What is INSPIRING ERA?
Bringing the European Research Area (ERA) closer to its research community
INSPIRING ERA is a Horizon Europe project that supports researchers, research and higher education institutions, and innovation actors in understanding and applying the outcomes of the European Research Area (ERA). It helps turn policy into practice by connecting the people who create ERA policies with those who are affected by them and make use of them on the ground.
What We Do
INSPIRING ERA’s mission is to make ERA outcomes visible, understandable, and usable. We focus on the practical side of policy—translating its effects and showcasing ERA tools, frameworks, and services that the research and innovation community can take up.
We develop factsheets, organise events, and create tailored communication materials that help the research and innovation community navigate ERA’s opportunities—for example self-assessment tools for research careers, open science services and helpful guidelines on using AI in science.
How We Work
INSPIRING ERA operates as a two-way bridge:
- We translate policy into practice, helping the research and innovation community across Europe engage with ERA in a way that is meaningful, relevant, and accessible.
- At the same time, we gather insights from practitioners about how ERA is working in real-world settings—identifying needs, challenges, and good practices—and share them with European policymakers through policy briefs and recommendations.
INSPIRING ERA ensures that ERA policies don’t just exist on paper—but are understood, applied, and improved through practical engagement and structured feedback.
Who We Reach
We primarily target individual researchers, research-performing organisations, higher education institutions, innovation actors, and national stakeholders who are not typically involved in policymaking but are directly impacted by ERA policies. At the same time, European and national policymakers benefit from the insights we collect during our work.
Join the ERA community
- Join the community!
- Have a look at our upcoming events
- Follow us on LinkedIn
- Follow us on Bluesky
- Follow us on YouTube
Collaborate with us
If you’re part of an EU project, network or initiative, get in touch to explore how we can collaborate. We welcome opportunities for joint activities, knowledge sharing and cross-promotion – working together to strengthen the European Research Area in practice.
Latest News
On 27 January 2026, the INSPIRING ERA project hosted an online event bringing together participants from more than 30 countries to explore how public engagement and citizen science can strengthen trust in science, foster inclusion, and support democratic participation in research and innovation across Europe. Part of the INSPIRING ERA
The Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) has published a new white paper urging research funders, institutions and policymakers to integrate societal impact as a core criterion in research assessment – alongside academic excellence. Titled Transformative Research Assessment: Integrating Societal Impacts into Evaluation Frameworks, the publication argues that current assessment
As Europe accelerates its green and digital transitions, R&I ecosystems are under increasing pressure to deliver solutions that are not only excellent, but also inclusive, transparent, and socially acceptable. The EU REINFORCING project addresses this challenge by supporting organisations, institutions and territories across Europe in embedding Open and Responsible Research
The European Research Area (ERA) Monitoring Mechanism has become a key pillar in supporting evidence-based policy-making across Europe. With well-established tools such as the ERA Scoreboard, the Dashboard and the ERA Country Reports, the mechanism helps policymakers, researchers and stakeholders understand progress and trends across the continent. To ensure these
Why the strategy was created? Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing how science works. It can read thousands of research papers in seconds, automate lab experiments and analyze huge datasets, Thus, it helps scientists make discoveries faster than ever before. But Europe faced several challenges: To address these issues and
Do you need to test your research skills? The European Commission has recently launched a new self-assessment tool based on ResearchComp, the European Competence Framework for Researchers. The tool helps researchers explore their skills and identify areas for further development. ResearchComp supports the assessment and growth of research competences across
Latest Events
- March 19, 2026
- <External>
- Tirana International Hotel & Conference Center, Tirana, Albania
The POLICY ANSWERS project will conclude with a public final event in Tirana, bringing together policymakers, experts, researchers, and key stakeholders from the Western Balkans and the European Union. The event will provide a space to reflect on the project’s main achievements and to discuss future pathways for strengthening cooperation
- March 11, 2026
- <INSPIRING ERA>
- Zoom
How does research lead to real-world impact? What EU-level support exists to help researchers turn knowledge into action? Across Europe, researchers and research organisations are finding new ways to turn scientific knowledge, ideas and results into societal, economic and environmental benefits. This process of knowledge valorisation can take many forms,
- February 19, 2026
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- CDMA, Rue du Champ de Mars 21, Room -01/127 and -01/131, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- February 17, 2026
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- Online
- February 05, 2026
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- Antwerp, Belgium
Have you ever experienced how the good research happening in universities can truly make a difference in society and the economy? This is exactly the focus of the conference entitled IMPAC3T‑IP event “Towards a broader impact”. Happening on 5–6 February 2026 at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, the two-day event
- January 27, 2026
- <INSPIRING ERA>
- Zoom
How can we make citizen engagement in research more meaningful, more inclusive, and more impactful? This INSPIRING ERA online event on Tuesday 27 January at 10-12 CET will explore what works in public engagement and citizen science through real examples from across Europe. The session will share practical lessons from
INSPIRING ERA
INSPIRING ERA is a project funded by the Horizon Europe programme aimed at breathing new life into the European Research Area (ERA).
Our goal is to raise awareness, share best practices and speed up the adoption of advancements made under the umbrella of the ERA to benefit researchers and citizens across the countries involved.
ERA Policy Agenda 2025–2027
The European Commission, together with Member States and stakeholders, adopted the new ERA Policy Agenda to strengthen research and innovation across Europe.
It sets out 11 long-term structural policies and 8 concrete actions focused on open science, sustainable research careers, gender equality, reforming research assessment, and supporting the green and digital transitions.
The agenda reflects a renewed vision for a more inclusive, resilient, and impactful ERA—one that inspires trust, fosters mobility, and delivers solutions to Europe’s societal challenges.
A legacy of progress and a future of innovation
The European Research Area (ERA) marks 25 years of progress in building a single market for research, innovation, and knowledge across Europe.
Since 2000, the ERA has broken down barriers, strengthened collaboration, and enabled major scientific achievements in fields such as health, energy, digital technologies, and climate research.
Looking ahead, the ERA continues to evolve with renewed reforms, greater investment, and bold visions to make Europe a global leader in scientific excellence and innovation.
