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18.06.2020

Strengthening European Research: Funding Boost Needed to Guarantee Sustainability

Science Europe calls on the leaders of the EU to dedicate increased funding to research and innovation at the 19 June European Council meeting on the EU long-term budget and COVID-19 recovery fund.

An increased budget is necessary to meet the ambitious objectives of the European Union for a sustainable, healthy planet, and to ensure the global competitiveness of its research sector.

Science Europe also emphasises the need for sustained European leadership in tackling all COVID-19-incurred challenges.

15.06.2020

Europe to Keep Leading COVID-19 Pandemic and Crisis Recovery

Science Europe encourages EU Member States and Associated Countries to keep leading European and global projects to tackle the medical, social, and economic challenges brought on by COVID-19.

Science Europe Members Organisations can contribute with their expertise and experience to build the necessary collaborative approaches within Europe and across the world.

02.06.2020

Response to the European Commission Consultation on the European Strategy for Data

Science Europe calls on the European Commission to take into account the important role of the research sector as producer and user of data. The longstanding experience of the research sector should feed into the development of an overarching EU data strategy that promotes data access across sectors.

In its response to the EC consultation on the European Strategy for Data, Science Europe also underlines the need to consider sectoral policies to ensure coherence between overarching and sectoral policies.

28.05.2020

Horizon Europe budget proposal provokes pleasure as well as pain

Extra €10.9bn proposed for R&D programme is welcomed, but falls short of expectations.

Science Europe Secretary General quoted in Research Professional saying that she welcomed what she called a “sensible proposal”. “The Commission has done a really good compromise job, so I only hope the member states will be able to approve it,” she said, referring to the short time left before the programmes are due to begin next year.

27.05.2020

Lukewarm welcome for plan to prop up Horizon budget with €13.5B pandemic recovery money

There’s more in the pot, but MEPs and research lobbies decry ‘mismatch’ between European Commission’s revised research budget and the post-COVID-19 mountains to be scaled.

Science Europe Secretary General quoted in Science Business, saying that the €13.5 billion addition to the Horizon budget is a positive in a “world of compromises” however, “there is a disappointment that [the budget] isn’t at least €100 billion.” 

07.05.2020

Leaders hail $8bn fund for Covid-19 R&D

Science Europe Secretary General quoted in Research Europe saying that “Research has to be competitive, no matter who manages the funds,” Open competitive calls are “the first proof of excellence”, she said, and should be part of processes that disburse public funds.

“This should be seen as a first positive step. Now this money needs to be properly used [and] given to the right hands.” It is not certain whether there are enough suitable researchers to do the work world leaders have pledged to fund, she warned. “It’s a market question—to what extent the scientific community is able to absorb all these funds in an efficient way,” she said.

01.05.2020

Draft Horizon Europe plan teases assessment and award changes

Research leaders welcome overarching aim of strategy, but express reservations about some proposals.

Science Europe Secretary General, quoted in Research Professional, said that the concepts in the draft strategy were “welcome as a clear outline for the implementation of Horizon Europe”. “Maximising impacts, greater transparency and further simplification, fostering more and better synergies with other EU programmes, ease of access through streamlined information portals…these are issues that have been requested by many stakeholders for many years, including Science Europe.”  But one proposed change, a “clearer specification of the expected impacts” of projects, has caused some concern, she added. 

16.04.2020

Science Europe Statement following the resignation of ERC President Mauro Ferrari

Amid the many European Commission programmes to foster research and innovation, the European Research Council (ERC) stands out as the programme based on scientific excellence and following a bottom-up approach. Science Europe fully endorses these principles as a part of a variety of different approaches to research and innovation investments.

At a time when the expectations on research are very high and the safeguarding of public trust in Science is cardinal, we deeply regret that internal issues within the ERC have been played out so publicly. This may be damaging to the ERC as an institution.

Science Europe has always been a strong supporter of the ERC and we will continue to be so in the future. We look forward to collaborating with the next ERC President.

08.04.2020

Workshop Report on Digital Transformation in Scholarly Communication

The 20 and 21 November 2019 Science Europe Workshop on Digital Transformation in Scholarly Communication explored how new possibilities and technologies provided by the digital transformation can impact the future of the scholarly publication process.

04.02.2020

Science Europe Study on Research Assessment Practices

In 2019, Science Europe conducted a flagship study on research assessment processes and practices. The study was developed and overseen by the Science Europe Task Force on Research Assessment and the Science Europe Office, and implemented by Technopolis Group Vienna.

 

29.01.2020

Implementing Research Data Management Policies Across Europe: Experiences from Science Europe Member Organisations

Does your organisation want to develop requirements for data management plans (DMPs) or update existing ones?

Take a look at our latest publication to find out how to do so in three steps.

 

11.12.2019

CESSDA asks ten questions to Lidia Borrell-Damian

Lidia Borrell-Damian is the new Secretary General of Science Europe.
She started her position in September, after over thirteen years at the European University Association (EUA). She works closely with the Governing Board and the Member Organisations and will be in charge of implementing Science Europe’s strategy and leading the office in Brussels.
From 2014 onwards, Lidia Borrell-Damian was Director for Research and Innovation (R&I) at EUA, where she was responsible for the overall policy development and project work related to the area.
CESSDA asked Lidia Borrell-Damian to answer a few questions.

05.12.2019

Research ‘in safe hands’ as Commission starts new term

Sector upbeat about new EU leaders and promise to transform bloc’s economy via research.

Lidia Borrell-Damián, Secretary General of research association Science Europe told Research Europe that Commissioner Gabriel is "a fantastic person, a really hard worker,” she said.

27.11.2019

Science Europe has New Governing Board Elected at 18th General Assembly in Brussels

Science Europe held its 18th General Assembly in Brussels, today. Marc Schiltz, the outgoing President, has been re-elected for a second mandate. He is joined by Ingrid Petersson (Director General of the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development- FORMAS) and by Rosa Menéndez (President of the Spanish National Research Council- CSIC) as Vice-Presidents. The new Governing Board gathers 13 members, from across the entire membership.

21.11.2019

‘Don’t pit education against research’

Fears over budget crunches and education’s moment in the spotlight. Science Europe Secretary General, Lidia Borrell-Damian, quoted in Research Professional. She says that it is hard to assess proposals on their own because what matters is spreading funding across research and education. She adds that it’s not that education isn’t important, but it should not come at the expense of budget cuts in research. 

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