EIT welcomes applications for Innovation Communities’ Master’s and PhD programmes to be awarded the EIT Label

One of the EIT’s unique features is to integrate the entrepreneurial education into the innovation web. The EIT champions education and training activities that have strong entrepreneurship components in order to train the next generation of talents and learners.

It’s entrepreneurial programmes at Master’s and PhD levels combine technical and business course and equip students with creativity,  innovation and and entrepreneurship skills. To set these programmes apart, the EIT has introduced the EIT Label model as a certificate of quality that is awarded to excellent educational programmes focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity, and leadership and are based on the knowledge triangle paradigm – the integration of business, education and research.

The information below outlines the main characteristics of the process for preparation, submission, evaluation, and selection of proposals in response to the 2021 assessment call launched by the EIT for awarding the EIT Label to its education programmes.

The basis for awarding the EIT Label

The EIT quality indicators and quality requirements

The EIT QALE system is based on a set of quality indicators (Qi1-Qi4), divided into different assessment fields, that – with minor adaptations – apply to both master’s and doctoral programmes.

  • Only two indicators – Qi1 and Qi2 – are used for the labelling of new programmes.
  • The first quality indicator (Qi1) differs in that it addresses a number of compulsory requirements on a yes/no basis whereas the quality indicator Qi2, is evaluated on a four-grade scale.

The transition of the existing programmes due for relabelling to the new model

All existing EIT Label programmes at master’s and doctoral level (the masters and doctoral programmes awarded the EIT Label until 2021 which have limited duration) are required to submit the application to receive the new Label upon the expiry of the existing award as follows:

  • Standard full application as laid down in the new EIT Label Handbook, following the templates for Quality indicator 1 – Compulsory requirements and Quality indicator 2 – Qualitative requirements.
  • Report on past performance following the transition templates Oi3 (the results) and Qi4 (stakeholder experiences) – for links see below.

Please note, that if the programmes due for relabelling have less than 30 graduates four months prior to the deadline for submitting the application, they shall submit in this round only Qi1 and Qi2 (according to the new model) and the transition templates Qi3 and Qi4 in the following year or in the year when they reach 30 graduates.

Submission of applications: general rules

Registrations and proposals can be submitted through the designated Innovation Community’s Single Point of contact (S.P.O.C.).

  1. It is suggested to applicants to register the intention to submit a proposal and contact Innovation Community staff prior to submitting their application, to receive further advice.
  2. Each application must consists of:
    • applicant details
    • a fact sheet for communication purposes
    • contextual information
    • a self-assessment report of the programme, prepared in line with the requirements stipulated in the Handbook
    • a list of attachments for supporting evidence
    • the attachments which document fulfilment of particular requirements
  3. Frontpage page with applicant details shall include: (a) the title of the degree programme, and the level (master’s, doctoral) (b) the name of the KIC, (c) administrative information i.e. identification of the submitting partner (leading HEI) and the names of the partner HEIs, and other partner organisations, each followed by the country code and a link to the website, and (c) contact details of the applicant.
  4. The application file and self-assessment report should be structured according to the sections in the template and addressing the question in the quality indicators and accompanied with relevant supporting evidence.
  5. The main working tool for labelling are the templates that have to be used by the applicants. The templates include a list of the assessment fields which represent requirements for a programme to be awarded the Label.
  6. All assessment fields must be answered by applicants with an explanation in the form of a narrative answer and the provision of supporting documents as evidence.
  7. In the narrative answers in the template applicants should clearly indicate for reviewers where the relevant information can be found in the chosen accompanying documents (including page numbers).
  8. The general principle for the choice of material to be used is the portfolio principle. That is, ‘the applicant should select the necessary documentation for the self-assessment report in order to give sufficient evidence for each requirement. This selection is guided by the questions in the templates, along with the non-exhaustive list of examples of possible supporting evidence. In addition to text documents, the supporting documents may consist of different visuals such as figures, infographics, video materials, photos etc. The supporting documents and evidence must be concise and limited – the idea is not to provide as much as possible, but to clearly and briefly document how the particular requirement is achieved.
  9. As far as possible, official documents from the Innovation Community and/or from Innovation Community partner universities should be used as appropriate as well as any relevant supporting official documents from the Innovation Community.

Deadline and timeline for 2021 assessment

The full application file for new programmes (Qi1, Qi2) must be submitted by Friday, 3 September EOB.

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