ERIC Forum 2

The ERICs (European Research Infrastructure Consortia), under the umbrella of the ERIC Forum, represent one of the leading science policy voices in Europe and play a key role in structuring the research infrastructure landscape. Following the successful set-up and implementation of the ERIC Forum (2019-2022), further efforts are needed to consolidate its achievements and expand the coordination and monitoring of the ERICs.  

The project is structured in four thematic pillars:  

1. Monitoring and Reporting;
2. Reinforcing European research infrastructure policy and international cooperation;  
3. Implementing the ERIC Regulation, strengthening capacities and identifying possible shared resources;
4. Coordinating the project, ERIC Forum Executive Board secretariat and communication.  

The activities carried out within the project will ensure the implementation of specific results on three key target groups:  

• the ERICs and ERICs-to-be, in order to increase their knowledge and propose solutions for key aspects of the ERIC Regulation implementation; 
• the policy-makers and stakeholders by setting-up and managing the new ERIC Forum monitoring and reporting platform, thus ensuring an easy access to updated and consolidated data and information about the ERICs, as well a further strengthened role in the European science policy; 
• the users, as the project will investigate the sustainability and open access of its services, as well as address the challenges related to the commercial aspects of service provision. 

ERIC-Forum 2 consortium 

This project aims to structure the cooperation between all 23 existing ERICs, support the implementation of the ERIC Regulation and ERICs services, and consolidate the integration of the ERICs in the European Research Area by deepening the ERIC Forum’s contribution to research policies. To reach its objectives, the project relies on a multi-disciplinary consortium involving all identified ERICs, both multi- and single-sited, and representing the five science clusters of the ERICs.  

EATRIS role in the project 

EATRIS will focus on the contribution to the Capacity-building programme for ERICs personnel upskilling (WP9), in particular EATRIS will lead the iImplementation of Gender Equality Plans and Gender mainstreaming among the ERICs. This task will help strengthen the existing gender equality committed community that was formed within ERIC Forum in June 2021 as a Gender Equality Working Group (GE WG) initially triggered by the newly established GEP eligibility in Horizon Europe. It support all preparatory and established ERICs with the implementation phase of their GEPs and will continue to support the exchange of experience and best practices regarding gender equality actions. 

In WP9, EATRIS will be also involved in training/capacity building events to build an ERIC Community of Practice (CoP) on Privacy and Data Protection that will engage with and respond to the to addressing the specific challenges raised by privacy and data protection in securing the sustainability of ERICs as resources for the European and international scientific community and as trusted repositories of data. 

EATRIS will contribute in assessing and tuning of strategies and best practices, already drafted, for engaging the industry as a partner of the ERICs. The main outcome of this task is to improve coordination among the ERICs and their capacity in collaborating with the private sector by having a common approach that will reinforce their sustainability and their socio-economic impact.