ESS ERIC now has 25 members

The European Social Survey European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ESS ERIC) now has 25 members – the highest number of any ERIC.

Our General Assembly – formed of representing entities in all member countries – last week approved an application from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in Israel.

The addition of Israel as a member of the ESS brings the total number of fully affiliated countries to 25 – a change reflected in our latest version of the ESS ERIC Statutes.

Switzerland will continue to participate in the ESS as an observer country for Round 10 of our survey, currently due to be fielded from September 2020.

As well as the 26 member and observer countries, relevant national funding agencies in four countries have already confirmed their commitment to take part in the latest round of our survey.

The General Assembly has already approved Round 10 guest status following applications from representing entities of funders in Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

Greece took part in four of the first five rounds of the ESS but have not taken part since Round 5 (2010/11) – their return has been made possible thanks to the efforts of the National Centre for Social research (EKKE).

Montenegro and Serbia participated in Round 9 (2018/19) of our survey for the first time and have already confirmed their commitment to take part in the tenth iteration of the ESS.

North Macedonia will take part in Round 10 (2020/21) for the very first time, bringing the total number of countries who have participated in at least one round of the ESS since 2002 to 39.

It means that the latest round of our survey looks set to include at least 30 countries, composed of 25 members, one observer and four guest countries.

The ESS is continuing with efforts to ensure that even more countries participate in the upcoming round of our survey and hope to include additional countries soon.

Members:

• Austria (Federal Ministry of Science and Research)
• Belgium (Belgian Public Planning Service Science Policy)
• Bulgaria (Ministry of Education and Science)
• Croatia (Ministry of Science and Education)
• Cyprus (Directorate General for European Programmes, Coordination and Development)
• Czech Republic (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, MEYS)
• Estonia (Ministry of Social Affairs)
• Finland (Ministry of Education and Culture)
• France (School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences, EHSS, acting in association with the National Centre for Scientific Research, CNRS, and the National Foundation for Political Sciences)
• Germany (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung)
• Hungary (National Research, Development and Innovation Office)
• Iceland (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture)
• Ireland (Irish Research Council, HEA)
• Israel (Ministry of Science and Technology, MOST)
• Italy (National Institute for Public Policy Analysis, INAPP)
• Republic of Latvia Ministry of Education and Science
• Republic of Lithuania Ministry of Education and Science
• Netherlands (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, NWO)
• Norway (Ministry of Education and Research)
• Poland (Ministry of Science and Higher Education)
• Portugal (Portuguese Republic Foundation for Science and Technology)
• Slovak Republic (Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport)
• Slovenia (Ministry of Education, Science and Sport)
• Sweden (Ministry of Education, represented by the Swedish Research Council)
• United Kingdom (Economic and Social Research Council, ESRC)

Observer:

• Switzerland (FORS – Swiss Foundation for Research in Social Sciences)

Confirmed Round 10 Guests:

• Greece (National Centre for Social research, EKKE)
• Montenegro (Ministry of Science)
• North Macedonia (Ministry of Education and Science)
• Serbia (Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development)