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Insistence on ‘excellent’ research is commonplace, but Science Europ warns that it can damage integrity and foster ruthless competition when poorly defined
The Research and Innovation (R&I) sector has been sacrificed in these budget negotiations, when it should have been the spearhead of an ambitious, future-oriented, knowledge-based plan for Europe. Science Europe now calls the European Parliament and the European Commission, as the protectors of European R&I, to continue taking a strong stand in favour of a larger budget for Horizon Europe
Lidia Borrell-Damián, Science Europe Secretary General, quoted in Times Higher Education expressing disappointment over the proposed Horizon Europe budget.
Marc Schiltz, the President of Science Europe, is quoted in Science Business saying that the new Horizon budget is lower than anyone had expected it to be: “We are hugely disappointed that the budget is not in any way commensurate to the challenges ahead,” said Schiltz.
Science Europe calls on research funding and performing organisations to continuously evaluate their research assessment processes to ensure that they are effective, efficient, fair, and transparent.
Research organisations urged to disclose their assessment practices and how they address bias.
Lidia Borrell-Damián, Science Europe Secretary General, quoted in Research Europe saying that a 20 per cent target would be “a good starting point”.
She was commenting, as part of an article on proposals for the European Research Area to include spending targets and a ‘Cern for climate change’
Science Europe calls for the European Commission’s recovery package in Horizon Europe to be extended beyond 2024
Science Europe quoted in RP saying that the €94.4bn proposal “fails to allow for scientific knowledge to contribute” to achieving the Commission’s ambitious agenda for digitisation and environmental sustainability.
The Commission’s proposal should also be tweaked to ensure the €13.9bn that will go to Horizon Europe from the recovery fund is shared more equally between the parts of the programme dedicated to applied or basic research, Science Europe said.
It is “essential that substantial funding for all research programmes, and especially the excellent science pillar, is provided for the entire duration” of the 2021-27 budgetary period, Science Europe added.
Science Europe, quote in Science Business, saying that EU leaders should reconsider the European Commission’s budget proposal for Horizon Europe, as it could be “seriously damaging” for parts of the programme focused on basic research and research mobility.
According to the commission’s budget proposal released in May, most Horizon Europe programmes would lose 3.2 per cent of their budget.
Science Europe says the plan should be reconsidered, so that the recovery money also reaches the coffers of the European Research Council, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and research infrastructures.
Science Europe, quoted in Science Business saying that EU leaders should reconsider European Commission’s budget proposal for Horizon Europe, as it could be “seriously damaging” for parts of the programme focused on blue sky research and research mobility.
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.
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.
Science Europe encourages the EU to keep leading projects to tackle the challenges brought on by COVID-19 and offers the expertise and experience from its members to build the necessary collaborative approaches.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
It is with great sadness that Science Europe learned of the passing of the ERC Executive Agency's Theodore Papazoglou earlier this week. Many of the colleagues at Science Europe met or worked with Theodore at different points during his many years at the ERC.
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.
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.
R&D advocates redouble push for clarity and funding after summit ends in stalemate.
Secretary General of Science Europe quoted in Research Professional, saying that R&D advocates could use the global outbreak of the Covid-19 respiratory disease to show the importance of R&D in emergencies.
Science Europe Secretary General, Lidia Borrell-Damian, reacts to plans by the EC for an overhauled European Research Area later this year.
Other research and higher education leaders have already expressed concern over the proposed package.
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.