About EUROCORES

What is EUROCORES?

The EUROCORES (European Collaborative Research) Scheme is a unique framework offered by the European Science Foundation (ESF) to promote collaborative research, networking and dissemination while targeting broad and complex topics of research across all scientific domains at the European level and in a global context.
The research funding as well as funding for coordination and networking come from national funding organisations, but the thrusts are not nationally or strategically driven but rather researcher lead and in consultation with the participating funding organisations. We are working to promote and stimulate European collaborative research which is of the highest quality, innovative and investigator driven, in and across all scientific areas.

EUROCORES enables researchers to work in joint research projects with colleagues in other European countries and beyond, whilst the funding remains national. The EUROCORES Programmes within the scheme address research questions which require cooperation crossing national borders and disciplinary boundaries. The high quality international peer review operated by ESF, which is the basis for the national funding decisions, creates a quality bench mark for national research projects.

Why EUROCORES?

EUROCORES offers a difference

EUROCORES is unique because it enables national research funding and research performing organisations as well as ministries to come together and fund innovative scientific projects. In fact, funding is not just provided on a European level but can also come from organisations outside Europe. In addition to this unique funding opportunity, EUROCORES offers added value through strong science management where scientific synergy is achieved through active and targeted networking. Programme monitoring includes mid-term and final evaluation of the collaborative research projects and of the programme as a whole.

EUROCORES-ECRP

The European Collaborative Research Projects (ECRP) scheme, under the remit of the EUROCORES office, promotes investigator-driven, multinational collaborative research in the social sciences. Operating in the responsive-mode, its annual competition is open to applications in all fields of the social sciences. Researchers may collaborate across participating countries on any subject which demonstrates a need for international cooperation, while the funding remains at a national level. Please click here for more information.  

The facts

  • In 2007, we received 33 theme proposals and six were selected (2006: 47 received, 7 selected; 2005: 53 received, 5 selected).
  • A 3-4 year programme has in the past involved 9-23 funding organisations generating 5-13 Million Euros.
  • A EUROCORES programme generally attracts over 100 interested scientists. Around 10 collaborative projects are usually selected from 30-100 proposals.
  • The ECRP scheme attracts an average of 35 proposals per year with an average success rate of 14%.

EUROCORES adds value to European research by

Royalty Free/Corbis

  • Tackling scientific questions requiring an integrated European or even global effort.
  • Creating efficiency by avoiding unnecessary duplication of national research efforts.
  • Serving as a powerful tool to boost high class research at the European level by combining toplevel research with network activities.
  • Eliminating barriers for scientists that want to work together in international teams across borders by enabling them to apply for funding and perform research together.

Scientific coordination and research funding

Until the end of 2008, coordination and networking by the European Science Foundation was funded through the EC FP6 programme, under contract no. ERAS-CT-2003-980409.
As of 2009, the National Funding Organisations provide the funding for the scientific coordination and networking in addition to the research funding.

Progress

  • So far, more than 6000 scientists have submitted proposals and out of these, more than 800 have been funded.
  • EUROCORES currently have 100 Million Euros for research funding from more than 65 different funding Organisations in Europe, US and Canada.