ICoRSA FAQ
What is ICoRSA?
ICoRSA is an international consortium that connects research staff associations and strengthens the collective voice of research staff and postdoctoral scholars in research policy. It exists to be a global voice for researchers, helping to ensure that their experience and expertise are heard when decisions about research careers, mobility and research culture are being made.
Why was ICoRSA created?
ICoRSA was sparked by a clear representation gap identified during major discussions on research careers in 2011, where researchers themselves were not present in the room. That moment shaped a simple commitment for the organisation: researchers should be part of decisions that affect research careers, mobility and research culture, rather than having policies made about them without their direct input.
How did ICoRSA move from idea to action?
Following the initial discussions, national research staff associations were mapped and invited to build a shared platform, leading to an inaugural gathering alongside ESOF 2012 in Dublin. With travel support secured, representatives from multiple countries could attend and share common challenges faced by a mobile, international research workforce, creating space for practical exchange on best practice and the real impact of poor career structures on the global research system. After ESOF 2012, a steering committee was formed to move from conversation to coordination and ICoRSA later formalised as a legal entity so that it could pursue independent funding and deliver sustained work, registering as a not for profit organisation in Cork, Ireland with early support from the Irish Research Council.
Mission, vision and values
What is ICoRSA’s mission?
ICoRSA’s mission is to improve research careers by supporting researchers, sharing best practice across borders and helping shape responsible, inclusive research and innovation. It also provides a global voice for research staff and researchers on topics such as precarious research careers, intersectoral and international mobility, gender equality and diversity, aiming to advance the welfare of researchers and improve their career prospects and development pathways.
What is ICoRSA’s vision for research careers and communities?
ICoRSA envisions a global community of internationally networked researchers who can build a collective voice to influence international policy. In this vision, researchers’ contributions are recognised and fairly rewarded through sustainable careers, and a shared repository of effective and fair working practices helps inform research policy and supports the growth of researcher communities worldwide.
What values guide ICoRSA’s work?
ICoRSA is grounded in collaboration, inclusivity and evidence based advocacy, linking communities of researchers and organisations in order to address common challenges shared by an international research workforce. Its work is oriented towards responsible research and innovation, fairness in career structures, and systemic change that benefits researchers and the societies they serve.
Membership and community
Who can become a member of ICoRSA?
ICoRSA is a membership driven organisation that welcomes both research staff associations and individual researchers who wish to be part of a global movement for better research careers. In addition, members of the former RRING Community are integrated into ICoRSA’s wider community and network.
Is membership free?
All ICoRSA membership types are free, reflecting the organisation’s commitment to accessible and inclusive participation. Registration is free while the impact is intended to be global, allowing researchers and associations to join without financial barriers and contribute to change in research careers worldwide.
What is the ICoRSA Community?
The ICoRSA Community is a global network designed to unite researchers and stakeholders around responsible research and innovation and better research careers. It gathers a worldwide community of researchers from all disciplines and sectors, alongside other interested stakeholders such as industry, ministries and citizens, and serves as a community of practice for responsible research and innovation where training and best practice sharing can take place.
How do I join ICoRSA or its communities?
Individual researchers and associations can register for ICoRSA membership through the organisation’s membership pages, where the process is described as simple and immediate for individuals and subject to values based review for associations. Members of the former RRING and GRRIP communities are invited to join via the EU Survey platform, which follows GDPR and remains open so new subscribers can continue to register while the community runs.
Who ICoRSA helps
Which groups does ICoRSA support?
ICoRSA works with research staff associations, researchers, postdoctoral scholars and early career researchers across regions and disciplines, acting as an umbrella organisation that represents a variety of associations and organisations and the interests of their members. It supports early stage researchers, postdocs and senior researchers alike, reflecting the full span of research careers and the diverse challenges they face.
How does ICoRSA support research communities facing shared challenges?
ICoRSA’s community is built to be practical and collaborative, helping research communities address shared challenges such as career progression, mobility, equity and working conditions. It facilitates communication across borders and sharing of best practice, enabling researchers and associations to learn from each other and to develop more effective and fair approaches to research careers.
What ICoRSA does in practice
What policy topics and issues does ICoRSA address?
ICoRSA provides a collective voice and engages with policy topics including precarious research careers, mobility, gender equality and diversity, bringing evidence and experience from its members into international policy debates. It seeks to inform research policy and advocate for structures that recognise and reward researchers fairly, working at both national and international levels through its network.
How does ICoRSA support stakeholder engagement and Living Labs in projects?
ICoRSA designs and delivers stakeholder engagement, Living Labs and co creation processes for Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020 projects, connecting researchers, policymakers, public authorities, industry, civil society and citizens so that innovation is developed with people and not only for them. This includes stakeholder mapping, participatory workshops, Living Lab facilitation, building communities of practice and providing impact oriented dissemination support.
Can ICoRSA support my Horizon Europe proposal or ongoing project?
ICoRSA can support Horizon Europe proposals and ongoing projects with stakeholder engagement strategies, Living Lab methodologies, co creation processes, communities of practice and dissemination planning. Project consortia can contact ICoRSA directly to discuss joining proposals or providing engagement support, drawing on the organisation’s experience in designing meaningful participation.
Can ICoRSA support my Horizon Europe proposal or ongoing project?
ICoRSA can support Horizon Europe proposals and ongoing projects with stakeholder engagement strategies, Living Lab methodologies, co creation processes, communities of practice and dissemination planning. Project consortia can contact ICoRSA directly to discuss joining proposals or providing engagement support, drawing on the organisation’s experience in designing meaningful participation.
