European Research Council: Open to the world

The European Research Council, set up by the EU in 2007, is the premiere European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It is part of the Horizon 2020 programme. The ERC offers long-term grants in Europe to scientists of any nationality and in any field.

To date, the ERC has funded around 9,000 top researchers at various stages of their careers. More than 48 Australian researchers based in Europe have been awarded ERC grants, of which 41 are early- to mid-career researchers. From 2019, Synergy grants will allow Australian researchers, who are part of an EU-based team, to conduct research in Australia. More information here.

More of Australia's top talent will join high-calibre research teams in Europe thanks to recent joint agreements between the ERC and Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Australian Research Council.

NHMRC-funded health and medical researchers in Australia can join high-calibre research teams in Europe through the Implementing Arrangement. It can be a single and long-term research visit of up to 12 months or multiple short-term visits for joint experiments. Applications are open here.

From October 2019, a similar Implmenting Agreement will be in place for Australian Research Council. More information here.

READ MORE ABOUT ERC

Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) under Horizon 2020’s Excellent Science provide grants for all stages of researchers' careers and encourage transnational, intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility. The MSCA enable research-focused organisations (universities, research centres, and companies) to host talented foreign researchers and to create strategic partnerships with leading institutions worldwide. The MSCA are open to all domains of research and innovation.

Country Factsheet (Last refresh date: 25/11/19) - Australia

Country Factsheet (Last refresh date: 25/11/19) - New Zealand

• PDF Guides for Applicants:

  • Individual Fellowships (IF)

  • Staff Exchanges (RISE)

  • Research Networks (ITN)

  • European Researchers’ Night (NIGHT)

How to submit a MSCA-IF proposal (1.86 MB)

READ MORE ABOUT MSCA

Erasmus +

Erasmus+ is the EU's programme for education, training, youth and sport for the period 2014-2020, replacing the previous programme Erasmus Mundus. Erasmus+ funds various projects for institutions and scholarships for individuals worldwide including Australia.

Student & staff mobility

Short-term mobility for students, researchers and staff allows students to study in a foreign university and obtain credits recognised at their home institution as part of their degree. A grant is also possible for staff and students of Australian universities which have signed a bilateral agreement with a European university as part of an Erasmus+ mobility project. Each year new projects are selected for EU funding. Australia is a popular partner for European universities with more than 1000 Australians participating in Erasmus programs since 2004. 

Each year new projects are selected. EU funding is available for projects with Australia as part of the wider Asia-Pacific region. Australia is a popular partner for European universities and 25% of their mobility with the region is with Australia. New projects have been selected in 2017 with 73 projects involving Australian institutions entailing 225 Australian students and academics coming to Europe and 195 European students and academics coming to Australia.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (EMJD) award full-degree scholarships to Master students from around the world covering tuition, travel and a living allowance. These are joint programmes offered by a consortium of universities. Students study in at least two different European countries during their 1-2 year programme. Upon graduation, they are awarded a joint, double or multiple degree.

Australian higher education institutions can take part. In 2019, 39 students applied for an EMJD with nine scholarships awarded to Australians.  

Jean Monnet activities aim to develop EU studies worldwide. For more than 25 years, they have been  promoting excellence in teaching and research on the European integration process at higher education level. In 2018, the EU's Erasmus+ Jean Monnet programme contributed nearly $A2.4 million to 15 research projects at eight universities in South Australia, Victoria and the ACT. The research projects will focus on issues such as innovation, trade, refugees, energy, water policy, economic cooperation, global affairs and media relations. The University of South Australia, University of Adelaide, University of Melbourne, RMIT, Swinburne University, Monash University, Deakin University and the Australian National University receive EU funding.

 

 

In July 2019, RTD Director General Jean-Eric Paquet visited Australia. In this occasion he co-chaired the 15th EU-Australia Joint Committee meeting on Science and Technological Cooperation (Joint Communiqué), and met with Karen Andrews (Australian Minister for Industry, Science and Technology), Simon Birmingham (Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment), and Dr Alan Finkel (Chief Scientist of Australia).

The Director General had exchanges with the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), with whom DG RTD had signed two Implementing Arrangements in order to provide more opportunities for Australian researchers to team up with European research teams.

The visit included a number of other meetings, such as the round-tables with senior academics and administrators at RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology), and a public event organized by EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory) at Monash University. It also offered the opportunity to visit several centres showing Australian excellence in R&I, such as the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne, and the Microscopy Australia and the Quantum computing facilities in Sydney.

