Please note that the EUROCORES Scheme came to an end in December 2015.No further calls will be launched. |
To know more about the new role of ESF, please visit our Frequent Asked questions section.
What were EUROCORES?
The EUROCORES Scheme enshrined ESF’s goals of enhancing synergy at a pan-European level by providing a framework to bring together national research funding organisations and supporting interdisciplinary research in non-traditional areas, thereby opening new horizons in science.
ESF oversaw the process of selecting EUROCORES programmes from start-to-finish, including an international peer review panel, a ranking process and research dissemination activities.
EUROCORES programmes were broad and complex in nature, with topics selected through an open call for themes. Uniquely, EUROCORES networking activities brought together researchers who would eventually conduct their research at the bench together.
EUROCORES also featured a complementary scheme in the social sciences called the “European Collaborative Research Projects” (ECRP) scheme, which had no thematic orientation to its annual Call for Proposals. Please click here for more information.
Why EUROCORES?
EUROCORES offered a difference
EUROCORES were unique because they enabled national research funding and research performing organisations as well as ministries to come together and fund innovative scientific projects. In fact, funding was not just provided on a European level but could also come from organisations outside Europe. In addition to this unique funding opportunity, EUROCORES offered added value through strong science management where scientific synergy was achieved through active and targeted networking. Programme monitoring included 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, promoted investigator-driven, multinational collaborative research in the social sciences. Operating in the responsive-mode, its annual competition was open to applications in all fields of the social sciences. Researchers could collaborate across participating countries on any subject which demonstrated a need for international cooperation, while the funding remained at a national level. Please click here for more information.
EUROCORES added value to European research by
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- 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.
From 2009, the National Funding Organisations provided the funding for the scientific coordination and networking in addition to the research funding.
