Overview
ERA-NET (European Research Area Networks) is the policy instrument of the European Commission for the coordination of national research programmes in Europe.
ERA-NET encourages cooperation among researchers from different countries in Europe and outside Europe. To this end, research funding organisations organise joint calls around specific disciplines and themes in all participating countries. Consortia of researchers from the participating countries can respond to the calls with a joint research application.
The European Commission periodically issues calls for new ERA-NETs in specific scientific domains and themes. The list of accepted proposals, which are submitted by a group of interested national and regional research financiers, is published approximately one year later. The ERA-NET can then be launched. The initiative normally runs for five years. In addition to calls, an ERA-NET can organise networking activities in preparation of the joint call.
Programmes
ERA-NET Co-fund
ERA-NET Cofund is a programme under Horizon 2020 designed to support public-public partnerships. It incorporates the former ERA-NET and ERA-NET Plus into a single instrument, with the focus shifted from the funding of networks to topping up funds for single joint calls for transnational research and innovation in selected areas with high European added value and relevance for Horizon 2020. The aim is to increase the share of funding that Member States dedicate jointly.
ERA-MIN
ERA-MIN was a programme aimed at establishing mechanisms and networks that fostered research in the field of industrial production and supply of raw materials. It operated in line with the European Union Raw Materials Initiative. ERA-MIN projects covered the entire raw material value chain from primary to secondary resources, the substitution of the scarce elements, as well as cross-cutting issues like the mitigation of environmental impacts and raising public awareness. This was achieved through co-funding calls, designed and developed specifically for the raw materials sector, with the exception of materials from agricultural production and materials used as fuel. The project started in 2013 and concluded its first phase in 2016. Following that, a second phase, known as ERA-MIN 2, ran from 2017 to 2021. The last projects are currently being finalised, and the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) is no longer providing funding for projects under this initiative.
M.ERA.NET
M-ERA.NET is an EU funded network which was established to support and increase the coordination of European research programmes and related funding in materials science and engineering. The M-ERA.NET consortium contributed to the restructuring of the European Research Area (ERA) by operating as a single innovative and flexible network of funding organisations. The initiative began in 2011 and concluded its first phase in 2017, followed by a second phase from 2018 to 2021. As this programme has concluded, and the DSI is no longer providing funding for projects under this initiative.
MarTERA
MarTERA is a co-funding scheme aimed at strengthening the European Research Area (ERA) in maritime and marine technologies. MarTERA is a network of 17 ministries, authorities and funding organisations responsible for organising and co-funding joint calls for transnational research and innovation projects on different sub-themes in the marine area.
Biodiversa
Biodiversa is the European Biodiversity Partnership supporting excellent research on biodiversity with an impact for society and policy. Biodiversa is a network of 39 research-funding agencies and ministries across 25 European and associated countries funded under the Horizon 2020 ERA-NET COFUND scheme.
Funding
APPLICATION FORMS
- Application for DSI Biodiversa co-investment funding
- Application for DSI ERA.Min co-investment funding
- Application for DSI M.ERA-Net co-investment funding
REPORTS ON USE OF FUNDING
ESASTAP is a collaboration between the Department of Science and Innovation, partnering member states and the European Commission. The programme’s main objective is to strengthen ties within the field of science, technology and innovation. Funding for projects, mainly sourced from both the Department of Science and Innovation of the Republic of South Africa and the European Commission.