About Us

Project factsheet

Strategic Micro-Credentialing and Skills Recognition for a Dynamic Early-Stage Researcher Talent Ecosystem

  • Funding Program: Horizon Europe

  • Call: HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-ERA-02

  • Grant Agreement (GA) No.: 101216967

  • Type of Action: CSA

  • Duration: Sep 2025 - Aug 2028

  • EC Funding: € 1 875 375.00

  • Consortium: 9 partners from 4 countries

  • Coordinator: niversity of Novi Sad Faculty of Technical Sciences

The project aims to create sustainable talent development ecosystems for early-stage researchers in Widening Countries. Through the establishment of Career Support Centres that align institutional HR practices with the Council Recommendation on a European Framework for Research Careers and the European Charter for Researchers , SMART Researchers seek to facilitate talent development, career progression, and equip the European labour market with well-skilled researchers, while enabling organisations to enhance their capacity for training, career development, and talent circulation.

Key Objectives

  • 1

    Align HR practices with European standards to improve working conditions and create flexible career paths.

  • 2

    Establish or upgrade CSCs as permanent hubs for guidance, mobility, and mentoring across academia and beyond.

  • 3

    Develop a micro-credentialing and certification framework based on the ResearchComp model to offer clear pathways for ESRs to acquire, validate, and demonstrate essential skills needed in diverse sectors.

  • 4

    Deliver structured training aligned with micro-credentials, equipping ESRs with transversal and sectoral skills, ensuring attractive research careers and long-term employability.

  • 5

    Establish the Competence Lab, a scalable platform for continuous training, mentoring, ESR Weeks, and innovation competitions.

  • 6

    Translate project findings into evidence-based policy recommendations to strengthen research careers across ERA.

House of SMART Researchers

The project’s methodology uses a systems-thinking approach and integrates three interconnected pillars.