Executive summary

• Author: Tornasi, Zeno; Delaney, Niamh
• Pages: 4-4

4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Research and innovation are essential to finding solutions to the pressing challenges we

face. It requires opening up the research and innovation system t o the participation and

collective i ntelligence of society, embedding high integrity and ethics standards, raising

interest in science, and supporting Europe’s brightest minds engage in scienti fic careers.

Put simply, Europe cannot thrive without ensuring the best possible match between the

immense potential achievements science has to offer and the needs, values and

aspirations of citizens.

The objective of this report is to convey th e achievements of the science careers proj ects

funded under the Science with and for Society (hereinafter referred to as SwafS) part of

Horizon 2020. Its purpose is to serve as input for the preparation of the Horizon Europe

programme implementation.

Overview of SwafS Implementation in Horizon 2020

A budget of EUR 462 million was earmarked for Swa fS in Horizon 2020. Close to 2,000

proposals submitted in response to the annual calls for proposals, conveys strong

interest in SwafS matters.

The annual evaluations are deemed to be highly robust. So far, they resulted in 150

funded projects and close to 50 more projects are expected to stem from the fi nal calls

under Horizon 2020. Since the start of this Fram ework Programme, REA Unit B.5

manages the projects. SwafS projects are typicall y composed of large consortia with an

average of 11 partners and tend to run for around 3 years.

Science careers

The European Research Area (ERA) priorities underline the importance of an open l abour

market for r esearchers, entailing the removal of barriers to researchers’ mobility as well

as enhancing their training and career opportuniti es. The EURAXESS – Researchers in

Motion initiative strives to become the global support and career development tool for

researchers, both in terms of their m obility within and beyond Europe as well as

networking with researchers from all over the world.

Enhancement of EURAXESS services included expanding its services centres

geographically as well as offering researchers a suite of tools for their career

development to equip them for an international career. On-campus events in a number

of countries complemented this effort.

The challenge of migration flows l ed to th e Science4Refugees initiative directed towards

enabling refugee researchers or scientists (granted asylum in a host country) to pursue

their educati onal path or enter the labour market. Finally, with the advent of the Open

Science Agenda, attention has shifted to developing the open science skills of

researchers with new projects recently embarking in this area.