Partnerships and affiliations
Who are ICoRSA’s key partners and affiliated organisations?
ICoRSA works with partner organisations to maximise the collective voice of researchers and collaborate on shared priorities, including organisations such as Eurodoc, the Marie Curie Alumni Association, the Young Academy of Europe, ECRNoN and the US National Postdoctoral Association, as well as being a consortium member of RESAVER and an affiliated member of the International Science Council. It also collaborates with partners such as Vitae, which supports the UK Research Staff Association, one of the first members of ICoRSA.
What is ICoRSA’s relationship with UNESCO?
As of June 2022, ICoRSA has been admitted to official partnership with UNESCO as an NGO in official partnership with UNESCO with consultative status. This status strengthens ICoRSA’s ability to contribute to international dialogue on science, research careers and responsible research and innovation, including participation in UNESCO events such as the General Conference.
Does ICoRSA participate in wider science policy networks?
ICoRSA is a member of the Initiative for Science in Europe, joining as an umbrella organisation that represents researchers and research staff associations and their interests. Through this and other affiliations, ICoRSA contributes to broader European and international discussions on research policy and careers, reinforcing its advocacy with partnerships and shared platforms.
How can my organisation collaborate with ICoRSA?
Organisations interested in collaboration can explore partnership opportunities described on ICoRSA’s partners pages, including memorandums of understanding, project based cooperation and joint advocacy work. Project consortia, associations and networks can reach out to discuss membership, project roles or strategic partnerships, building on ICoRSA’s experience as an umbrella organisation and NGO in official partnership with UNESCO.
ICoRSA as a consortium member
What services does ICoRSA offer to EU funded projects?
ICoRSA offers a specialised package of services for Horizon Europe and other EU funded projects, centred on stakeholder engagement, Living Labs, co creation and impact driven dissemination and communication. It helps consortia design and implement meaningful stakeholder engagement strategies, including stakeholder mapping and analysis, recruitment, engagement planning and participatory governance frameworks that ensure innovation is developed with people, not only for them.
What does ICoRSA offer for Project Visual Identity?
ICoRSA designs distinctive, on-brand visuals that match each project’s communication needs, spanning logos, brochures, infographics, reports and presentation decks. Every output is shaped with creative flair, careful attention to detail and a seamless fit with the project’s overall messaging.
What is included in Website Development & Web Content Management?
ICoRSA provides a full range of WordPress build and management services, covering updates, fresh content, SEO optimisation and ongoing performance monitoring. The team is comfortable working across different content management systems to suit each website’s specific setup.
How does ICoRSA approach Dissemination & Communication Strategy?
As a strategic partner, ICoRSA guides teams through communication strategy development and planning, carrying out research, analysing trends and channels, and building data-driven strategies that help projects meet their dissemination and communication targets.
What does Persuasive Written Content cover?
The team writes compelling, audience-focused content designed to resonate with readers, backed by careful copy editing and proofreading to keep every piece clear, accurate and consistent.
What is included in Social Media Management?
ICoRSA takes care of a project’s social media presence from end to end, producing engaging content, managing community interaction and tracking performance to stay ahead in a fast-moving digital environment, informed by a solid grasp of platform algorithms and trends.
What does Newsletter Production offer?
ICoRSA builds tailored email campaigns and strategies suited to each project’s goals and audience, overseeing every stage of digital outreach, from launching email campaigns to running search engine marketing and producing supporting content.
What is Event & Stakeholder Engagement Management?
Whether it is a hybrid conference or a policy roundtable, ICoRSA manages the practical side of stakeholder engagement, including registration systems, attendee databases and on-the-day logistics, freeing project teams to focus on content and delivery.
How does ICoRSA support FAIR Data & Data Management Plan requirements?
Every Horizon Europe project must submit a Data Management Plan based on FAIR principles: findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable. ICoRSA helps technical partners put these principles into practice, advising on open access routes, repository selection and how data management links back to the broader dissemination strategy.
What does GDPR & Data Protection Compliance cover?
Newsletters, event sign-ups and social campaigns all handle personal data, and EU grant agreements set strict standards for protecting it. ICoRSA builds compliance into every campaign from the outset, addressing consent management, cookie policies and data retention, so projects withstand scrutiny without slowing outreach down.
What does Web Application Development involve?
Beyond managing websites, ICoRSA builds lightweight, interactive web applications, including result explorers, stakeholder mapping tools and simple database-driven features that let audiences engage directly with a project’s outputs. These are increasingly expected as exploitation deliverables, and are built to be genuinely functional rather than purely ornamental.
What is Monitoring & Evaluation Design?
Strong dashboards depend on solid foundations. ICoRSA designs the underlying monitoring and evaluation framework for dissemination work, setting realistic baselines, defining success for each audience segment and structuring how impact will be measured by the project’s end.
What does Multilingual Content Adaptation offer?
Since consortia often span ten or more countries, a single message rarely lands well everywhere. ICoRSA adapts content for local audiences, going beyond straight translation to factor in cultural nuance and national media habits, so a project’s message genuinely connects in every partner country.
What is Teams Meeting & Webinar Management?
Beyond routine chat, ICoRSA handles the technical delivery of larger Teams events, including project webinars, partner assemblies, general assemblies and public dissemination webinars. This covers registration links, recording management and permission settings for external, non-guest attendees who only need to join a call, keeping event delivery consistent with the platform used for internal collaboration.