Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area

This programme targets EU Member States with lower research and innovation performance (Widening countries: EU13, Portugal and Greece) and aims to reform and enhance the European Research Area (ERA) as a whole.

Widening participation aims at connecting research and innovation in Widening countries to a broader European network of excellence, with the goal of strengthening the Widening countries and allowing the EU as a whole to advance. Researchers in Switzerland can participate as so-called "advanced" partners, but the project must be coordinated by the Widening partner.

Strengthening the EU research areas facilitates the implementation of concrete measures to strengthen the ERA: free circulation of highly skilled workforces, rapid and efficient sharing of research output, attractive careers, gender equality, and general research output as understood and trusted by informed scientists.