• H2020
• Policy & Research

The European Commission has announced a plan to fund European Research Area (ERA) Chairs to encourage greater participation of EU research programmes. If the pilot proves successful, it is hoped the scheme will be extended under Horizon 2020.

Universities and research institutions located in less-developed regions will be able to bid to become a member state’s ERA Chair under a pioneering scheme from the European Commission. It is hoped the scheme will encourage the development of a healthier research base in the member state, which will thus receive greater benefit from EU funding.

Launching the scheme, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, said: “Many regions in Europe are underperforming on research, both in terms of their overall output and in terms of their participation in EU funded research. I want to make sure that no one is left behind, not out of charity, but because it makes good research sense and economic sense to have wide participation in our programmes.”

Institutions hoping to benefit from the ERA Chair initiative will need to have excellent research facilities and be able to demonstrate a tangible plan to develop their research attributes.

Once selected, the institutions will award the ERA Chair position to outstanding academics with the capacity to raise standards, attract more high level research staff as well as money from other sources, such as EU research funding or Regional funds. Currently, there will be one ERA Chair per member state.

The initiative will have a total budget of €12m. If successful, the Commission proposes to fund a much larger number of ERA Chairs under the Horizon 2020 framework programme.