Widening - ERA Chairs
What is the ERA Chair action?
European Research Area Chairs action aims to support universities or research organisations from low R&I performing countries ("Widening Countries") to attract and maintain high-quality human resources under the direction of an outstanding researcher and research manager (the 'ERA Chair holder'), and to implement structural changes to achieve excellence on a sustainable basis.
Type of Action: Coordination and Support Action (CSA), funding networking, coordination or support services, policy dialogues, and mutual learning exercises and studies.
Who can apply?
- Two options:
- One entity: One university or a research organisation established in a Widening Country to submit as the Beneficiary.
- Partnership: One university or research organisation established in a Widening Country to submit as a Co-ordinator in case of partnership with the legal entity that is employing the prospective ERA Chair holder.
- The ERA Chair holder or the ERA Chair legal entity sending the chair team members can be from any country and any nationality, including outside of the EU (e.g. Israel).
- ERA Chair holders should be excellent researchers and/or innovators in the chosen field of research and will establish a team to be fully integrated in the co-ordinator's institution.
- At least 50% of the team members chosen must not have had previous contractual links with the co-ordinator.
- The ERA Chair holder should have a position within the organisation/university, allowing her/him to make appropriate resource allocation decisions, supervise team members and freely apply for research funding.
Expected Outcomes:
- Inciting institutional reforms in research institutions in Widening Countries.
- Better use in existing research infrastructures, and populating them with excellent talents in Widening Countries.
- Attract first-class talents and turn them into game-changers in institutions.
- Revert brain drain.
- Improved linkages and increased mobility between academics and businesses, notably by overcoming sectoral barriers.
- Free circulation of knowledge and expertise in line with ERA priorities.
- Improve gender balance and equal opportunities.
- Increase in the number of R&I talents moving to host organisations in Widening Countries.
- Increase in international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral mobility of researchers and innovators.
- Assist with closing the still apparent R&I gap in Widening Countries.
- Research excellence of the institution in the specific fields covered by the ERA Chair holder.
- Increased attractiveness of the institution for internationally excellent and mobile researchers.
Scope Highlights:
- Attention will be paid to the proposed cutting-edge R&I excellence. A preparatory research activity may be included in the proposal.
- Research organisations from Widening Countries shall apply with the prospective ERA Chair holder from a chosen scientific domain mentioned under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
- The proposal should detail how the proposed activities with the ERA Chair holder will upgrade from the current situation, for example, in research performance or obtaining competitive funding.
- To ensure the sustainability of the action, the ERA Chair research team should have conditions to thrive at the organisation after the end of the Horizon Europe funding.
Funding:
- Expected EU Contribution per Project: EUR 1.5-2.5M
- Project Duration: Up to five years.
- Eligible Costs:
- Expenses related to the ERA Chair holder and a number of team members (e.g. their salaries, recruitment costs, administrative costs, travel, and subsistence costs).
- Research costs up to 10% of the EU contribution.
- Costs to be claimed by a partner institution should be mainly linked to personnel seconded to the co-ordinator.
- Contribution towards measures aimed at facilitating structural changes in the institution (e.g. costs for training, meetings, publications, and managing Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
Calls:
- The call closed on March 15, 2022. The next call is yet to be scheduled
For more information please refer to the full ERA Chairs - Widening 2021-2022 Work Programme.
Call Information
Further Information:
Contact Us
For questions regarding the call and its submission requirements please contact the Widening team at ISERD.