 

Policy Dialogue

The European Union (EU) and Australia established diplomatic relations in 1952 which have grown over the years to many areas from a predominantly economic partnership to a politically strategic one. On 22 May 2018, the Council of the European Union adopted the decision authorising the opening of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the EU and Australia. On 7 August 2017 the leaders of the EU and Australia signed a 'Framework Agreement' which provides the legal framework for cooperation and will encourage closer links between leaders across government, business and civil society.

Australia is an important, like-minded partner for the EU in the area of research and innovation co-operation. Australia and the EU have a long history of productive research collaboration, underpinned by the first treaty-level science and technology agreement signed by the EU with an industrialised country in 1994.

Australia has more collaboration with the European Union than any single country in the world, averaging over 13,000 co-publications per year over the period 2011-15. Australia was the European Union’s fifth highest non-EU collaborator over the same period.

The bi-annual Australia-EU Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) meetings are the principal mechanism for setting bilateral Australia-EU research collaboration priorities and monitoring cooperation. The last JSTCC was held in Canberra on 23 July 2019 (see related Joint Communiqué   606 KB ) with the next joint meeting planned for 2021 in Brussels.

An Australian Counsellor (Industry, Innovation and Science) is based at the Australian Embassy and Mission to the European Union and NATO in Brussels, as part of the overseas network of the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (DIIS). The role of the Counsellor is to support the department’s key strategic international engagement objectives for industry, resources, science and innovation in Europe. The Counsellor is also the National Contact Point (NCP) for Australia.

Under the National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA) Australia adopted a 'Global Innovation Strategy' (GIS) which provides an overarching framework to guide Australia’s international industry, innovation and science collaboration. The strategy leverages and builds on existing government initiatives to enhance whole-of-government global engagement; build business–research collaboration; draw talent and investment into Australia; increase links to global value chains; and facilitate an innovative, open marketplace for Australian businesses and researchers in the Asia–Pacific. The EU and its member states are identified as priority economies for collaboration. All EU member states are eligible to apply with an Australian partner for the Global Innovation Linkages programme and the Global Connections Fund under the GIS.

European researchers are able to apply to a range of competitive programs through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Australian Research Council (ARC). International researchers can be included on the NHMRC’s research grants; as lead investigators where appropriate works visas are in place.

In addition, opportunities are available for European and Australian researchers to collaborate in the EU Framework Programmes in the health and medical areas through the co-funding NHMRC-European Union Collaborative Research Grants program, and  also through NHMRC’s EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research program.

The ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) supports the highest-quality fundamental and applied research and research training through national competition and is open to international researchers, provided applications are made through an eligible Australian institution.

Additionally there are many areas of cooperation between Australia and the EU through the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and with other government research organisations.

 

Projects

Research cooperation between Europe and Australia under the EU Research Framework Programmes has steadily increased over the years.

Framework programmes

With the release of the Horizon 2020 work programme for 2018-2020, Australia is considering further potential areas of collaboration aligned with its domestic science and innovation priorities.

Funded under the Horizon 2020 work programme, the MESOPP project aims to enhance research and innovation cooperation between Europe and Australia by developing research e-infrastructures (standardised methods and datasets for biomass estimates of micronekton organisms in ocean ecosystem models) linked to ocean research.

Funded as part of Framework Programme 7 (FP7), the Connecting Australian European Science and Innovation Excellence (CAESIE) initiative ran from September 2012 to August 2015. It aimed to enhance science and technology collaboration between industry (small to medium enterprises (SMEs)) and researchers in Europe and Australia in areas of clean energy; sustainable cities; and healthy ageing through sustainable technology.

Under FP7, the AUS-ACCESS4EU project aimed to increase science and technology cooperation between the EU and Australia by identifying access opportunities for European researchers in Australian research capabilities and programmes, and by widely disseminating this information to the European research community.

Square Kilometre Array Telescope and Strategic Partnership with ESO, examples of international co-operation 

Australian astronomers have long been recognised internationally for their high-quality research, their world-first instrumentation and their innovative commercialisation. Today, through two of astronomy’s largest multinational partnerships, Australia uses its expertise to influence the global conversation and direction of astronomy, both radio and optical/infrared.

Australia is playing a significant part in the development of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the international radio telescope for the 21st Century, identified in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) Roadmap. The SKA is a next-generation radio telescope that will be up to 50 times more sensitive than the best of the present-day instruments. It will give astronomers remarkable insights into the formation of the early Universe, including the emergence of the first stars, galaxies and other structures. A number of EU countries (Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands) are currently involved in the SKA project; with a range of other countries (including France, Germany and Portugal) indicating some interest in joining in the future.

