Launching of an international call on the social challenges of extended working life
Demographic change, and in particular increasing life expectancy and low and slightly decreasing fertility rates, is becoming a key issue around the world. Complex patterns of migration also contribute to demographic change. The consequence of an ageing society is a scenario where a growing
proportion of the population is healthy and active but not necessarily actively participating in the labour market.
In order to respond to these changes and their economic effects, policymakers need more research done within the field of demographic change in order to develop new policies better adapted to these phenomena. There are potential advantages in sharing such research, since the scale and importance of demographic change goes beyond national borders.
In this context, the Joint Programming Initiative “More Years Better Lives” (JPI MYBL) was put in place with the aim of better coordinating national research related to demographic change. There are potential advantages in sharing such research, since the scale and importance of demographic change goes beyond national borders. The European and Canadian partners of the JPI are now launching a first call for international research projects on this issue.
Promoting international research on extended working life
This call focuses on the interaction between extending working life, health and well-being.
It invites proposals for funding research into one or more of four broad topics:
- Modern work factors
- Longer working life & Inequality
- Health challenges
- Caring responsibilities
The objective is to support innovative and interdisciplinary research into the drivers to, and constraints on, extending working life. Research is expected to cross the traditional boundaries of Government departments and occupational sectors and to examine the implications of extending working life for older workers (50+), new labour markets, health, wellbeing and intergenerational equity.
Ten countries from Europe – Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden – and Canada are participating in the call. Only transnational projects will be funded. Each proposal must involve a minimum of three eligible applicants from at least three different countries participating in the call.
The duration of the projects can be up to three years. Each agency will fund its own country's teams in accordance with its specific conditions. ANR will thus only fund the French teams. The overall projected budget for the call is 8 million euros.
The proposal submission will proceed in one stage, with a deadline of 2nd June 2015. Project selection will be an integrated international peer evaluation process involving all the countries.
Find out more:
| JPI MYBL: Europe and Canada tackle the challenges of demographic change |
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In a context of global demographic change and accelerated ageing of populations, nine countries launched in 2010 the JPI « More Years Better Lives » in order to coordinate their research efforts and activitives related to an ageing society. Fourteen countries, including Canada, are now members of the initiative. They have developed a strategic research agenda which identifies the following four main research domains, each corresponding to a cluster of policy issues: Quality of Life, Health and Well-being; Economic and Social Production; Governance and Institutions; and Sustainable Welfare. ANR joined the JPI in April 2014. |
The Joint Programming Initiatives (JPI) constitute a mode of cooperation between member States working to build the European Research Area. The JPIs aim to optimise national research efforts and network the actors (research organisations and funding agencies) in order to respond as effectively as possible to the major societal challenges facing Europe as a whole. JPIs aims at avoiding the fragmentation of research efforts in Europe by combining and coordinating the efforts and setting up joint research programmes on issues that are of major importance for European societies.