Pillar III: Promoting public engagement in R&I and scientific literacy

The guiding policy framework of this destination is the Communication "A New ERA for Research and Innovation"^[1], the Council Recommendation on the Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe (Pact for R&I)^[2], and the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda (2025-2027)^[3]. The funded actions will strengthen the ERA by promoting the freedom of movement of researchers, scientific knowledge, and technology and by providing new evidence for better-informed policymaking. More details on the ERA policy framework are in the introduction to the WIDERA work programme 2026-2027.

The EU Member States, Associated Countries, R&I stakeholders, and the Commission work together to implement the ERA. This process is steered by the ERA Policy Agenda, which identifies specific ERA Actions (time-limited initiatives) and Structural Policies (long-term policies) designed to tackle concrete challenges faced by R&I communities in Europe. This work programme is designed to support this process. The funded actions will build knowledge and capacities at the level of institutions and ecosystems to adopt reforms and practices in line with the ERA Policy Agenda, thereby contributing to the implementation of the ERA.

The destination will be implemented in synergy with the European Higher Education Area and the European Education Area, especially in relation to R&I careers and institutional changes in universities and research organisations. Several call topics and other actions will also contribute to the implementation of the European framework for research careers^[4].

The destination includes two calls with 13 topics in total as well as other actions, targeting a wide range of R&I stakeholders, e.g., universities, research performing and funding organisations, research evaluation agencies, networks of researchers, publishers, industry and start-ups, policymakers, local authorities, and public bodies.

The effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines is encouraged under this destination, including the involvement of SSH experts, institutions, and the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, to enhance the societal impact of project activities.

The ERA Platform showcases results from Horizon Europe-funded projects, making them available to a wide range of stakeholders to facilitate progress in ERA policy areas. Applicants are encouraged to consider these results as well as propose new tools, resources, and visual material that can be featured on the platform.

All topics in the 2026 and 2027 ERA calls are organised around four pillars, designed to enable the funded projects to strengthen R&I capacities across four complementary dimensions while addressing selected ERA Actions and Structural Policies. The table below summarises this approach, making it easier for applicants to choose their preferred policy area and type of activity. Each call topic title refers to its corresponding pillar.

2026 and 2027 ERA calls: pillar structure

Proposals under this destination should set out a credible pathway to one or several of the following expected impacts:

• Effective and sustainable structural institutional changes aligned with the ERA priorities;
• Sustainable ecosystems established around the ERA priorities through enhanced cooperation, coordination and alignment;
• Increased trust in science and alignment of R&I with society’s needs;
• Strengthened evidence base for advancing the implementation of the ERA;
• Increased reproducibility, trustworthiness and transparency of scientific research;
• A more open, equitable and inclusive research and innovation ecosystem;
• A research ethics and integrity ecosystem continually enhanced with robust methodologies that encourage benefit sharing and prevent ethics dumping;
• Systemic reform of research assessment through the recognition of the diverse outputs, practices, and activities which maximise the quality and impact of research;
• Improved research careers and mobility, based on the European framework for research careers, fostering knowledge flows and career interoperability across sectors and countries;
• Stronger translation of R&I results into society and economy;
• Enhanced gender equality and inclusiveness, leading to research excellence and more innovative, socially relevant, and economically impactful outcomes;
• Increased uptake, effectiveness and impact of environmentally sustainable research;
• More resilient and future-proof R&I policies and long-term strategies with effectively integrated strategic intelligence and strengthened foresight communities;
• A more strategic, coherent, and evidence-based approach towards cooperation with China in the area of science, technology, and innovation.

[1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0628&from=EN.

[2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021H2122.

[3] https://european-research-area.ec.europa.eu/era-policy-agenda-2025-2027.

[4] Council Recommendation of 18 December 2023 on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/1640/oj.

Scope:

This topic aims to promote the adoption of ERA policies and practices delivering innovative approaches for enhancing science-society links and promoting scientific literacy. Proposals should contribute to the impact “Increasing trust in science and alignment of R&I with society’s needs, expectations and values”, thereby enhancing the democratic character and impact of science in the ERA.

