1. Aim of the collaboration:
While technology brings new opportunities for society, it also facilitates crime, helping criminals remain anonymous or perpetrate crimes. Law enforcement needs to keep abreast of new technology and methodologies. This is not only to help them do their job effectively, but also to acquire new skills and develop alternative investigative techniques to face emerging threats.
The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) is facing the same issues as its stakeholders, the EU Member States, third countries and society generally, in understanding how to respond to complex and multifaceted challenges. Europol confirms its determination to remain at the forefront of law enforcement innovation and research in the new Europol Strategy adopted in February 2023.
The Europol Innovation Lab recognises that design, be it digital, social, or other, is a scientific, deliberate and systematic approach to problem solving and tackling complex problems, such as those commonly found in the law enforcement arena.
At the same time, huge potential exists to collaborate with design students at European Universities to foster innovation, for example by identifying fresh perspectives and eventually integrating those perspectives into the law enforcement toolbox.
In a highly-regulated context, the Europol Innovation Lab has decided to create a call for expressions of interest to set a fair and transparent framework and create a level playing field for interested universities.
Europol’s intention is to conduct a pilot programme in the academic year 2024/25.
2. Why participate?
The collaboration intends to foster cooperation with design students from EU-based applied sciences Universities, in order to:
- Examine whether design practices lend themselves to addressing real-world and often highly complex law enforcement challenges;
- Recognise design as an untapped methodology in law enforcement innovation;
- Open Europol and its law enforcement stakeholders to new ideas, solutions, and problem-solving approaches in the ongoing challenge to combat serious and organised crime and terrorism.
In return, design students would apply themselves to complex design briefs taken from real-world scenarios that affect all of us as citizens and society as a whole.
3. Who should participate in the Call for Expressions of Interest:
The initiative targets Universities or Institutes from applied science across the EU focusing on digital and social design subjects, but other types of design may also be considered.
4. How to submit your interest:
Interested organisations need to submit an Expression of Interest by Friday, August 30, 2024 via the following link:
https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/Europol_Design_Collaboration_Call_2024
5. Selection Procedure:
A Selection Panel composed of Europol staff will assess your Expression of Interest taking into consideration the following criteria:
Eligibility Criteria
- Your Institution must be based in the EU.
- You must have a national classification level of Level 7 or higher.
- You must have a Master of Science programme.
- The coursework must demonstrate a focus on digital or social design.
Evaluation Criteria
- Your experience offering a cross-disciplinary approach in your Master of Science programme.
- Your experience in collaborative design projects or research initiatives.
- An outline of your Institution’s experience collaborating with the public sector.
- An example of a design project that focused on a so-called ‘wicked problem.’
- A list of courses offered in the Master of Science programme. This is to demonstrate that design work is a matter of emphasis in your Masters programme.
- A document that includes the mission statement of your Masters programme and the motivation for wanting to collaborate with Europol, as well as a proposed collaboration framework.
Each member of the Selection Panel will sign a declaration of non-conflict of interest. The Selection Panel will evaluate and score your Expression of Interest individually against each selection criterion. A final ranking will be compiled based on a consensus amongst the members of the Selection Panel.
By Friday, September 13, 2024, Europol will inform your organisation about the outcome of the selection procedure. Your organisation will be asked to confirm its participation by Friday, September 20, 2024. In the absence of confirmation, Europol may invite the next highest scoring organisation on the admission list.
Your organisation may request additional information about the non-selection of your Expression of Interest by Friday, September 20, 2024. Upon request to Innovation-Lab@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 Friday, 4 October, 2024.
6. Post Selection Process:
Upon conclusion of the Selection Procedure, Europol staff and representatives of the selected University/Universities will meet to discuss specific Design Briefs that respond to existing law enforcement challenges.
The selected University/Universities are expected to assign the Design Briefs to their students in a manner consistent with their standard practices, for example by assigning design briefs to individuals or project teams. The same briefs may be assigned to multiple individuals or project teams.
The stated aims of the Collaboration are to allow Masters students in design courses at applied sciences universities to work on real-world complex problems/challenges faced by European law enforcement agencies as part of their studies. The selection of the Expression of Interest shall not be understood as leading to a commercial relationship with the Universities and does not result in any employment or other contractual relationship between Europol and the students.
Europol staff, or law enforcement officers from EU Member States will act as “clients” to allow the students to receive guidance from real-world practitioners to help shape the students’ understanding of the design briefs.
The bulk of all interactions will be virtual to keep costs low.
Europol is not in a position to reimburse any related costs incurred by the participating universities.
Confidentiality
Universities shall not divulge to third-parties any information and/or documents linked to this collaboration except with prior written permission from Europol. Universities are required to request students assigned to collaborate with Europol to sign an equivalent declaration of confidentiality.
Intellectual Property Rights
Universities shall grant to Europol a non-commercial, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use the results of this collaboration within its legal mandate.
Where the student retains ownership of the Intellectual Property Rights generated under this collaboration, the University shall contractually agree with the student that these licensing rights are granted to Europol.
Communication
When making any public statement (including on social media) regarding this collaboration Universities and students shall refrain from implying any endorsement by Europol. Use of Europol’s logo requires advance permission in writing from Europol.
Transparency statement
Any documentation shared or correspondence with Europol in relation to the collaboration, 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 Privacy Statement
Any personal data provided in relation to the organisation of the collaboration 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.
For any clarification or questions, please write to Innovation-Lab@europol.europa.eu