Erasmus+ mobility for further and continued professional development

Brief explanation: Erasmus university staff in Europe
(The short stays funded by the Technische Hochschule Nürnberg are limited to the European area.)

In order to further build upon the internationalisation of the university, the Erasmus programme enables university staff to attend training and professional development programmes at European universities and companies/institutions.

1) What are the benefits and what do we aim to achieve with the mobility of university staff?

• Stay on the basis of a pre-established work programme
• To enable the acquisition of knowledge, specific expertise, or fresh perspectives
• To advance their own skills
• To acquire intercultural skills and improve foreign language skills
• To establish and strengthen networks

2) Who can receive funding and what requirements must be met in order to receive funding?

The Ohm can send staff (from various departments) to one of the European universities or companies/institutions participating in the Erasmus programme.
The possibility of return visits by colleagues from the university in question must always be considered. 
All colleagues working at the Ohm who have sufficient knowledge of the language spoken (at least B1/B2 level) at the host institution can receive funding for staff mobility.

3) What can funding be provided for?

• Stays abroad last for a minimum of2 days and a maximum of 60 days. A subject-specific stay abroad normally lasts one week (5 days).
• The Erasmus mobility grant includes travel and subsistence costs, which are subsidised in the form of unit costs. The unit costs are paid to the person receiving the funding in full. Any difference between the amount provided and the actual unit costs remain with the person receiving the funding and must be paid by them personally.
• Funding may be given to the same person more than once in principle, but priority must be given to people who have not previously benefited from Erasmus staff mobility grants.
• It is not permitted to receive funding from a different EU programme to cover costs of the same nature.
• People with a disability can request additional special funding.
• If at least one of the mobility travel legs (outward or return journey) is via a low-emission means of transport (e.g. rail, bus, bicycle), a “green travel” grant will be granted additionally.

4) How is the grant calculated?

The amount of the Erasmus mobility grant for training and professional development differs in accordance with the cost of living in the host countries (“programme countries”).
Daily flat rates apply in the case of funding provided by German universities.

a) Daily Erasmus unit costs for stays abroad
The following fixed daily rates apply in Germany for each of the following three groups of countries, up until the 14th day of your stay (not including days spent travelling); from the 15th to the 60th day of your stay (not including days spent travelling) the amount of funding provided falls to 70% of the daily rate specified.

Group 1: for Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden
180 euros per day; 126 euros from day 15 onwards

Group 2: for Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain
160 euros per day; 112 euros from day 15 onwards

Group 3: for Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey
140 euros per day; 98 euros from day 15 onwards

b) Travel costs
In addition to these daily rates, travel costs are also reimbursed in accordance with the actual distance between the places at which the mobility begins and ends. Throughout Europe, those distances are determined using a standardized calculation tool (the Distance Calculator).

The following amounts are paid for each stay and in accordance with the distance travelled:

• 0 km–99 km: 23 euros
• 100 km – 499 km: 180 euros 210 euros for green travel
• 500 km – 1,999 km: 275 euros - 320 euros for green travel
• 2,000 km – 2,999 km: 360 euros - 410 euros for green travel
• 3,000 km – 3,999 km: 530 euros - 610 euros for green travel
• 4,000 km – 7,999 km: 820 euros
• 8,000+ km: 1,500 euros

Example:
Residential travel from Nuremberg to Cádiz (Spain) from Monday to Friday:
Simple distance according to the Distance Calculator: 2005.99 km, so, in accordance with the overview provided above, the unit costs payable for return travel would be 360 euros. 
The subsistence grant for 5 allowable days = 5 x 160 euros = 800 euros.
The total grant would therefore amount to 1160 euros.

The start date of the stay for which funding is provided is the first day on which the participant is expected to be present at the host institution. The end date is the last day on which the participant is expected to be present at the host institution. The actual duration of the stay is to be verified by means of a confirmation from the host institution following the completion of your stay.

5) THINK International - - The programme at the Ohm aimed at promoting international and intercultural skills.

 Applications are made within the scope of “THINK International”.

• Application form (simple)
• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation, the purpose and aims, and the activities, as well as what you expect to get out of the Erasmus Mobility programme (max. 1 page long)
• Approval from the departmental/unit lead (informal letter explaining the added value for the organisational unit)
• Confirmation of Participation in the “Interkulturelle Kompetenz für Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter in Lehre und Verwaltung” (intercultural skills for teaching and management staff”) seminar at the Ohm
• Proof of language competence
• Where available: Confirmation/letter of invitation from the host university or host company/institution

Application deadlines:
If all of the documentation required for the application is already available, an application can be submitted at any time. However, an organizational lead time of approximately eight weeks should be taken into account.
If you do not currently have any documentation available, applications can be submitted at the beginning of each semester. This will enable the Language Center or another educational institution, if applicable, to provide the necessary documents in good time prior to the commencement of your stay abroad.

The selection criteria are based, among other things, on the aim and purpose of the measure for the member of staff in question, the importance for the university and, where applicable, the potential for further Erasmus activities with the host institution in question. Other factors that are taken into account include professional qualifications, language skills, and motivation.

Following the selection process, the IO announces whether the measure can be funded and the programme of work is established. Following this, the appropriate Erasmus documents are completed.

6) Programme itinerary and Erasmus forms
Prior to the commencement of staff mobility, an Erasmus Grant Agreement must be signed with the participant, in which the mobility terms (e.g., confirmation from the host university) and the obligations of the participant (e.g., obligation to pay back the grant in the event of a failure to comply with the contractual provisions, presentation of a report, etc.) are set out in detail, together with a
Training Mobility Agreement.
At least eight weeks before the mobility for teaching purposes, you must submit an official travel request in the “Mitarbeiterservice Bayern” portal. When the travel request has been approved, it will be forwarded via email to the International Office.
If the travel authorisation request is received in good time, all of the relevant Erasmus forms referred to above will be provided by the IO.
IMPORTANT:
Erasmus grants can only be awarded if a valid travel authorization request exists.

 
The programme must include the following information as a minimum:
- the general objectives, which have already been described above
- the expected results of the professional development or the learning activity
- the timeframe for the mobility phase

Both the sending and the host institutions are responsible for the quality of the stay abroad.
Following the completion of the stay, its actual length is to be documented by means of a
confirmation from the host institution.
Upon completion of the staff mobility, the person receiving the funding will receive an email generated automatically by the European Commission’s Mobility Tool with a request to complete an
online EU survey and to write an approximately two-page testimonial in prose form.

Some of the “Erasmus Staff Weeks” on offer can be found at: 

IMOTION ERASMUS+ Staff Weeks
ShipCon
DOREA Educational Institute
English and Spanish courses in Barcelona
Staff Week activities offered by partner universities
 

 
7) Contact

Şemsi Çolak
Office hours by telephone (0911/5880-4851), MS Teams, or on campus:
Wednesday, 9.30 – 11.30 am 
Thursday, 1.00 – 3.00 pm 

Additional information and advice concerning the Erasmus mobility measures can also be obtained from the:

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
National Agency for EU Higher Education Cooperation
Kennedyallee 50
53115 Bonn
Tel: +49 (0)228/882-578
Fax: +49 (0)228/882-555
Email: eu-programmeatdaadPunktde
www.eu.daad.de