Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) collaborates closely with trusted partners to support and promote a joint effort on fighting cybercrime. Three Advisory Groups are currently providing a forum for law enforcement and the private sector to cooperate on cybercrime-related threats and challenges, fostering collaboration on both strategic and operational level:
- the Advisory Group on Communication Providers;
- the Advisory Group on Financial Services;
- the Advisory Group on Internet Security.
EC3 continues to spread and strengthen its network in the joint fight against cybercrime. This call for Members of the Advisory Group on Research & Development aims to establish a collaborative network with Academic and Research partners with the following purposes:
- To support law enforcement agencies (LEA) investigating and combating cybercrime.
- To enhance cybercrime awareness within the Academic and Research partners to identify and facilitate research projects and educational curricula tackling cybercrime at national and international level.
- To create a forum for knowledge sharing, research, and innovation in cybercrime with Academia.
We are looking for organisations that share the interest in developing projects on the following areas at strategic, operational, technical levels:
Research and Development:
- Conduct cutting-edge research on cybercrime trends and techniques of cybercrime.
- Develop, maintain and improve innovative tools and methodologies for detecting, preventing, and combating cybercrime.
Education and Training:
- Develop and maintain curricula and educational materials on cybercrime (prevention and deterrence, detection, disruption) for Academia and LE communities.
- Create and provide specific training programs and workshops for Academia and LE communities.
Knowledge sharing:
- Foster collaboration between academia and LEA by sharing trends and challenges in combating cybercrime.
Policy and Regulation guidance:
- Advocate for improved cybercrime policies and regulations.
Requirements and submission of expression of interest:
This call was closed on the 13th December 2024 at 23:59 (CET – Amsterdam time).
The Selection Panel evaluated the Expression of Interest received and selected organisations were duly notified.
The final composition of the Advisory Group on Research & Development will be posted soon.
Organisations may request additional information about the non-selection of your Expression of Interest within 30 days from the notification of the outcome of the selection. Upon request to O3-22@europol.europa.eu, Europol will set up a Review Committee composed of individual staff members not present on the initial Selection Panel. The Review Committee will re-assess your Expression of Interest and take a final decision on selection/non-selection, providing its reasoning, by one month after reassessment is requested.
Post-selection
The Advisory Group will be set up for an initial period of one year. Its work is subject to periodic review by Europol EC3, which may decide to extend its term. An assessment will be run 12 months after the creation of the group, in order to reassess its performance, analysing the usefulness and effectiveness of the work, and deciding accordingly about its continuity.
The performance of the group will be measured against the following Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
- Number of projects and projects;
- Number and impact of training programs and workshops;
- Effectiveness of knowledge-sharing initiatives;
- Number of assessments produced and deliverables created.
- Others, to be determined.
Ideally, the advisory group should meet in person twice a year, with funding provided by Europol based on budget availability, and online as many times as needed/agreed.
Further rules of the group, including confidentiality requirements if needed and intellectual property rights, will be jointly defined and approved in the future Terms of Reference (ToR).
Transparency statement
Any documentation shared or correspondence with Europol in relation to this call and the resulting Advisory Group, including submitted Expressions of Interest, is subject to access to document rules. Documents should refrain from including any personal data, or sensitive information: while there are possible exceptions from release of documents under these rules (e.g. personal data in emails), Europol is keen to ensure transparency towards the public in relation to the collaboration.
Personal Data Statement
Any personal data provided in relation to this call and the resulting Advisory Group will be handled by Europol in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC applicable to all administrative personal data held by Europol in accordance with Article 46 of the Europol Regulation.
Contact
You are invited to contact O3-22@europol.europa.eu for further inquiries.