The Partnership for Modernisation between the European Union and Russia states as one of the priority areas to enhance cooperation in innovation, research and development. In this context the 24 consortium members of ERA.Net RUS Plus propose to implement a Single Joint Call for transnational and scientifically excellent research projects in the fields of Nanotechnologies/Materials/Production Technologies, Health, Environment/ Climate Change, Social Sciences/Humanities and Innovation. The national financial contributions of the partners to the Single Joint Call will sum up to approximately EUR 22.2 millions. The action will engage programme owners from various EU-Member States (MS), countries associated (AC) to the EU RTD Framework Programme and Russia.

ERA.Net RUS Plus is a follow-up to the current ERA.Net RUS action that was set-up from 2009 to 2013 to link Russia to the European Research Area by a coordination of S&T programmes in EU MS/AC and Russia. ERA.Net RUS was the first joint call activity in which prominent Russian Funding Parties (RAS, RFBR, RFH and FASIE) were jointly participating in a multilateral funding scheme.

The major objective of ERA.Net RUS Plus is to deepen the transnational collaboration between EU MS/AC and Russia and to reduce the fragmentation of research programmes along national funding lines. This joint undertaking will create synergies and strengthen the cooperation among the consortium members. Other principal goals of ERA.Net RUS Plus are to further develop the instrumental setting for joint funding activities and thus to provide a solid basis for a joint programmatic approach to be pursued in the near future. This programmatic approach will assure the desired and necessary sustainability of the cooperation between EU MS/AC and Russia and a lasting impact.

ERA.Net RUS Plus will therefore be the next important step in further linking Russia and its key research communities to the European Research Area.