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White Paper: Bridging the Gap: How EU climate research projects can better support Early-Career Researchers
A White Paper on “Bridging the Gap: How EU climate research projects can better support Early-Career Researchers (ECRs)” has recently been published with support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.
Based on a literature review and two online surveys conducted in 2025, the paper examines the gap between the needs and expectations of ECRs and the support currently offered within EU projects. It provides concrete, actionable solutions that EU research projects can adopt to better support ECRs of the broader climate and geosciences research communities.
EU projects are recommended to treat ECR development as a planned project function, embedding structured mentoring and career support, opportunities for ECR leadership and ownership of outputs, targeted training linked to project tools and methods, regular interaction with senior researchers, mobility/exchanges across partners, and proactive support for transitions. These measures should be designed from the proposal stage, with dedicated resources and regular tracking.
These initiatives will help develop the next generation of scientists who will shape the future of the European research landscape and tackle global challenges.
Read the full white paper available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20431077
