The ELIT management structure is simple, but comprehensive and is designed to guarantee successful coordination of consortium activities, effective ESR training, transfer of knowledge in the consortium, dissemination, and exploitation.
The management structure is based on two major organs: the Supervisory Board (representing all participating organisations and the ESRs) with a steering role, and the General Assembly (involving all beneficiaries) with a managing and executive role. The ESRs participate actively throughout the management structure, which will foster the development of their skills to become future team leaders. An External Advisory Board monitors and assesses the General Assembly with respect to the highest quality and ethics standard.
The Supervisory Board (SB) is the steering body of the project. It is composed of one representative of each participating organisation (beneficiaries and partner organisations) and one ESR representative, elected by the ESRs.
The General Assembly (GA) is the executive body. It is composed of one representative of each beneficiary partner and is chaired by the project coordinator Massimo Salgaro. The GA converts the SB decisions in executable plans. Upon inputs from the SB, the GA will manage the requests for amendments to the grant agreement. The GA also schedules the project activities, guarantees the coordination among the WPs, reports to the SB about the activities and achieved results, and propose future plans for their adoption.
The ESR Forum is an ESR self-organised fully independent platform to stimulate discussions and exchange among the ESRs. It has the formal role to appoint an ESR member to the Supervisory Board. The ESR Forum will propose improvement to the SB. The ESR Forum also communicates and disseminates the project, prepares outreach activities, etc. Importantly, this platform has also a training element, where the ESRs will learn how to form and run a forum/committee.
The External Advisory Board (EAB) – composed by three independent experts – is a body of external experts that support ELIT in meeting the highest quality and ethics standard and to avoid scientific misconduct. Both the GA and the SB can request the EAB for council and suggestions. The EAB evaluates any infringement of the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, following reports by any ESR or any other person involved in the project. The results of the assessment will be communicated, through the project coordinator, to the GA and the SB for the prompt adoption of required measures.
The ELIT Secretariat will assist the project coordinator with administrative tasks, and the coordination of the relations within the consortium and with the European Commission. It will also harmonize the management approaches within the consortium and assist the involved administrative units at all participating organisations. It is composed of the project coordinator, an administrative referent of UNIVR (WP6 leader), a press officer of TRUNI (WP4 leader) and an administrative referent of UW (WP 5 leader).
Key figures involved in the project
The Project Coordinator (WP6 leader) is Massimo Salgaro, the main contact of the lead beneficiary organisation (UNIVR). He is in charge of representing the ELIT consortium towards the European commission as well as to chair the management of the consortium. Prof. Dr. Salgaro is involved in different functions within all major networks of the Empirical Study of Literature (i.e., IGEL, E-READ, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics). He coordinates large international research groups within the COST Action IS1404 E-READ as Working Group Coordinator. He is also treasurer of the IGEL society. The coordinator will oversee the whole network and act as intermediary between the partners and the EC.
The Training Manager (WP4 leader) is Zuzana Petrová. Her responsibilities include ensuring quality and coherence of the training throughout the ELIT project, ensuring regular communication between ESRs and their supervisors and close involvement of each ESR in tailoring the training portfolio to their need. In practice, the Training Manager will receive reports from each ESR annually and also update the personal CDPs.
The Communication and Networking Manager (WP5 leader) is Monika Płużyczka. She is in charge of coordinating the communication and networking activities of the project, and defining strategies to widen the network of relations and promote the project at an international level.
WP1 Leader (Arthur Jacobs), WP2 Leader (Elly Konijn) and WP3 Leader (Gerhard Lauer) coordinate the activities of the respective WPs and ensure the best integration of all research activities and of the ESRs individual projects within each WP (for WP1 to WP3).
The Ethics and Gender Issues Manager (Anne Mangen) will be in charge of monitoring the fair treatment of gender aspects within the ELIT program as well as the sound management of all ethical issues arising from the research activities. She will also act as ombudsperson for the ELIT ESRs.
ESR supervisors are the people in charge of day-to-day guidance, support and assistance to the ESRs.