Mechanisms to enhance synergy between ERA-NETs within and between research councils

1. Mechanisms to enhance synergy between ERA-NETs within and between research councils Eili Ervelä-Myréen eili.ervela-myreen@aka.fi

2. Finland's strategic choices to ensure success should include: •Continuously developing innovation environments with a view to ensuring high-quality research and innovation • Attracting the interest of foreign experts, researchers and students in Finland • Strengthening research cooperation in the northern regions and the Baltic Sea region • Influencing the direction and objectives of research within the EU and promoting the position of research and increases in research funding in the EU • Strengthening the position and funding of high-level basic research in Europe Source: Science and Technology Policy Council of Finland

3. International functions of the Academy

4. Academy of Finland international strategy: Vision 2007 Finnish research has strong and dynamic national characteristics. It constitutes an important part of the international research system. Objectives: • The Academy of Finland is an active and influential force in European science policy • The Academy is an established global actor and an attractive partner in cooperation • Finnish researchers are well prepared for international work and for promoting science Means: • The Academy works closely with partners both at home and abroad to fulfil its role as a research funding body, science policy expert and promoter of science

5. Why does the Academy participate in ERA-NETs? • There is a good basis because the Academy is an experienced actor in bilateral and multilateral, international research programme cooperation • There are no legislative barriers for the Academy to take part in jointly funded programmes • Participation creates new opportunities for cooperation with new partners and enhances the creation of new instruments for funding cooperation • ERA-NETs increase the research council members’ and staff’s knowledge of European research and innovation environments as well as of European research funding organisation

6. Internal coordination of the Academy’s ERA-NETs An ERA-NET team has been set up with the following tasks: • exchange of information and best practices • to create synergies between the participants in the different ERA-NETs • to give advice on the coordination of the Academy’s policies regarding ERA-NETs • to exchange information and cooperate with other Finnish funding organisations participating in ERA-NETs such as Tekes and the Ministries

7. Strategic Plan on ERA-NETs: Objectives • Internationalisation of Finnish research and research environments • Active participation in the discussions and contributing to the shaping of the European science policy • Establishing collaboration with other European funding agencies, laying the foundation for future bilateral and multilateral funding mechanisms • Strengthening the level and diversity of Finnish research in scientifically or socially significant significant areas, or where the number of researchers is low or which have not yet reached an international level • Preparing for jointly funded research programmes in strategic focus areas • Joint use of research infrastructures • Bench-marking of the development processes, management, implementation and coordination of research programmes

8. Criteria used in planning ERA-NET participation • Which long-term strategic objectives of the Academy does the participation in the ERA-NET support? • What benefits can the ERA-NET project be expected to offer to the Finnish research community/Finnish society/Europe and thus Finland? (e.g. raising the level of research) • What specific benefit and added value does the ERA-NET project generate for existing or upcoming research programmes or other related actions? • How does the ERA-NET promote and support cooperation with other national R&D funding agencies and/or programmes? • How does the ERA-NET promote European and other international cooperation between research funding agencies? • Most ERA-NET projects aim at implementing a joint research programme. How does this affect the Academy’s upcoming research programmes and budget?

9. Advantages of ERA-NETs • Flexibility • Ownership - Commitment • Timetable

10. ERA-NET 1/2 • BONUS (for the Baltic Sea Science – Network of Funding Agencies) • NORFACE (New opportunities for Research Funding Co-operation in Europe, A Strategy for Social Sciences) • ERA-AGE (European Research Area in Ageing Research) • CIRCLE(Climate Impact Research Coordination within a Larger Europe) • ERA-CHEMISTRY (Implementation of joint bottom-up European programmes in Chemistry) • ERA-PG (European Research Area Plant Genomics) • MARINERA (Coordination of national and regional marine RTD programmes in Europe) • PATHOGENOMICS(Trans-European cooperation and coordination of genome sequencing andfunctional genomics of human-pathogenic micro-organisms)

11. ERA-NET 2/2 • WOODWISDOM-NET (Networking and Integration of National Programmes in the Area of Wood Material Science and Engineering) • HERA (Humanities in the European Research Area) • CO-REACH (Co-ordination of Research between Europe and China) • ERA-SAGE (European Research Area on Societal Aspects of Genomics) • MATERA (ERA-NET Materials) • NANOSCI-ERA (Nanoscience in the European Research Area) • ERASysBio(Towards a European Research Area for Systems Biology - A Transnational Funding Initiative to support Convergence of Life Sciences with Information Technology & Systems Sciences) • EURYI (European Young Investigators Awards)