Choose Europe for Science: EU comes together to attract top research talent - European Commission
The European Union is stepping up to become the world’s most attractive destination for researchers and innovators, offering them attractive careers as well as excellent working and living conditions.
At today’s Competitiveness Council, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina presented a snapshot of the more than 60 regional, national, and EU funding and support schemes that help researchers advance their careers in Europe.
The consolidated package, compiled by the Commission and now available on the EURAXESS platform, highlights billions of euros worth of opportunities for researchers at every stage of their careers. These range from competitive grants and mobility schemes to tenure-track positions, fellowships for researchers at risk, and career development support in all 27 Member States.
Commissioner said:
“Europe is choosing science, and we are making the case for science to choose Europe. Funding and support are available at European, national and regional level. We are bringing everything together in one place so that international researchers can become active players on team Europe.”
The announcement is part of the EU’s Choose Europeinitiative. Launched earlier this month by President von der Leyen in Paris, the campaign promotes Europe’s values-driven research environment and high living standards, backed by a new EUR 500 million package for 2025-27 to make Europe a magnet for researchers.
To further strengthen this ambition, the Commission is proposing a new call for worth EUR 230 million under the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–27. If endorsed by Member States, the call would more than double the budget of the previous round and could support up to 120 top researchers and research managers working in countries lagging behind in research and innovation performance.
At the EU level, the Commission is working to put in place for global research talent:
Further demonstrating their commitment to supporting research careers and creating the right framework conditions for researchers in the EU, Member States’ ministers also adopted the today
In the year of the of ERA, the new agenda builds on the achievements of the first edition covering 2022-24. Translating strategic priorities into concrete actions, it aims to further improve coordination of research and innovation (R&I) policies at all levels and to put in place the so-called , a single market for research, innovation and technology.
The ERA Policy Agenda 2025-27 aims to:
The ERA Policy Agenda 2025-27 outlines long-term policies such as open science, research infrastructures and research careers, and highlights concise, policy-driven and goal-oriented joint actions. They address current challenges including artificial intelligence in science, research security and science for policy.
The European Research Area (ERA) aims to create a unified research and innovation market by aligning national and EU policies, improving research infrastructures and promoting open science and international collaboration.
EURAXESS – Researchers in Motion
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