the Media: Up to Date on the Fourth Estate MediaAct, MEDIADEM
13 Living Diversity: How Cosmopolitan Are Europeans? EUCROSS
14 In Good Faith: Balancing Religion and Law in Europe RELIGARE
15 WWWforEurope: Analytical Strength for Europe 2020 WWWforEurope
16 Social Innovation: Optimizing the Win-Win Approach TEPSIE
17 Toward a Green Economy: New Pathways for Europe? EU-INNOVATE and GLAMURS
18 European Identity: Ripe for the Museum? MeLa
19 Transatlantic Elites: Of One Mind? TRANSWORLD
20 Research Meets Diplomacy: Europe as a Global Actor in the 21st Century Workshop main conclusions
21 Bridge Over Troubled Waters: European Heritage and the Future of Integration Workshop main conclusions
PROMOTIONAL TOOLS
Alongside publications, FLASH-IT produced a set of dissemination tools for knowledge transfer purposes related to the SSH funded research projects as well as for FLASH-IT own promotion activities.
SSH Brochure: 2 different editions of a brochure promoting the main themes funded within the Socio-Economic Sciences and Humanities programme, bridging with Horizon 2020 were produced.
The brochure is divided in 8 thematic paragraphs:
Growth, SMEs, Green Economy, Migration, Employment, Crime, Inequalities and Democratic deficit,
And 3 horizontal fiches: Europe as a global actor, Facts and figures about SSH and Interdisciplinarity
Video on Achieving Impact through Social Sciences and Humanities recorded on the occasion of the Achieving Impact International Conference – Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities In Horizon 2020. The 5-minute long video highlights the impact of the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities on policies and the scientific impact of SSH research.
The video represents an important promotional tool for increasing the visibility of SSH research findings over the last years and stimulate the uptake of the best practices in communication and dissemination of science.
FLASH-IT visual identity has been ensured through a set of promotional tools developed for dissemination such as the logo, the brochure and the project roll-up and poster.

The poster was prepared to catch the attention of the audience in conferences and workshops, especially when the number of participants was high. As the rest of the dissemination material, the poster described the main objectives of the project and its nature. This advertising tool was used in the main project activities.
NETWORKING AND DIALOGUE
The main objective of the 4 Multi-stakeholders thematic workshops was facilitating opportunities for S&T Policy Dialogue between relevant stakeholders coming both from the SSH field and other research areas financed by the EU through FP7, in order to set up a long‐term communication, collaboration and mutual benefit through the organization of multi-stakeholders’ dialogue workshops.
The thematic policy dialogue workshops involved several FP funded project coordinators, policy-makers, journalists and all interested stakeholders, in order to take stock of the results of SSH funded research and to identify potential research needs and future topics for research.

Potential Impact:
The main impact generated by the FLASH-IT project can be summarised as follows:
Increased dissemination of FP6 and FP7 SSH research policy-relevant findings
The FLASH-IT project improved access to SSH research findings through the project website www.flash-it.eu and the interactive database giving easy access to almost 100 SSH projects and more than 600 categorised documents.
The website and the database were a great success. The former had more than 7,000 visits and 50,000 viewed pages. The interactive database was considered a useful tool and the featured documents were downloaded by users more than 45,000 times with an average of 67 downloads per publication.
Enhanced potential for exploitation of consolidated results by different multipliers
One of the most appreciated activity of the project has been the provision of consolidated information arising from FP6 and FP7 research projects.
The dissemination and valorization of research results achieved by FP7-funded SSH projects has been mostly provided through the publication of Policy Snapshots and Policy Research Alerts. The feedback on both series was overwhelmingly positive.
Each single issue was downloaded from the FLASH-IT website several hundred times and some issues proved particularly popular (i.e. Policy Snapshot 7 on Social Innovation was downloaded 1,456 times).
Strengthened collaboration between projects
The four Multistakeholders workshops organized by the FLASH-IT project facilitated opportunities for S&T Policy Dialogue between relevant stakeholders coming both from the SSH field and other research areas financed by the EU through FP7, in order to set up a long‐term communication, collaboration and mutual benefit through the organization of multi-stakeholders’ dialogue workshops.
Theme Date Venue Main responsible Number of Participants
Sustainable Urban Dynamics 28/03/2013 Rome, Italy APRE 73
Buildings Inclusive Societies in Times of Crisis
Evidence and Future Research Needs 24/10/2013 Berlin, Germany SPIA 50
Research meets diplimacy: Europe as a Global Actor
Insights from the Socio-economic sciences and humanities for EU external action 05/06/2014 Brussels, Belgium PLS 120
Bridge over troubled waters? The link between European historical heritage and the future of the European integration
Insights from the social sciences and humanities research on Reflective Societies 17/10/2014 Rome, Italy APRE 70
The thematic policy dialogue workshops involved several FP funded project coordinators, policy-makers, journalists and other interested stakeholders, in order to take stock of the results of SSH funded research and to identify potential research needs and future topics for research.
All workshops benefited from the close involvement of representatives of DG Research and Innovation who played a key role in mobilizing high profile speakers and providing guidance in designing the programme of the events.
All workshops have been thoroughly documented: a detailed report summarizing the main discussion points and highlighting the main conclusions has been produced for each workshop and has been made available to all participants through the Reflective Unit website of the European Commission and widely disseminated using the communication and dissemination means developed by the project.

List of Websites:

Coordinator contact:
Diassina Di Maggio (Director)
APRE – Agenzia per la Promozione della Ricerca Europea
Via Cavour, 71 – 00184 Rome
Tel. +39 – 06 48939993 Fax +39 – 06 48902550
E-mail : dimaggio@apre.it
Partners
APRE- Agency for the promotion of European Research
Diassina Di Maggio dimaggio@apre.it
Natalia Morazzo morazzo@apre.it
Elena Maffia maffia@apre.it
www.apre.it

SPIA- Science-Policy Interface Agency
Terry Martin t.martin@spia-europa.de; info@spia-europa.de
www.spia-europa.de

EKT/NHRF- National Documentation Centre/National Hellenic Research Foundation
Maria Samara samara@ekt.gr
www.ekt.gr

PLS - Pour la Solidarité
Denis Stokkink Denis.Stokkink@pourlasolidarite.eu
Magda Tancau Magda.Tancau@pourlasolidarite.eu
www.pourlasolidarite.be

SYNBEA
Francois Tamarelle francois.tamarelle@synbea.fr ; francois.tamarelle@gmail.com
David Vera david.vera@synbea.fr; david.vera@9online.fr
www.synbea.fr


final1-final-publishable-summary-report-flash-it.pdf