Universities

The European Union aims to eliminate inequalities and to promote equality between men and women in all its activities, including in Research and Innovation. Promoting gender equality is one of the key priorities of a “Reinforced European Research Area Partnership for Excellence and Growth”. The Member States are invited to remove barriers to the recruitment, retention and career progression of female researchers, address gender balance in decision making and strengthen the gender dimension in research programmes.

Science is a crucial element in the dynamic of societies. In our interconnected and globalised world, the impact of new scientific knowledge grows steadily. How to ensure that outcomes resulting from R&I will correspond to the needs of the various societal actors and be suitable for society in the long run?

Knowledge-based societies need to make science education and careers attractive for young people in order to allow scientifically literate citizens to actively participate all along their life to their development, and to enable them to opt for a scientific career.

Citizens' interests and values need to be better integrated into science, technology, research and innovation issues, policies and activities. This integration will increase the quality, relevance, social acceptability and sustainability of research and innovation outcomes in various fields of activity from social innovation to nanotechnology. This integration will be made possible by promoting Responsible Research and Innovation, i.e. the engagement of citizens and society in a co-creative research and innovation process.

Joint Programming is a new approach to foster collaboration and coordination in R&D in Europe. It is a member-states driven activity. The Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) "More Years, Better Lives - The Potential and Challenges of Demographic Change" seeks to enhance coordination and collaboration between European and national research programmes related to demographic change.

Water is an invaluable resource for human health, food security, sustainable development and the environment, and is an economic sector of growing importance for Europe. However, water resources are constantly under pressure from climate change, urbanisation, pollution, overexploitation of freshwater resources and increasing competition between various user groups.

Water is an invaluable resource for human health, food security, sustainable development and the environment, and is an economic sector of growing importance for Europe. However, water resources are constantly under pressure from climate change, urbanisation, pollution, overexploitation of freshwater resources and increasing competition between various user groups.

Securing the society against disasters is one of the central elements of the functioning of any society. There is barely any societal sector which is not to some extent concerned by disasters and related resilience and security issues. The objective of this call is to reduce the loss of human life, environmental, economic and material damage from natural and man-made disasters, including extreme weather events, crime and terrorism threats. This area will therefore focus on developing technologies and running large-scale demonstration.

The RISE scheme will promote international and inter-sector collaboration through research and innovation staff exchanges, and sharing of knowledge and ideas from research to market (and vice-versa) for the advancement of science and the development of innovation.

The COFUND scheme aims at stimulating regional, national or international programmes to foster excellence in researchers' training, mobility and career development, spreading the best practices of Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions.