Through the so-called ERA-NET Cofunds, which are co-financed by the European Commission from the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme and which give funding agency from Member States the opportunity to announce joint calls on agreed topics, the CAS participates in multilateral projects implemented within the partnerships of HERA (Humanities in the European Research Area) and NORFACE (New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Cooperation in Europe).The European Commission’s contribution to ERA-NET Cofund programmes may generally reach a maximum of 33% of the total eligible costs. In the case of HERA and NORFACE, this is a 20% share, with the remaining 80% of costs being covered by the provider from the Member State. The provider for the Czech Republic is the Czech Academy of Sciences.It is important to note, however, that by law, the CAS is allowed to distribute the funding to its institutes only.
The CAS has been involved in four programmes of this type. In the field of social sciences, which is the focus of the NORFACE partnership bringing together grant agencies and research organisations from 20 European countries, it is the Dynamics of Inequality Across the Life-Course: Structures and Processes (DIAL) programme and Democratic Governance in a Turbulent Age (Governance) programme. A successful project within the DIAL programme is the multilateral DAISIE project (2018−2021) conducted by the Institute of Sociology on behalf of the CAS.
HERA is a partnership of 25 European countries offering researchers the opportunity to join European research networks and participate in the development of a science strategy in the area of humanities. The CAS has participated in programmes with the overarching themes Uses of the Past (HERA JRP UP) and Public Spaces: Culture and Integration in Europe (HERA JRP PS). A successful multilateral project is the VICTOR-E project (2019−2022) implemented within the HERA JRP PS programme by the Institute of Contemporary History of the CAS.
The HERA and NORFACE networks have prepared a new joint programme called CHANSE (Collaboration of Humanities and Social Sciences in Europe). On 9 March 2021, a call for the submission of proposals for multilateral projects on the topic of Transformations: Social and Cultural Dynamics in the Digital Age has been launched within this new programme. Successful projects within CHANSE program are the multilateral project TIMED in which the Institute of Philosophy of the CAS participates and the project SMARTUP which is conducted by Institute of Sociology of the CAS.