Applicants should select and clearly identify one area being addressed, choosing from the two areas outlined below. Both areas are designed to contribute towards the implementation of the ERA Structural Policy “Enhancing Trust in Science through Citizen Participation, Engagement and Science Communication”. Proposals should develop the activities outlined for the selected area and propose additional activities that contribute to achieving the expected outcomes.

Project activities should reach large communities of stakeholders ensuring a wide geographical coverage, inclusivity, broad participation, and accessibility over the course of the project. Including stakeholders outside academia may be considered, for example, through citizen science. Proposals should describe their target group in terms of its scope and size.

In project activities, particular attention should be paid to promoting inclusive gender equality and addressing gender-specific challenges where relevant.

Expected project duration is up to 3 years without prejudice to a longer duration if justified.

Area 1: Youth, science and democracy

Expected outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Innovative ways for engaging young people in science and promoting scientific literacy;
• Common ERA approaches in engaging and communicating with young people in relation to R&I.

Scope: Society increasingly faces complex problems that require citizens to have the capacity to participate in processes incorporating scientific analysis with deliberation about societal goals. In particular, involving young people in participatory scientific activities aimed at tackling social challenges fosters their scientific skills and scientific literacy. At the same time, it allows them to develop their civic and democratic skills, as civic engagement and scientific practice share characteristics like understanding systems, considering alternative explanations, and debating critically within a community.

Area 1 promotes innovative ways to effectively and inclusively engage and involve young people in R&I. Additionally, it invites public engagement and science communication practitioners to build on best practices in the field and develop handbooks and guidelines, co-creating with relevant stakeholders, considering also previous EU-funded activities^[1].

Project activities should target actors such as research performing organisations, universities, researchers and innovators, civil society organisations working with youth, science communicators, and policymakers. To achieve the expected outcomes, proposals should address the activities outlined below and propose any additional, complementary activities:

• Engage young people, in different national settings, in participatory science activities that tackle complex social issues (e.g., climate change, biodiversity loss, digital skills inequalities, economic effects of AI transitions, energy poverty, social inclusion), ensuring the inclusion of those not habitually involved in science;
• Create communities of practice that include public engagement experts, science communicators, citizen scientists, youth organisations, researchers and innovators, and policymakers with a view to co-developing handbooks and guidelines on engaging youth in science;
• Provide recommendations for developing common ERA approaches to engage and communicate with young people regarding R&I.

Area 2: Scaling up science engagement at EU level

Expected outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

• Scaling-up national initiatives on public engagement in R&I to ERA level taking into consideration different audiences, languages and contexts;
• Improved engagement and cooperation of researchers and innovators, science communicators, and public engagement experts with civil society;
• Increased understanding of the value of scientific processes by society and the importance of public needs and values in addressing societal challenges through R&I.

Scope: Area 2 promotes scientific literacy and dialogue and constructive interactions between scientists and the wider public. To achieve this, it supports visits by researchers, for example, to civil society organisations, workplaces or community youth centres, enabling dialogue and collaboration between researchers and civil society and fostering mutual understanding. Event participants can thus enhance their knowledge of different scientific fields and research focuses, gain insights on the conduct of research and different research career pathways. Through these interactions, researchers can enhance their understanding of audiences and incorporate their knowledge and values into their work and communication.

To achieve the expected outcomes, proposals should include the following activities outlined below and propose any additional, complementary activities:

• Develop online dialogue platforms, in different national (language) settings, containing profiles of researchers and innovators, their availability for public visits, and the scientific issues to be discussed; the platforms should also facilitate the arrangement of meetings between the researchers and interested organisations or institutions;
• Implement the meetings while taking care to reach out to and include members of the public not habitually involved in science, and adapting the science communication and public engagement for different audiences, languages and contexts;
• Take stock of all visits and provide lessons learned and recommendations for the future development of similar activities.

[1] Notably projects funded under the H2020 Swafs programme and building on the findings of the Mutual Learning Exercise on Public Engagement in R&I and the Mutual Learning Exercise on Citizen Science.