European Commission and Canada sign Implementing Arrangement for Canadian researchers to be hosted by ERC Grantees

On 21 March 2024, during the European Union’s R&I Week, the European Commission, represented by Ms. Maria Cristina Russo and Canada, represented by Dr. Ted Hewitt, signed an Implementing Arrangement [Link to the PDF file of the Implementing Arrangement] which will facilitate the hosting of Canadian researchers by European Research Council Grantees.

Thanks to the new agreement, researchers supported by the Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, will be able to temporarily join research teams of ERC grantees. The agreement provides opportunities for Canada Research Chairholders and the Banting Postdoctoral Fellows to pursue research collaborations with their ERC-funded partners. 

The parties acknowledged the constructive cooperation so far under a similar implementing arrangement signed in 2016, and they intend to work together to further intensify their cooperation in the context of the new agreement.

The opportunities offered under this Implementing Arrangement will also sow the seeds of long-lasting collaborations and links that can also lead to more Canadian participation in Pillar 2 projects of Horizon Europe over the years to come and to more Canadian researchers applying for ERC individual grants and ERC synergy grants.

This Implementing Arrangement is one of several Implementing Arrangements signed by the Commission with funding authorities of third countries to strengthen international dimension of ERC funded projects.