ERA Chairs

Expected Outcome

Progress in strengthening links between research and innovation actors across the European Research Area (ERA) is essential for Europe to capitalize on excellence. ERA Chairs aim to attract outstanding scientists and innovators to universities, research organisations or research infrastructures in Widening countries, fostering brain circulation and creating pockets of excellence that enhance institutional culture and performance.

The ERA Chair holder’s leadership and the establishment of a permanent, high-quality research group will boost excellence, visibility, and integration within the ERA, improving competitiveness in research and promoting institutional reforms aligned with ERA priorities.

Projects are expected to contribute to some of the following outcomes:

At system level:

• Increased international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral mobility of R&I talent towards Widening countries;
• Institutional reforms in research institutions and national R&I systems;
• Strengthened human capital with more entrepreneurial and well-trained researchers;
• Better communication of R&I results to society;
• Enhanced research capacity, competitiveness, and economic growth.

At organisation level:

• Strengthened research excellence in ERA Chair fields;
• Increased attractiveness to top international researchers;
• Establishment of a lasting, high-performing research group with institutional benefits;
• Improved success in EU and global competitive funding.

Scope

Research organisations or research infrastructures in Widening countries seeking to establish an ERA Chair should submit a proposal with a prospective ERA Chair holder - an outstanding researcher or innovator in any scientific domain. The research institution will act as the sole applicant (mono-beneficiary), and ERA Chair holders may be from any country, but may not already have a contractual relationship with the coordinating entity.

Proposals should include a Curriculum Vitae (CV) in Europass form[1] of the prospective ERA Chair holder, detailing their scientific and technical contributions to the coordinating institution. The CV should be uploaded as an Annex to the proposal.

Proposals should also describe any relevant investments of the coordinator in research projects, facilities and infrastructures and how those will be achieved and/or a better use of the installed research capacity (in particular of EU co-funded research infrastructures & facilities). Existing or foreseen arrangements for compliance with ERA priorities[2] including the European Charter for Researchers & Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers[3] should be outlined in the proposal.

ERA Chair holders should be excellent researchers and/or innovators in the chosen field of research[4]. They should establish a research team fully integrated in the coordinator's institution to significantly improve its research performance in the scientific domain of choice and to be more successful in obtaining competitive funding. The recruitment of the research team must follow an open, transparent and merit-based process and should be conducted by an international panel chaired by the ERA Chair. The ERA Chair holder should have a position within the organization enabling them to drive institutional reforms within the organisation, ensure resource allocation, and to submit funding applications. Teaching duties may be included where appropriate.

ERA Chair holders may relocate permanently or temporarily to the coordinating institution, with secondments, sabbaticals, or part-time arrangements also possible. A minimum 50% full-time equivalent (FTE) commitment, including on-site presence, must be ensured, at least until the appointment of a research group leader on a permanent basis. A description of the transition phase between the team leader and the ERA chair holder should be provided in the proposal, explaining also their share of tasks and their role in the remaining years of the project, in case the appointed research group leader is not the ERA Chair holder. In this case the ERA chair should remain committed (at least 20%) for the remaining duration of the project in support to the research leader to ensure efficient reforms and improved research performance.

All contractual arrangements, time commitment and the timeline of the ERA Chair’s on-site presence at the coordinator should be indicated in the proposal, as well as the salary (gross amount), travel and daily allowances and/or other perks to be offered. If employment is the preferred option, contractual details must be provided.

The leader of the newly created research group should be appointed on a permanent basis within the institution within the first three years of the project through an open recruitment process monitored by the European Commission, and to which the ERA Chair holder may apply.

To ensure long-term sustainability, the ERA Chair research team should be structured for continuity beyond Horizon Europe funding. The proposal should clearly describe and detail the team composition in terms of the profiles, the researcher levels, the salaries, and the recruitment timelines. Since the research group will be newly established, the names of the researchers who will be recruited cannot be known at the proposal stage and therefore should not be indicated. In addition to the research group leader, at least 20% of the newly appointed research group members should have permanent positions and no more than 50% should have any prior contractual links to the host institution.

The grant covers salaries, recruitment[5], travel and administrative expenses related to the ERA Chair holder and research team. It also covers consumables and equipment (up to 10% of the EU contribution). The proposed structural reforms should be outlined in the proposal, such as improving working conditions, career prospects, HR policies, research governance, grant management and knowledge transfer. Gender equality should be addressed in alignment with ERA objectives and institutional commitments.

Proposals should quantify expected impacts, including new research partnerships, institutional changes, increased research output enhanced, research knowledge and practice, innovative research. These should be supported by periodic impact indicators.

The expected duration of the actions is 5 years.

[1] https://europa.eu/europass/en/create-europass-cv.

[2] http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2012:0392:FIN

[3] http://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reco/2005/251/oj

[4] Corresponding to profiles R3 or R4 of researchers careers as set out in the “European Framework for Research Careers” provided at https://cdn5.euraxess.org/sites/default/files/policy_library/towards_a_european_framework_for_researc h_careers_final.pdf

[5] that can be considered under the category of "other goods, works and services