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Strengthening ERC participation: from policy to practice through support mechanisms

June 19 @ 10:00 am - 1:30 pm
Strengthening ERC participation. Webinar June 19th 2026

The mERCury Project is organising its first Transnational Workshop.

This event will bring together representatives of national funding agencies, institutional leadership, ERC National Contact Points (NCPs) and key stakeholders to explore effective approaches to strengthening participation in the European Research Council (ERC).

The workshop will focus on:

  • Policy frameworks and national support mechanisms;
  • Institutional approaches to supporting ERC participation;
  • Existing practices and experiences across Europe, with relevance for Widening countries;
  • Exchange of perspectives among key stakeholders.

This event is not intended for ERC applicants; rather, it is specifically addressed to stakeholders involved in the design and implementation of ERC support mechanisms.

Agenda

10:00 – 10:05
Welcome and open remarks

  • Marco Ferraro, Project Coordinator, ERC NCP (IT)
  • Aslı Vural, ERC NCP (TR)

10:05 – 10:45
Session 1. ERC participation in Widening countries: policy perspectives and key challenges – moderated by Laura Chirilă, ERC NCP (RO)

Policy perspectives on ERC participation: insights from the ERC Scientific Council White Paper on widening participation

  • Prof. Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council – short video

Challenges for Widening countries in ERC participation: barriers and opportunities

  • Prof. Leszek Kaczmarek, ERC Scientific Council Member
  • Prof. Andras Stipsicz, ERC Scientific Council Member

10:45 – 12:00
Session 2. ERC national and institutional support mechanisms: trends and practices across Europe – moderated by Aslı Vural, ERC NCP (TR)

Mapping ERC support mechanisms: key trends across national and institutional levels

  • Laura Chirilă, ERC NCP (RO)

ERC national support mechanisms – trends and practices across Widening and non Widening countries

  • Gergely Bőhm, ERC NCP (HU)
  • Leda Skoufari-Themistou, ERC NCP (CY)
  • Patrick Lansley, ERC NCP (IE)

Q&A Session

ERC institutional support mechanisms – trends and practices across Widening and nonWidening countries

  • Laura Tomson, University of Tartu (EE)
  • Aikaterini Karakasidou, University of Cyprus (CY)
  • Celine Damon, Mission Europe pour la Recherche (FR)
  • Alessandro Zamboni, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna (IT)

Q&A Session

12:00 – 13:25
Session 3. From support mechanisms to ERC success: what works and why – moderated by Gabriele Cepeliauskaite, ERC NCP (LT) and Patrick Lansley, ERC NCP (IE)

ERC national support mechanisms – Panel discussion and Q&A session

  • Berit Sundby Avset, ERC NCP (NO)
  • Allan Padar, Estonian Research Council – ETAG (EE)
  • Aslı Vural, ERC NCP (TR)

ERC institutional support mechanisms – Panel discussion and Q&A session

  • Diana Pustula,University  of Warsaw (PL)
  • Veronika Mikitová, Masaryk University (CZ)
  • John Phillips, Lund University (SE)
  • Oya Özer, Koç University (TR)
  • Laura Mottet, University of Luxembourg (LU)

13:25 – 13:30
Closing remarks

Registration is open until 16 June, 2026

Details