DN: Does a beneficiary who intends to leave a Doctoral Networks project have to give the consortium a notice period or can they decide to finish the project immediately?

This should ideally be included in the Consortium Agreement, as in the Grant Agreement there is no such clause.

DN: If a beneficiary leaving a Doctoral Networks project is due to reimburse some funds based on the financial calculation that will be completed in the termination process, is it the coordinator’s responsibility to ensure these funds are repaid or is it the Research Executive Agency’s – and are those funds returned to REA or to the coordinator?

The coordinator is responsible for getting the overpaid amounts back from the leaving beneficiary and the sum has to be paid to the coordinator. The amounts will be considered as paid to the consortium by REA and will affect the final payment. The leaving beneficiary is the one who has the legal responsibility to pay back to the coordinator - see the Model Grant Agreement page 49, Article 22.3.2 Amount due at beneficiary termination — Recovery: “…If payment is not made by the date specified in the debit note, the granting authority will enforce recovery in accordance with Article 22.4.”

Also, a specific process will be followed in the EU Funding and Tenders Portal - Reporting process - terminated beneficiary.

DN: Does the 40% rule still have to be respected if a beneficiary leaves in the middle of the Doctoral Networks project?

The 40% rule still has to be respected. It has to be respected until the end of the project, irrespective of the changes in the consortium, early termination of fellows, etc.