Since October 2024, on the first Tuesday of each month, the RI-VIS Slack channel has been hosting a virtual space for ERICs to exchange advice, ideas, and proposals. Each meeting focuses on a different theme. Below is a brief summary of the key takeaways from the meetings.
 
The ERIC Forum Toolkit | 01.10.24
 
During the first Sharing Best Practice meeting, participants discussed improving the Communication section in the Toolkit for new ERICs and non-communication specialists. They identified gaps, such as the need for guidance on creating communication strategies, selecting social media channels, and building websites. Other areas for improvement include promotional activities, media engagement, and measuring impact. Some of these topics will be addressed in the coming months through WP9 and Task 16.1 with the future possibility for the communication team to integrate their output into the Toolkit.
 
The External Newsletter of the ERIC Forum | 05.11.24
 
During the second Sharing Best Practice meeting, participants analyzed the ERIC Forum’s external newsletter to explore ways to improve it. They shared behind-the-scenes insights from their own newsletters, where possible. The data showed similar open rates, confirmed that shorter newsletters improve readership, and highlighted the importance of clear internal organization. The key takeaways were to maintain the current mailing frequency, use well-defined sections, keep text concise, and incorporate images to boost engagement and readability.
 
Events linked to Pillars 2: Collaboration with WP4 | 03.12.24
 
In this Sharing Best Practice meeting, participants focused on compiling a table of public events—national or international—linked to Horizon Europe Pillar 2. The table can include events such as European or National Info Days, other events related to Pillar 2 Calls for proposals in general where colleagues are involved or have direct contact with the organizers (e.g. NCPs), offering opportunities to present the ERICs landscape and its added value. The table is available on the project’s SharePoint for ERIC Forum 2 participants to update. Once contacts are listed, WP4 and the Coordination team will reach out to assess ERICs representation, ensuring a sustainable and efficient approach.
 
Which data in the reporting platform: Collaboration with WP1 | 14.01.25
 
The meeting focused on key topics regarding the data platform about ERICs (WP1-2-3). Participants discussed three main aspects that would need to be addressed: the type of data to be included, sustainable data collection strategies, and governance arrangements. The platform should enable ERICs to share metrics and impact assessments while maintaining flexibility in reporting parameters, with annual updates envisioned for most data points and provisions for more frequent updates when necessary. To ensure long-term sustainability, the group explored various maintenance scenarios, including new project funding and a shared cost model among ERICs. The platform would integrate with existing data sources like the ESFRI Monitoring System and incorporate impact stories to showcase ERICs’ societal contributions. Importantly, the discussion emphasized that each ERIC should have the autonomy to define its own meaningful KPIs, acknowledging the diverse nature of these research organizations.
 
A database for the ERIC Forum’s Stakeholders | 21.01.25
 
In recent discussions, participants outlined key requirements for a new contact database structure. The system will go beyond basic contact details by incorporating topic-specific engagement preferences, enabling targeted communication with relevant stakeholders across organizations. To ensure data integrity, the database will use status indicators to track contact availability while maintaining comprehensive records of information sources and organizational relationships. The design prioritizes accessibility to high-level institutional representatives, ministry contacts, and ERIC directors through an efficient system that includes automatic email routing capabilities.