Bridging The Gap: How EU climate research projects can better support Early-Career Researchers

White paper on how EU climate research projects can better support Early-Career Researchers

Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programmes (especially under Pillar 2 – Global Challenges) encourage the involvement and development of Early-Career Researchers (ECRs). However, current support across projects remains uneven and is not always well tailored to ECRs’ needs.
The results of our survey of ECRs in climate and geosciences research communities show that, while some activities are valued across all career stages, such as developing one’s own research project and technical skills development, key ECR needs shift with experience: early-stage ECRs tend to prioritise hands-on skill development and mentoring; mid-stage ECRs increasingly seek leadership opportunities and cross-partner exchanges; and experienced ECRs emphasise proposal leadership and career continuity beyond the project.
We recommend that EU projects treat ECR development as a planned project function, embedding (and resourcing) 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.