Celebrating European Science

Specific Challenge

Europe's vibrant research and innovation ecosystem produces a third of the world's high impact publications and patent applications. It is crucial to sustain this excellent track record. One of the ways to achieve this is by celebrating European science, thereby by reaching out to the public and stimulating interest in research careers among students. High level scientific events provide the optimal fora, especially when they bring students into direct contact with experienced distinguished scientists so that they can gain useful insight and advice from those with successful and rewarding careers.

Scope

The events should be very high level, with a strong international presence, gathering prestigious speakers addressing an audience of young as well as experienced researchers. Gatherings should be recurrent, take place over several days, have a strong European focus with European science and its impressive results at its centre should benefit from. Public engagement methods will be employed to explore links between science, politics, industry and culture, to create a dialogue across disciplines and generations and to promote European integration.

Proposals should include plans to ensure that students from across Europe are made aware of the possibility to participate at such gatherings. The procedure for selecting candidates should be described and should respect the principles of transparency and fairness to ensure a balanced participation in terms of country and gender. The proposals should describe in detail the mechanisms through which the students will be able to meet and interact with experienced distinguished scientists.

A strong outreach strategy is mandatory. Consideration should be given to the use of audiovisual and internet media as a means of broadcasting the meetings between the students and the prestigious speakers, to a wider public. The meetings should use participatory methods to ensure public engagement. A workshop should be organised at each event to provide information on "European Research Career Opportunities". This should be open to all participants and should be scheduled during the main scientific program. An appropriate communication strategy should be described, designed to ensure proper and full visibility to European Union research policies and programmes and to the concrete opportunities offered to young researchers. It should include precise deliverables, to be implemented during the event, and in all communication activities and materials preceding and following the event.

The proposals will cover scientific gatherings or clusters of gatherings taking place in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

The proposals should be in line with the Horizon 2020 Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) cross-cutting issues of engaging society, integrating the gender and ethical dimensions, ensuring access to research outcomes and encouraging formal and informal science education.The proposals should promote European Union actions in the field of science, research and innovation with a particular emphasis on the interaction between science and society.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of EUR 0.5 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately.

This action allows for the provision of financial support to third parties in line with the conditions set out in Part K of the General Annexes.

Expected Impact

Stimulate interest and retain graduates in research careers and strengthen the visibility of the EU as a hub for excellent science, research and innovation.