With the festive break fast approaching, we thought you might enjoy a little overview of the many and varied activities carried out by Science Europe in the last few months of 2021 - a perfect reading list wherever you may be enjoying the winter weeks ahead.
Wishing you all a joyous holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year!
Science Europe launches the report of its membership survey on the role of research funding and performing organisations in advancing open science and its links to research assessment. It reveals their strategic approaches and activities to evaluate, monitor, and collect evidence on research.
Science Europe calls for a €200 billion investment in FP10, dedicated solely to R&I, ensuring continuity and sufficient funding for basic research, collaborative projects, and innovation. Key instruments like the European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions must be preserved, with a balanced focus on low and high technology readiness levels.
The 2024 High Level Workshop on ERA is co-organised with HUN-REN and MTA, with the support of the Hungarian Ministry of Culture and Innovation. It deals with 'Strengthening European cohesion and competitiveness through research and innovation: the science agenda for European progress in a global context'.
The present Framework introduces strategic directions for Science Europe Member Organisations to share practices and coordinate efforts. In addition to leading by example, the objective is to achieve systemic change – pursuing environmental sustainability of research organisations’ activities – including mitigating climate impacts. Other important questions, such as funding for research on sustainability, as well as the economic and social dimensions of sustainability, fall outside of the scope of this Framework and may be the subject of future actions.
The workshop on Attractive Careers in Research aims to explore the common and different expectations for careers in research by different stakeholder groups, and the opportunities for action that exist based on these expectations. Existing good practice examples from within and outside of academia will be presented and used as inspiration.
The first workshop in Tallinn on 30 October, following the European GRC Regional Meeting, will focus on Africa-Europe co-operation. Selected African and European countries will share existing good practices and opportunities for future co-operation.
Heads of European research organisations will meet at this Regional Meeting of the Global Research Council to discuss European contributions to the 2025 Annual Meeting. Similar meetings take place in the four other GRC regions: Americas, Asia–Pacific, Middle East/North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
This report analyses the role of public research funding and performing organisations in Europe in the shifting landscape of open science and research assessment reform. The findings demonstrate how Science Europe's Member Organisations actively shape and contribute to these developments.
Science Europe and RCN organised an event on reciprocity in international research collaboration to explore the critical importance of academic freedom, equitable access to scientific information and infrastructures. The conclusions highlight the need for a human-centered approach and the value of diverse knowledge systems.
As Europe navigates unprecedented challenges and exciting opportunities, the need to invest in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions is clearer than ever. MSCA nurtures talent, fosters groundbreaking research, strengthens global collaborations, and has a key role in driving economic growth and securing Europe’s competitive edge in a rapidly evolving global landscape.