On 11 July 2017, Australia became a Strategic Partner of the European Southern Observatory(ESO). This 10-year commitment will provide Australian astronomers with unprecedented access to the world’s foremost suite of optical/infrared telescopes and instruments at La Silla Paranal Observatory (LPO). It will also provide Australian-based industries and instrumentation specialists with the right to work on and bid for tenders for equipment and services at LPO. Additionally, Australian officials and astronomers are represented on ESO’s governance bodies alongside ESO’s 15 EU member states, and presented with opportunities for fellowships, secondments and permanent placements within the organisation. Such access provides Australia with an extraordinary opportunity to collaborate with European colleagues to solve some of the world’s most complex ‘big science’ questions.

Working together to observe the Earth

The European Union’s Copernicus programme is providing insights into our planet, and how it is changing. Australia and the EU are cooperating to ensure data from Copernicus delivers economic, environmental and societal benefits through a comprehensive cooperation arrangement, signed in 2016.  Through this arrangement, the EU and Australia are working together to make data from the Copernicus programme’s Sentinel satellites easy to access in the South-East Asia and South Pacific region, to improve the quality of the data through calibration and validation activities, and to establish standards that enable products and services developed using the data to be easily exported.

Australia and the European Union are also working to take advantage of a forthcoming Horizon 2020 call on development of applications using this data.  Under this call, Australian and European innovators are encouraged to team up and turn the petabytes of new data being collected through Copernicus into new products and services.

Mission Innovation

Australia and the EU are both members of Mission Innovation, and have pledged to at least double their investment in clean energy R&D by 2020, to accelerate breakthroughs in clean energy technology via greater international collaboration. Both have research expertise in all the Challenges established under Mission Innovation. Smart grids, hydrogen technology, carbon capture and storage, and heating and cooling are areas of particular focus for stronger ties.

 

Delegation of the European Union to Australia

Postal address:

18 Arkana Street Yarralumla

Canberra

ACT 2600 Australia

Phone number: +61 2 6271 2777

Email: delegation-australia@eeas.europa.eu

Website: https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/australia_en

 

In July 2019, RTD Director General Jean-Eric Paquet visited New Zealand. In this occasion he co-chaired the 5th EU-NZ Joint Committee meeting on Science and Technological Cooperation (Joint Communiqué), and met Megan Woods (NZ Minister for Research, Science and Innovation/Energy and Resources), as well as several important interlocutors, such as the University of Auckland, the Maurice Wilkins Centre at the School of Biological Sciences, the Auckland Bio-Engineering Institute, Callaghan Innovation, and NZ Tech.

 

Policy Dialogue

In 2017 the EU and New Zealand entered into a Partnership Agreement (PARC) which contains a number of economic and trade cooperation rules. On 22 May 2018, the Council of the European Union adopted the decision authorising the opening of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the EU and New Zealand.

The EU is the most significant regional science and innovation partner of New Zealand with more than half of New Zealand’s researchers having an active collaboration with a European partner. New Zealand also has strong research links with several EU Member States.

The science and innovation relationship of New Zealand and EU is supported by the 2009 Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement which has been instrumental in creating stronger links with New Zealand.

The EU-New Zealand Science and Technology and Innovation Cooperation Roadmap reflects the main actions that both parties take to strengthen their cooperation. These activities are regularly discussed in Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) meetings. The last JSTCC was held in Wellington on 29 July 2019 (see related Joint Communiqué   2.5 MB ) with the next joint meeting planned for 2021 in Brussels. 

 

Review of Cooperation

A review of EU-New Zealand cooperation   1.1 MB in the field of research was performed from March to September 2013. It particularly assessed the implementation and impact of the Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation between the European Community Union and the Government of New Zealand. The review was carried out by two independent experts, Dr Chantal Khan-Malek and Dr Malcolm Windsor and it confirmed a mature, successful relationship.

 

Projects

FRIENZ

As a bilateral cooperation project FRIENZ (Facilitating Research and Innovation co-operation between Europe and New Zealand) was a joint initiative between the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the European Commission (EC) under the 7th Framework Programme (FP7). The FRIENZ project facilitated new and deeper strategic research, science and innovation partnerships between Europe and New Zealand. The three year project concluded successfully in January 2016.

PACE-Net Plus

The project supported bi-regional science, technology and innovation (ST&I) cooperation between New Zealand, the South Pacific island nations and the European Union. The successful project finished in 2016.

 

Delegation of the European Union to New Zealand

Postal address:

PO Box 5106 – Level 14 – Solnet House – 70 The Terrace  

Wellington 6011 New Zealand

Phone number: +64 4 472 9145

Email: delegation-new-zealand@eeas.europa.eu

Website: https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/new-zealand_en