On September 19, the ERIC Forum 2 presented key deliverables and important updates to the project partners, ERICs, and ERIC-to-be members
In addition to its annual in-person meeting, the ERIC Forum 2 project is committed to hosting bi-annual virtual meetings. During this session, three presentations updated participants on creation of an online platform to showcase ERIC data, information, and knowledge; the upcoming report on “Best Practices and Recommendations for Engagement with Third Countries”; and the recent employment survey. As Jens Habermann, ERIC Forum 2 coordinator, noted:
“It gives a nice overview of what the ERIC community is about.”
Antje Keppler, ERIC Forum Chair, opened the meeting by placing it in the broader context of the European Research Area (ERA) conference “Fostering Greater Integration, Advancing Competitiveness,” which took place earlier this week. The work carried out by project partners reflects the efforts of the ERICs in these dynamic times to play a pivotal role in advancing the ERA.
Currently, data about ERICs is spread across several external sources (ESFRI, EC, ERICs websites, etc.). Marco Raciti, DARIAH ERIC, presented the plan for a new online platform integrated into the ERIC Forum website to give stakeholders easier access to a unified overview of the ERICs’ impact within the ERA.
Expanding services to third countries is also a key priority. John Nolan, from Instruct ERIC, introduced the latest report from a dedicated work package that assesses effective mechanisms for engaging with third countries. The report provides recommendations for funders, researchers, and ERICs to enhance international collaboration. The next step involves a series of four online workshops, with the first, focused on Memoranda of Understanding with international partners, scheduled for Monday, September 23.
The ERIC Forum also conducted a detailed survey on the legal status and treatment of personnel directly employed by or seconded to the ERICs. Laura Angeletti from CERIC ERIC and Lavanya Premvardhan from AnaEE-ERIC shared preliminary results. This survey will help develop a core set of European employment guidelines to be proposed to ERICs for personnel management—an important step toward strengthening the ERIC identity.
The plenary meeting was followed by the General Assembly of the ERIC Forum.