Call for Proposals
Following agreement with EUROCORES Funding Organisations (EFOs), the European Science Foundation is launching a Call for Proposals under the EUROCORES Programme for European Collaborative Research Projects (ECRP) in the Social Sciences. An ECRP Protocol has been agreed by the EFOs enabling them to consider collaborative proposals from European research teams based on a Common Application form, submitted by a common deadline and evaluated using a common reviewing process, while funding decisions are made at the national level in accordance with national rules.
The EUROCORES Programme is funded by participating national EFOs, with additional support from the European Commission’s Sixth Framework Programme for central administration and networking.
The ECRP Programme is designed to advance international research collaboration in the social sciences by encouraging European academic networking and pooling of research expertise. The Programme offers the opportunity to conduct problem-driven multilateral projects on any topic within the social sciences that demonstrates an international framework for research collaboration. Projects need not be exclusively European in their topic focus.
Only project proposals of the highest scientific quality will be considered. With regard to ethical implications of the proposals, applicants are asked to pay attention to national rules/guidelines that are in place and explain how they apply – if at all – to their specific proposal. Moreover, the ESF encourages and welcomes an increased participation of women in the ECRP Scheme as Project Leaders, Principal Investigators and Project Members.
ECRP applications must involve collaboration among research teams in a minimum of three signatory countries. Projects can receive medium to long-term support, i.e. up to a maximum of five years’ funding in each country, subject to national rules. Applications need to demonstrate that adequate research expertise exists in each participating country to ensure the viability of the research. The support requested must include full-time or part-time research posts, in accordance with national rules. In addition, funding can be sought for networking activities, through the organisation of workshops and research visits, and for shared data facilities for secondary analysis and primary data collection, although the Programme is not intended for infrastructure development.
Researchers based in universities and research institutions in those countries whose national research funding agencies are signatories to this EUROCORES Programme are eligible to apply for funding in accordance with their own national funding arrangements and requirements, as set out in the Financial Details and Additional Requirements from EFOs.
ECRP online and downloadable Common Application form (closed)
When in doubt about national application requirements, please contact the relevant person at your national funding organisation.
Timeframe
You will receive an automatic acknowledgement of receipt and a provisional application number when finalising the submission of your proposal. The ESF will then get back to you with a definitive application number by 9 May 2008.
The ESF, after the meeting of the ECRP Management Committee, will inform the applicants if ineligibility of Individual Projects (IPs) at the national level should result in a collaboration no longer being viable. The results of this eligibility check will be communicated by 16 June 2008.
External peer review of the proposals will be organised from the end of June to the end of September 2008, after which the reviews will be communicated to the EFOs. Final decisions will be taken by the EFOs between November 2008 and February 2009. The ESF will get back to Project Leaders with funding decisions by March 2009.
Please note that Project Leaders are expected to act as contact persons throughout this process and pass on all relevant information to their Principal Investigators and teams.