CareerEnhance aims to strengthen research careers by creating a Community of Practice that enhances employability, inter-sectoral mobility and recognition of researchers across Europe.
Started: 2026
Funding: HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-01
Project budget: 1,999,975.00 €
Duration: 36 months
Partners: 20
Website:
CareerEnhance aims to strengthen research careers in Europe by creating a European Community of Practice that supports the uptake of the European Framework for Research Careers (EFRC) and ResearchComp under HORIZONWIDERA-2025-06-ERA-01. Led by UiT The Arctic University of Norway, the consortium brings together 20 partners from 13 countries—half of them new to ERA initiatives—supported by a Reference Group of over 30 organisations.
The project will co-create open-access tools, training and digital resources to boost employability, intersectoral mobility and recognition of researchers. Key activities include mapping barriers and opportunities for career reform; developing EFRC- and ResearchComp-aligned tools and training; piloting career tools and three transferable-skills courses (research ethics and AI, Open Science, and business awareness) with early-career researchers in diverse contexts, including widening and remote regions; establishing a sustainable Career CoP Hub linked to the ERA Talent Platform; and delivering policy briefs to support institutional and national reforms.
CareerEnhance aims to build a pan-European Community of Practice with more than 300 members, provide training to 160 early-career researchers, and deliver validated resources for adoption by universities, employers and policymakers. The project will support stronger cooperation and knowledge exchange, modernised career policies and talent management in higher education institutions, improved skills in remote regions, and more targeted job opportunities and career paths for early-career researchers.