ENLIGHT Launches its Early Career Researcher (ECR) Stakeholder Group
In a step towards strengthening researcher engagement across the alliance, the Europe Support Network has established the ENLIGHT Early Career Researcher (ECR) Stakeholder Group—a dynamic cohort designed to bring fresh perspectives, grassroots insights, and future-focused energy into the network’s research and innovation ecosystem.
The initiative follows an open Expression of Interest (EOI) launched earlier this summer, which sparked great enthusiasm across partner universities. More than 40 applications were submitted by ECRs eager to contribute to ENLIGHT’s mission of tackling global societal challenges through collaborative, interdisciplinary research.
After careful review, two representatives from each member university were selected, forming a diverse and ambitious group that reflects the alliance’s broad academic landscape. Several of the ECRs are directly connected to projects funded through the first round of ENLIGHT Thematic Networks (ETNs). Their involvement ensures that the stakeholder group is not just symbolic but deeply embedded in ongoing scientific collaboration.
This first ECR Stakeholder group has wide representation across ENLIGHT’s focus areas, Health and Well-being, Digital Innovation, Climate and Energy, Equity, and Culture & Creativity. This thematic breadth means the group is well positioned to provide meaningful input on the design, direction, and delivery of research activities across the alliance.
The group met for the first time in early November, gathering online for an introductory session that set the tone for the collaborative journey ahead. Participants shared their research backgrounds, expectations, and ideas for how ECRs can help shape ENLIGHT’s evolving research agenda.
Looking ahead, the ECR Stakeholder Group is preparing for a significant milestone. In Spring 2026, members will travel to Galway, where they will join a Knowledge Exchange Session alongside the Europe Support Network taskforce and Research Support Officers from across the alliance. This in-person meeting will allow ECRs to share their perspectives directly with the teams responsible for shaping ENLIGHT’s European research support structures—helping align funding opportunities, collaboration strategies, and mobility schemes with the needs of the next generation of researchers.
The establishment of the ECR Stakeholder Group marks an important evolution in ENLIGHT’s governance and research culture. By formally integrating ECR voices into its structures, ENLIGHT is not only investing in emerging talent but also ensuring that its long-term vision is shaped by those who will carry it forward.