ESF Exploratory Workshops
Each year, ESF supports between 25-40 Exploratory Workshops across all scientific domains.
These small, interactive output oriented meetings are aimed at opening up new directions in research to explore emerging research fields with potential impact on new developments in science. The workshops, which usually last 1-3 days, have a wide participation from across Europe and involve mature scientists as well as young, independent researchers and scholars with leadership potential. The relatively small scale (in terms of people involved) provides an ideal platform for focus on the topic and for all participants to contribute to discussions and plan follow-up collaborative work.
Proposals may be submitted in any or across several of the following broad scientific fields:
Biomedical Sciences
Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Physical and Engineering Sciences
Social Sciences
Humanities
Science driven input to research policy issues such as Research Infrastructures in any of the above fields
The 2012 Call for Proposals is for workshops to be held between 1 February and 31 December 2013. The deadline for submitting proposals is 3 May 2012, 16:00 CET.
Based on experience and budgetary trends, ESF does not anticipate being able to support more than 10% of the proposals received, selected from the most promising ones. Applicants are therefore encouraged to only submit proposals which are exceptional in terms of their potential impact.
ESF Exploratory Workshops are small, interactive and output-oriented discussion meetings following the format below:
•A number of participants comprised between 15 minimum and 30 maximum (including speakers and convenors).
usual duration of 1-3 days.
•Ample time for discussion must be provided in the scientific programme.
•A workshop shall conclude with plans for follow-up research activities and/or collaborative actions or other specific outputs at the international level.
•A workshop should have wide participation from across Europe, with no country, including that of the convenor(s), represented by more than 25% of the total participants. Proposals with participation from less than 4 ESF Member Organisation countries will not be considered.
•ESF encourages promotion of gender equality in all its activities: representation from either gender at a workshop must be at least 1/3 of the total participation.
•The standard language at a workshop is English.
•The award will be up to a maximum value of 15 000 €.
•The award will cover the costs of workshop activities and travel, accommodation and subsistence for participants.