About Us
Our Story
BOOST (Building Outstanding Opportunities for Science and Talent) is a Horizon Europe initiative designed to strengthen research and innovation careers in Widening countries by helping great research travel further, into products, services, and real societal value.
At the heart of BOOST is the BOOST Learning Environment: an open-source, online one-stop shop where academic and non-academic organisations can connect, discover opportunities, and access a growing open-access database of tools, resources, and proven practices.
60
researchers
12-month
secondments
5
modules
16
partners
Our Objectives
BOOST puts skills into practice through the BOOST ERA Talents Scheme, with 60 researchers taking part in 12-month secondments and receiving training across five modules: circular business models; investors and venture capital; effective pitching and communication; access to finance and funding; and social innovation for ERA Talents. Each participant is supported with a Personal Career Development Plan to make the experience concrete and transferable, and the programme is designed to strengthen brain circulation and reduce brain drain in Widening regions.
Accountability
BOOST is designed to be accountable and usable. The Learning Environment will be validated with at least 100 researchers and stakeholders through a pilot phase that includes hands-on workshops, webinars, and interactive sessions. Local ERA Councils, involving stakeholders from academia, industry, and other sectors, provide structured feedback so the platform evolves based on real user needs.
Capacity building
Our ambition is long-term capacity building. BOOST strengthens R&I human capital by making researchers more entrepreneurial and more employable across academic and non-academic sectors. It supports better talent circulation across Europe by encouraging brain circulation and reducing brain drain. It also improves access for private actors to public R&I institutions and infrastructures, helping knowledge move faster and further.
Inclusion
Inclusion is built into the project design. The consortium is committed to gender balance and intersectionality, with a strong representation of women across the project team and targets to ensure women are well represented among participating researchers. BOOST also prioritises the participation of underrepresented groups, because a stronger European Research Area needs excellence that is both competitive and genuinely inclusive.
Sustainability
BOOST brings together 16 partners across widening and non-widening ecosystems, with a strong commitment to inclusion and gender balance (including a consortium with over 50% women and participation targets in the mobility and training actions). The Learning Environment will be validated with at least 100 researchers and stakeholders, so it evolves based on real user needs and stays useful long after the project ends.
