Through the Ecsite net, the Centre for Research and Analysis starts working on a new exciting project funded by the EC under Horizon 2020.

The project, European Research Council (ERC) = ScienceSquared (Science²), intents to promote the scientific achievements supported by the Council and to encourage grant applications from a new generation of researchers, especially in countries under-represented among ERC grantee. However, most EU citizens don’t care about some Brussels agency they never heard of.  To present the role and achievements of ERC, the consortium will launch a novel, 42-month communications campaign, branded ERC = Science², aimed to promote ERC projects and grantees. A cluster of innovative, popular and high quality content packages – punchy videos, long-form ‘snowfall’ articles, tiny Tweets, augmented reality, ‘pop-up’ displays will be presented to students and young researchers, media, investors, policy-makers, public at large in 37 European countries, including all 28 EU members. In brief, the objectives of the campaign are:

- To promote the ERC projects and ERC grantees through a cluster of innovative, popular and high quality communications vehicles

- To set up sustainable communications channels addressing key target groups (students and young researchers, media, investors, policy-makers, public at large) to form a unique distribution network the ERC can rely on for future communications campaigns.

- To stimulate greater public interest – in all walks of life, from student to pensioner, from researcher to retailer – in the excitement of science, and to identify the ERC with that excitement. Broader and deeper public support for, and understanding of science is vital for the EU’s future, and that of the ERC.

- To build broad political and societal support for the ERC and its mission. This campaign will include activities specifically designed to draw the attention of policy makers in the member-states, and in the European Parliament.

See also: http://www.ecsite.eu/activities-and-services/projects/ercsciencesquared and the new project site www.sciencesquared.eu