The Center for the Promotion of Science and the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, in collaboration with the University of Belgrade, the Austrian Cultural Forum in Belgrade, the European Research Council (ERC), the Association of ERC Grantees (AERG), and the Horizon Europe project SECURE, organized the first Forum dedicated to the ERC programme and its funding mechanisms. The event took place on November 22, 2024, in the Grand Hall of the University of Belgrade Rectorate. The Forum brought together ERC grant recipients and evaluators, experts in scientific research funding and science policy, and numerous interested researchers from Serbia.
The Forum was organized within the working group initiated by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, aiming to address questions about ERC grants, foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers, and increase the participation of Serbian researchers in grant applications and approved projects. During the full-day programme, participants had the opportunity to expand their knowledge with support from ERC grantees, participate in interactive sessions to better understand the application process, explore resources for development of proposals, and network with colleagues and ERC representatives. Participants in various programme segments included Dr. Gordana Popović, scientific coordinator of one of the ERC panels; two ERC grant recipients from Serbia, Dr. Magdalena Đorđević and Dr. Jakša Vučićević, both from the Institute of Physics in Belgrade; Dr. Gerard Higgins, an ERC grantee from the Austrian Academy of Sciences; Prof. Dr. Silke Bühler-Paschen, coordinator of the Association of ERC Grantees (AERG); Prof. Dr. Radina Vučetić, ERC programme evaluator from the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade; and Dr. Petar Laušević, SECURE project representative from the Center for the Promotion of Science (CPN). In the opening segment, remarks were delivered by Dr. Jelena Begović, Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia; Stefanie Müller, Deputy Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Serbia; and Dr. Marina Soković, Assistant Minister for Science, Technological Development and Innovation. The event was moderated by Dobrivoje Lale Erić from the Center for the Promotion of Science.
