ERA-Net Sheme

The objective of the ERA-NET scheme is to step up the cooperation and coordination of research activities carried out at national or regional level in the Member States and Associated States through:

  • the networking of research activities conducted at national or regional level, and
  • the mutual opening of national and regional research programmes.

The scheme will contribute to making a reality of the European Research Area by improving the coherence and coordination across Europe of such research programmes. The scheme will also enable national systems to take on tasks collectively that they would not have been able to tackle independently.

Both networking and mutual opening require a progressive approach. The ERA-NET scheme therefore has a long-term perspective that must also allow for the different way that research is organised in different Member States and Associated States.

Current projects


There are 13 ongoing ERA-NETs which relate to the Health Theme. In particular they target: 
  • ERA-AGE: promote the development of a European strategy for research on ageing and, thereby, to enable Europe to gain maximum added value from investment in this field.
  • HESCULAEP: overcome current fragmentation in out-of-hospital emergencies research, in order to create a sustainable long-term cooperation between national/regional research programme makers in E.U.
  • Alliance-O: establish a coordinated action between national/regional research programmes that exist in contracting countries in the field of organ transplantation.
  • PathoGenoMics: strengthen Trans-European cooperation and coordination of genome sequencing and functional genomics of human-pathogenic microorganisms.
  • ERASysBio: support the convergence of life sciences with information technology & systems science.
  • CoCanCPG: development of a common knowledge base to support the coherent development of policies at regional, national and European level to provide equitable access to high quality cancer care.
  • PRIOMEDCHILD: innovative research programmes and the utilization of research results on Priority Medicines for Children.
  • E-RARE: development and management of national/regional research programs on rare diseases. The aim of E-Rare is to foster research on rare diseases in Europe.
  • NEURON: link 16 European national research funding programmes and funding activities in the field of disease-related neurosciences.
  •  NEW OSH ERA: increase the overall scale and effectiveness of the research into new and emerging risks carried out in the EU by coordination of national research programmes and to contribute in this way to a safer and healthier working life.
  •  EUROTRANS-BIO: support trans-national R&D private/private and private/public cooperations (biotech sector) .
  • MATERA+ : provide a simple mechanism for the initiation of transnational projects in the field of materials science and engineering.

Further information on CORDIS