Are there specific themes or directions for the Choose Europe for Science pilot?
The Choose Europe for Science pilot, like the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), is entirely bottom-up. There are no predefined themes or disciplines. Applicants are free to propose programs that align with their academic and/or research strategies to enhance their areas of excellence. In the future, depending on the pilots outcomes, the Commission may propose a specific thematic focus.
How does the Choose Europe for Science pilot aim to enhance research careers?
The novelty of this initiative is that participating institutions must provide long-term employment prospects to beneficiaries. The goal is to combat the precarity of research careers, making research careers in Europe more appealing. The ultimate goal is to make Europe the most attractive destination for researchers globally, and the Choose Europe for Science pilot is part of this.
Does Choose Europe for Science fund individual researchers directly?
No, Choose Europe for Science provides funding for organizations to set up a postdoctoral level program, each recruiting a minimum of 3 researchers. The pilot call is open to organizations across the R&I landscape in the EU and countries associated with Horizon Europe. This includes universities, research infrastructures, research centers, government institutions dedicated to research, research performing organizations, R&D-oriented spin-offs, and others. These organizations are responsible for advertising positions and recruiting researchers to the program.
Will Choose Europe for Science funded programs be open to researchers from outside Europe?
The programs co-funded through the Choose Europe for Science scheme will be open to researchers worldwide, those already based in EU Member States and its Associated Countries and those from outside wanting to relocate. The MSCA mobility rule requires that researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the application.
How will programs co-funded by the Choose Europe for Science pilot work in practice?
Programs funded by the Choose Europe for Science pilot will operate in two stages: a first stage lasting 24 or 36 months where the EU provides funding equivalent to the minimum gross monthly remuneration of recruited researchers amounting to €6700. The second stage of 24 months will be entirely funded by the beneficiary with remuneration rates set at a nationally or regionally competitive level. Throughout these phases, the recruited researcher is expected to be given long-term career prospects extending beyond the project duration.
Do the career prospects offered following the project have to focus on becoming a lead researcher?
No, the Choose Europe for Science pilot is open to proposals for programs that aim to fill a variety of roles in research and academia, where precarity and non-standard contracts are an issue. These roles range from primary investigators to lecturers and from research managers to highly specialized technicians. The aim is to ensure the scheme is open, not just to meet the diverse needs of institutions and local research and innovation ecosystems, but also of the researchers themselves. This approach is also in line with the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment which promotes the recognition and valorization of diverse roles and careers that contribute to research.