ERA chairs

General Description

The ERA Chairs action aims to support universities and research organizations to attract and maintain high quality human resources and implement the structural changes necessary to achieve excellence of their research on a long-term basis. The ERA Chairs may be in any domains of research and innovation in line with relevant regional and national strategies for smart specialisation.

The ERA Chair scheme is an important part of the EU's effort to unlock Europe's potential in research and innovation. The scheme falls under the Coordination and support actions.of Horizon 2020 and aims at facilitating structural change in the selected research organisation and foster excellent research in compliance with ERA priorities. These structural changes include recruitment of researchers according to the European Charter for Researchers & Code of Conduct, better use of the research capacities/facilities and/or necessary investments in facilities and infrastructures. Modifications of facilities and infrastructures are expected to be performed in coordination with national or regional authorities and other stakeholders.

The selected ERA Chair holders are outstanding researcher and research manager in given field of research, with a proven record of effective leadership, setting up their team in the selected organization to significantly improve its research performance and to be more successful in obtaining competitive funding.

Expected impact

• Increased attractiveness of the institution, region and country for internationally excellent and mobile researchers.
• Increased research excellence of the institution in the specific fields covered by the ERA Chair holders.
• Improved capability to compete successfully for internationally competitive research funding.
• Institutional changes within the ERA host institution to implement the European Research Area priorities, (including an open recruitment policy, gender balance, peer review, and doctoral training).
• Contributing to the objectives of regional or national smart specialisation strategies, including increased interactions with economic and social actions, and complementing support provided under the European Structural and Investment Funds.

Type of action

Coordination and support actions.