1Prague, April 2009

EUROHORCs Contribution to the European Research Area

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What is EUROHORCs?

• European Heads of Research Councils

• The Heads of public Research Funding Organisations (RFOs) and Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) in Europe

• Established in 1992

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Members• Austria: FWF• Belgium: F.R.S.-FNRS, FWO• Czech Republic: GACR• Denmark: DCIR, DMRC,

DNSRC, DRCH, DRCTPS, DSSRC

• Estonia: ETF• Finland: AKA• France: ANR, CNRS,

IFREMER, INRA, INRIA, INSERM

• Germany: DFG, FhG,HGF, MPG

• Greece: NHRF• Hungary: OTKA• Iceland: RANNIS

• Ireland: Enterprise Ireland, SFI• Italy: CNR, ENEA, INFN• Luxembourg: FNR• Norway: RCN• Portugal: FCT• Slovenia: ARRS• Spain: CSIC• Sweden: VR• Switzerland: SNSF• The Netherlands: NWO, TNO• Turkey: TÜBITAK• United Kingdom: BBSRC,

EPSRC, ESCR, MRC, NERC,STFC

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European R&D Funding

11 selected European countries

Government (excluding EUROHORCs)

- 20 %

University - 31%

From abroad (including EU) - 5%

Other - 14%

EUROHORCs- 30 %

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Mission

EUROHORCs wish to develop and strengthen the European Research Area (ERA) so that…

• researchers • knowledge • technologies

…can move freely around Europe

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• Platform for discussion Science funding, science review, science management and science policy

• Joint initiativesPromoting and enhancing inter-council cooperation. – EURYI European Young Investigator awards – Money Follows Researcher

• Influencing European research policyServing, inter alia, as an advisory body for the EuropeanCommission

EUROHORCs actions

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Initiatives - MFR

The Money Follows Researcher (MFR) agreement allows

researchers moving from one to another MFR-country to

transfer the remainder of a current grant

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Initiatives - MFR

Austria: FWF

Denmark: DCIR

Finland: AKA

Germany: DFG

Iceland: Rannis

Netherlands: NWO

Portugal: FCT

Sweden: VR

Belgium: FNRS, FWO

UK: BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC, NERC, MRC, PPARC 

Estonia: ETF

France: CNRS, INSERM

Hungary: OTKA

Italy: CNR, INFN

Norway: RCN

Spain: CSIC

Switzerland: SNF

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EUROHORCs and ESF Road Map for Excellence in Science in Europe

• EUROHORCs & ESF vision on a globally competitive ERA of excellence– A bigger picture– Can not be tackled only by EUROHORCs and ESF– Requires leadership by EC, Universities, private sector, ALEA,…

• EUROHORCs & ESF actions to contribute to the ERA

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1. An effective European research policy, capitalising on cultural, geographic and scientific diversity

2. A stimulating education system3. A single European labour market for researchers4. Adequate funding for top quality curiosity driven research, 5. Transnational funding, benchmarking of quality and shared

scientific priorities for strategic research and researcher-driven programmes

6. Excellent research institutions7. World-class research infrastructures8. Open access to the output of publicly funded research and

permanent access to primary quality assured research data9. Effective and trusted bridges between science, society and the

private sector10. Openness to the world

EUROHORCs & ESF Vision on a Globally Competitive ERA of Excellence

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1. Strengthen the relations between science and the private sector and intensify the dialogue between research organisations and political actors at the European level

2. Promoting European research careers3. Develop research foresight and use its results as a basis for joint strategy

development4. Create a European grant union 5. Address Peer Review of proposals at European level 6. Develop common approaches to ex post evaluations of funding schemes and

research programmes7. Create ERA-Connect and “Regional Clusters of Excellence” to shape

collaboration between RPOs and other research institutions8. Develop shared funding and exploitation of medium sized research infrastructure9. Implement a common policy on Open Access to research results and Permanent

Access to research data10. Connect European research to the world

EUROHORCs & ESF Actions to Contribute to the ERA

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Action 4: Create a European Grant Union

• Issue– There are barriers to transnational collaboration and benchmarking

of excellence– Missing collaborations based on free financial and personal mobility

• Actions– Money follows Researcher– Money follows Cooperation – Lead Agency procedure– EUROCORE scheme

• Envisaged effect– Strengthening cross boarder cooperation– Increases quality in general– Increases mobility

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More information: www.eurohorcs.org