Weave (Multilaterale Lead Agency Procedure)
What?
Weave is a bottom-up cross-European initiative developed by European research funders – and embedded in Science Europe – to support excellent European collaborative research projects across national and regional borders. Based on the Lead Agency Principle, Weave aims to simplify the submission and selection procedure of collaborative project proposals: a European team of researchers from two to three European countries or regions that have signed the Weave initiative, submits their joint project proposal to only one research funder (Lead Agency) who is responsible for the entire administrative procedure and scientific evaluation. Each research funder involved is as such responsible for the payment of its own researchers (i.e. researchers eligible for funding from this research funder). Since Weave will enable bilateral as well as trilateral scientific cooperation within Europe, it will contribute to the realisation of the European Research Area (ERA).
Weave is not a new, separate funding programme. It makes use of existing funding channels for fundamental research (with the corresponding timelines and conditions) within the portfolio of one of the partners who have officially signed the Weave initiative. In 2021, the FWO integrated the Weave initiative within its channel for regular FWO research projects for fundamental research.
More details on the research funders that joined the Weave initiative as well as the timeline, conditions, procedure, … of each research funder, can be found on this interactive map. This map can also be used to check which European collaborations are currently possible within Weave. The Weave initiative will be rolled out progressively over the coming years with a possible official accession of new Weave research funders. The eligible collaboration combinations are as such a dynamic fact.
Procedure?
You have free choice where to submit your joint project proposal:
Submission of a joint project proposal at the FWO (FWO as Lead Agency)
In practice this means that researchers who are eligible at the FWO can submit at the FWO a joint bilateral or trilateral project with researchers from Austria (FWF), the French-speaking Community of Belgium (F.R.S.-FNRS), Germany (DFG), Luxembourg (FNR), Poland (NCN), Slovenia (ARIS), Sweden (Formas) and/or Switzerland (SNSF).
» Read moreSubmission of a joint project proposal at another research funder than the FWO (FWO as Partner Agency)
In practice this means that researchers who are eligible at the FWO can submit a joint bilateral or trilateral project at another research funder (Lead Agency) with which the FWO has signed a bilateral agreement. Depending on the Lead Agency where the project proposal is submitted, the researchers involved may come from Austria (FWF), Croatia (HRZZ), the French-speaking Community of Belgium (F.R.S.-FNRS), Germany (DFG), Luxembourg (FNR), Poland (NCN), Slovenia (ARIS), Sweden (Formas) and/or Switzerland (SNSF).
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