US early-career researchers have a new route for in-person collaborations with European colleagues. US National Science Foundation (NSF) postdoctoral fellows or recipients of Faculty Early Career Development awards will be able to spend 6–12 months in teams funded by European Research Council grants under an agreement announced on 13 July. David Stonner, director of the NSF office of international science and engineering in Arlington, Virginia, says that the partnerships could lead to positions for postdocs and help researchers to build and expand networks. “Getting young researchers into European research networks early in their career will pay dividends for years,” says Stonner.