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mERCury

mERCury

Enhancing cooperation and support for National Contact Points (NCPs) of the European Research Council (ERC)

Finance Logo
Coordinator AGENZIA PER LA PROMOZIONE DELLA RICERCA EUROPEA (APRE)
Start date 09/01/2025
Duration 36M
Total budget €1,799,946.00
Partners
  • PRAXI Νetwork / FORTH
  • TURKIYE BILIMSEL VE TEKNOLOJIK ARASTIRMA KURUMU (TUBITAK)
  • NARODOWE CENTRUM BADAN I ROZWOJU (NCBR)
  • RANNSOKNAMIDSTOD ISLANDS (Rannis)
  • LUXINNOVATION GIE (LUXINNOVATION)
  • LATVIJAS ZINATNES PADOME (LZP)
  • DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV (DLR)
  • UNITATEA EXECUTIVA PENTRU FINANTAREA INVATAMANTULUI SUPERIOR A CERCETARII DEZVOLTARII SI INOVARII (UEFISCDI)
  • CENTRUM VEDECKO TECHNICKYCH INFORMACII SLOVENSKEJ REPUBLIKY (CVTISR)
  • Lietuvos mokslo taryba (LMT)
  • 12. IDRYMA EREVNAS KAI KAINOTOMIAS (RIF)
  • SCIENTIFIC AND INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP ASSISTANCE CENTER (SIPAC)
  • XJENZA MALTA (SCIENCE MALTA)
  • INSTITUTE PO KATALIZ BAN (IC-BAS)
  • SERVICE PUBLIC FEDERAL DE PROGRAMMATION POLITIQUE SCIENTIFIQUE (BELSPO)
  • MINISTERE AUPRES DU MIN DE L EDUCATION NATIONALE, CHARGE DE L ENSEIGNEMENT SUPERIEUR ET DE LA RECHERCHE (MESR)
  • MAGYAR TUDOMANYOS AKADEMIA TITKARSAGA (MTA TITKARSAGA)
  • OSTERREICHISCHE FORSCHUNGSFORDERUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH (FFG)
  • NATIONAL TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION AUTHORITY (Israel Innovation Authority)
  • UNITED KINGDOM RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (UKRI)
  • FUNDACION ESPANOLA PARA LA CIENCIAY LA TECNOLOGIA, F.S.P., FECYT (FECYT)

The mERCury project aims to improve cooperation and support for the European Research Council (ERC) National Contact Points (NCPs) and has the following main objectives:

  1. Facilitate transnational cooperation and capacity building among ERC NCPs to achieve a consistent and harmonized level of support.

  2. Strengthen national and local support for potential ERC applicants, particularly in countries with weak participation.

  3. Identify and share good NCP practices and raise the overall standard of support for ERC applicants.

  4. Enhance the competence of ERC NCPs, helping less experienced NCPs quickly acquire know-how accumulated by NCPs in other countries.

  5. Increase the quality and quantity of applications, especially from Horizon Europe Widening countries, through coaching of potential ERC applicants.

The project has three Specific Objectives (SO):

  • SO1: Improve, professionalize, and harmonize the services of ERC NCPs.

  • SO2: Increase the capacities of less experienced and Widening country NCPs, facilitate their work, reduce the participation gap, and increase applications from these countries.

  • SO3: Strengthen national and local support for potential ERC applicants, particularly in countries with weak participation.

These objectives will be achieved through four Work Packages that include:

  • Twinnings

  • Meet & Exchange workshops

  • Online working groups

  • Train-the-trainer events

  • Training sessions and workshops for applicants