NORFACE ERA-NET

1. is a partnership between twelve Research Councils to increase co-operation in research and research policy in Europe

2. NORFACE ERA-NET NORFACE New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Co-operation in Europe - a Strategy for Social Science duration: 2004 - 2008 funding: 3.300.000 €

3. NORFACE SSHRC UK-Nordic DFG, NWO, FCT, SRA, EstSF IRCHSS NOS-S

4. NORFACE ERA-NET Strategic objectives • the development of a durable partnership in research funding policy and practice between the partner organisations • increasing co-operation between national programmes and developing a transnational research programme between the partner organisations • building a platform of co-operation which can be extended to other European countries and other fields of science

5. NORFACE ERA-NET Outcomes • A tested network of transnational policy and research practice • The partners have developed and started to implement an entirely new cross-national strategic research initiative • The partners have provided the evidence base for further development of institutional and individual co-operation in the European Research Area

6. NORFACE ERA-NET Opportunities for the Funding Agencies • Promoting research funding of social sciences • Developing new mechanisms for strategic co-operation • Building capacities for joint activities • Creating contacts and new experiences of working together • Exchange of best practices and knowledge • Co-operation for the future of the social sciences

7. NORFACE ERA-NET Best practice studies • Evaluation and peer review of research • Promotion of gender equality in research • Programme development and management • Priority setting and development of new initiatives • User engagement

8. NORFACE ERA-NET Strategic activities • Comparative analysis of partner organisation • Data and research infrastructures • Participation of ethnic minorities in social sciences • The impact of language to international research co-operation • Opening up to transnational participation • Design of new transnational funding instruments

9. NORFACE ERA-NET Opportunities for researchers • Support for cross-national research of excellence • New and exciting funding opportunities • Facilitating new multinational collaborations • Participation in NORFACE core activities • Improved dialogue between researchers and funding agencies • Co-operation for the enhancement of the social sciences

10. NORFACE ERA-NET Joint funding instruments - goals • Development, testing and optimisation of common procedures for calls • Integration of funding by using “common pot” without “juste retour” • Implementation of common calls with minimal “bureaucratic procedures”

11. NORFACE ERA-NET Research funding activities • Seminar series • Pilot programme • Pilot on capacity building • Clustering activities • Transnational programme

12. NORFACE ERA-NET Pilot programme: Operational objectives • To promote cooperation between funding bodies from the NORFACE partner countries • To create effective mechanisms for multinational collaboration within the NORFACE partner countries and to test the functionality of the chosen design for the call, evaluation, decision-making, budget, management and coordination of the jointly funded programme

13. NORFACE ERA-NET Pilot programme: Scientific objectives • To support excellent research in NORFACE partner countries • To promote and support cooperation between researchers from the NORFACE partner countries, especially researchers early in their careers • To coordinate scattered capacities funded through the NORFACE partner Councils in a chosen field of research • To build an area where the NORFACE countries working together have an opportunity to contribute to the development of the social sciences globally • To increase visibility of European social science research on a specific theme

14. NORFACE ERA-NET Launching a transnational programme Drawing on the experience of the two cross border pilots a transnational programme, involving all the partner organisations, will be planned and launched.   A joint Call for the main transnational programme will be launched with an agreed theme, timetable, budget and plan of implementation. The first transnational projects will begin outside the five-year period of NORFACE funding in 2009.

15. NORFACE ERA-NET Forward Look - Key goals • SCIENTIFIC: • Share perspectives on future directions of the social sciences in Europe • Contribute to theme selection for the NORFACE transnational programme • INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION: • Learn how to work towards a common scientific goal

16. NORFACE ERA-NET The Workshop’s Objectives • A starting point for the Forward Look • A first chance for Scientists and Agencies to exchange views on the major research challenges • A first chance to consider policy and process concerns in developing a major transnational programme

17. NORFACE ERA-NET Possible themes for transnational programme • Governance of science and socio-technical innovation • Spaces of Europe in global processes • Risk, uncertainty and individual coping mechanisms • Telescoped transitions to/from democracy • Generation(s) • Chaos and complexity • What is “human”? • Technology in social innovations

18. NORFACE ERA-NET The Forward Look task • March 06: Workshop - • Initial tour of the Social Science terrain • Common view of Task needs • November 06: Task Report - • Highlight necessary success factors for the Forward Look task • Identify some scientific areas to develop as possible Programme topics • Map the next steps towards the Programme

19. NORFACE ERA-NET www.norface.org