News & Seminars
News Updates from ICoRSA
We’re excited to present highlights from the March and June ICoRSA Newsletters, covering news about European research and innovation policy, presenting funding opportunities and providing relevant readings.
NEWS ABOUT ICORSA
Research Matters
ICoRSA joined the ‘Research Matters’ campaign as an official partner, supporting its open letter calling for increased investment in research across European funding systems.
The campaign advocates for three key goals:
- Increased funding for R&D and over 3% of GDP in EU and all European countries
- Doubling the budget for the EU’s next research and innovation programme (FP10)
- Protecting the latter by ring-fencing it.
For more information, please click here.
ICoRSA’s PHAROS Project
The health of our oceans is increasingly under threat from pollution, habitat degradation, and the urgent need for sustainable economic practices.
The EU has set ambitious targets to protect marine ecosystems, reduce pollution, and achieve a carbon-neutral blue economy by 2030. However, bridging the gap between setting these goals and implementing effective solutions remains a challenge.
Pharos https://pharosproject.eu/ HORIZON-MISS-2023-OCEAN-01-03), a Mission Ocean project based on three key pillars: public mobilisation, innovation and technology leadership, and valorisation and commercialisation for the Blue Economy to achieve the mission goals.
ICoRSA is a key partner in this project. It also invited you to follow it progress on: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pharos-project/ for the latest news, events and webinars on nature-based solutions and citizen involvement in marine solutions.
NEWS ABOUT EUROPEAN WIDE RESEARCH STAFF ASSOCIATIONS
EURODOC
The COST Action Cross-Cutting Activity on Career Development for Young Researchers, chaired by EURODOC Vice-President Nicola Dengo and Joanna Rutkowska, has an ongoing Cost-action dedicated to career development of young researchers.
Look here at their plan of activities: https://www.cost.eu/cca-activity-plan/
This initiative brings together researchers, career development experts, and key stakeholder organisations - such as ICORSA - to support the career development of early-career researchers. By building a community of practice, the network aims to share and promote examples of good practice in training and human resources strategies across Europe. The ultimate goal is to offer young researchers and innovators enhanced career opportunities and long-term perspectives.
The network will run from December 2024 to the end of November 2026.
To learn more about the network go to: https://www.cost.eu/about/strategy/cross-cutting-activities/
ISE
At time of discussions of the future European Framework for Research and Innovation, the Initiative Science Europe launched an open letter for all scientists to call for:
- A fully funded and autonomous FP10.
- Sustained funding of €220 billion to ensure the continuity of:
- major programmes such as the European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.
- - basic research, which underpins scientific progress.
- Long-term investment in research careers.
Read the ISE main recommendations FP10: ISE's Main Recommendations for FP10
Sign the petition here: https://lnkd.in/eSgHchPu
NEWS ABOUT RESEARCHER ASSESSMENT
EU High-Level Conference on Reforming Research Assessment
Organized by the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU 2025, this conference will gather key stakeholders to reflect on the progress of initiatives such as hashtag#CoARA and broader efforts to reform research assessment.
- 3rd and 4th December, 2025
- Mandatory registration is required for both in-person participation and webstreaming: https://www.cerra.aau.dk/
Other relevant initiatives, such as the Open and Universal Science (OPUS) Project, have analysed how research and researchers are assessed, promoting more open, transparent, and responsible practices with applied pilot institutions.
Learn more about the OPUS Researcher Assessment Framework (RAF), an evidence-based tool for practical implementation 👉 https://lnkd.in/dH_MuP_d
NEWS ABOUT RESEARCH AND INNOVATION POLICIES
The European Commission is looking for independent professional experts in the health sector for evaluation of project proposals under Horizon Europe.
The interested parties need to fill in their profile in the European Commission expert database: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/work-as-an-expert
Learn more about the benefits of becoming an expert here: https://hadea.ec.europa.eu/news/horizon-europe-health-experts-and-rapporteurs-needed-upcoming-evaluations-2025-03-17_en
New policy agenda for the European Research Area
The Council of the EU has endorsed a new ERA policy agenda for the period of 2025-2027. The ERA space is an European initiative to strengthen research and innovation systems, enabling free movement of researchers, knowledge, and technology. One of the major achievements of past ERA initiatives is the recent renewed version of the European Framework for Research Careers.
The updated version makes a clearer distinction between 11 structural ERA policies with a longer-term focus and 8 more specific, goal-driven ERA actions.
ERA Actions (2025-2027)
- Applying equity in open science
- Advancing the European Science for Policy (S4P) ecosystem
- Facilitating and accelerating the responsible use of AI in science in the EU
- Enhancing research security
- Accelerating R&I investments for Europe’s industrial transformation and competitive sustainability
- Accelerating new approach methodologies (NAMs) to advance biomedical research and testing of medicinal products and medical devices
- Developing a coherent and coordinated framework for a European approach to integrity and ethics in R&I in the face of emerging challenges.
- Empowering R&I: A new era in research management.
Although these initiatives are non-binding, the European Commission is working on a legislative proposal, the ERA Act for 2026.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
- Open call for ERC Starting Grants - deadline 14 October 2025
- Open call for new COST-Actions – European interdisciplinary research networks - 21 October 2025 at 12.00 (noon) CET: https://www.cost.eu/open-call-countdown-2025/
- Independent Social Research Foundation - Independent Scholar Fellowship (ISF11) - deadline 5pm (GMT) on 31st October 2025
- ERC Synergy Grants - deadline 5 November 2025
- All calls are open for submission for the topic on Horizon Europe: A research agenda for a beautiful, inclusive and sustainable transformation of neighbourhoods (HORIZON-NEB-2025-01) - 12 November, 2025, 17:00 CET
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks 2025 - 25 November, 2025
RELEVANT READINGS
- Nature’s article: How Europe aims to woo US scientists and protect academic freedom
- The High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (Hcéres), in collaboration with Sweden’s UKÄ, led a European working group to explore external quality assurance (EQA) of research in higher education institutions. The report, released in March 2025, highlights a wide variety of EQA practices across Europe. The findings are intended to inform the upcoming revision of the European Standards and Guidelines and to enhance alignment between the European Higher Education Area and the European Research Area. Read more here: https://www.enqa.eu/news/external-quality-assurance-of-research-in-higher-education-institutions-taking-stock-of-the-practices-of-european-quality-assurance-agencies/