ALLEA Joined the Newly Launched International Coalition to Support Ukraine’s Research and Innovation Ecosystem
An International Coalition for Science, Research, and Innovation in Ukraine was officially launched in Rome on 11 July during the 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference. The joint initiative by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science, UNESCO and the European Commission, marks a significant step in placing science, research and innovation at the heart of Ukraine’s sustainable, inclusive and long-term recovery.
The launch was announced by the Italian Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini; the Ukrainian First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Yevhen Kudriavets; the European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva; and UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General, Lidia Arthur Brito.
ALLEA is pleased to announce that it has joined the Coalition, which aims to respond to both the urgent needs and long-term priorities of Ukraine’s research and innovation system. The initiative will promote concrete actions to support Ukrainian scientists, drive reconstruction and modernisation, and reinforce the role of research and innovation in the country’s recovery.
As the European umbrella organisation representing 60 academies from over 40 countries, ALLEA has consistently advocated for the protection and advancement of scientific cooperation, academic freedom, and the integration of displaced and at-risk researchers. Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, ALLEA and its Member Academies have been actively involved in initiatives to support Ukrainian researchers, such as through the partnership with The Breakthrough Prize Foundation, strengthen institutional resilience, and foster international scientific collaboration.
ALLEA shares the Coalition’s commitment to sustaining and rebuilding Ukraine’s research and innovation system. Furthermore, ALLEA’s broad European network and expertise in science policy can contribute meaningfully to the Coalition’s objectives and advance opportunities for joint actions to:
- Support mobility and integration of Ukrainian researchers in European research networks,
- Facilitate knowledge exchange and institutional capacity-building, and
- Promote the long-term reintegration of Ukrainian science into the European and global research community.
Membership in the Coalition is open to governments, international organisations, research entities, academic institutions, foundations, development banks and private sector actors actively supporting Ukraine’s research sector. Interested entities are invited to join by agreeing to adhere to the Rome Declaration and submitting a formal request to the Secretariat at EC-R-I-COALITION-UA-SECRETARIAT@ec.europa.eu.
The ALLEA Board Supports Call for Immediate Action to Protect Civilian Lives in Gaza
On 5 August 2025, the ALLEA Board issued a statement expressing its full support for Professor David Harel’s public appeal to the Israeli government, published on 14 July 2025. In his statement, Prof. Harel calls for immediate action to protect civilian lives in Gaza, restore health infrastructure, and allow unimpeded humanitarian aid — emphasising that these measures are both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity for Israel’s future international cooperation in science and research. In alignment with Prof. Harel, ALLEA echoes the call for urgent humanitarian action and the restoration of essential infrastructure. The Board also condemns the inhumane conditions caused by the ongoing conflict, urges a lasting resolution, and calls for the release of all hostages.
Read the full statement here.
ALLEA Joins European Research Organisations Calling for enhanced and transformed early-stage collaborative research in FP10
ALLEA and several European research organisations including EU-LIFE, Coimbra Group, YERUN, ECIU, AURORA, EASSH, EUA, ISE, MCAA, UNICA and ECHO have issued a joint statement calling on the European Commission, European Parliament and Member States to reaffirm the central role of early-stage collaborative Research & Innovation (R&I) funding within FP10, and to transform it in order to address the excessive complexity, rigid consortium requirements and prescriptive approach of its current structure.
The statement highlights the critical role of early-stage collaboration across disciplines, sectors and countries in the generation of breakthrough knowledge, innovative technologies and resilient ecosystems. It emphasises that this type of research, which operates at low- to mid- Technology or Societal Readiness Levels (TRLs/SRLs), is the critical foundation of Europe’s ability to address global challenges, strengthen its strategic autonomy, and remain competitive in the long term.
While supporting the maintenance of early-stage collaborative R&I in FP10 alongside the new European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), the signatories stress the need to ensure that the two instruments are complementary. They warn against a one-size-fits-all approach and call for tailored mechanisms that preserve excellence-driven, open and flexible collaboration within FP10.
At the same time, the organisations urge the EU to address structural weaknesses in Horizon Europe’s Pillar II — notably excessive complexity, rigid consortium requirements and an overly prescriptive focus on short-term outcomes — which risk excluding key contributors such as early-career researchers, SMEs and new actors. They advocate for a more balanced, inclusive and researcher-friendly framework that can unleash the full potential of early-stage collaborative research.
The joint statement is available here.
The ALLEA Madame de Staël Prize 2025 Opens First Call for Nominations
ALLEA is pleased to announce a call for applications for the next edition of the ALLEA Madame de Staël Prize 2025. The deadline for submissions is September 30.
The Prize is awarded annually. It is a part of the larger mission of ALLEA to promote the rich and diverse intellectual, scientific, and cultural heritage of Europe. It is awarded to eminent individuals whose work represents a significant contribution to integrity and development of Europe, thereby promoting and strengthening an understanding of Europe as multifaceted, intellectual, open, and vibrant.
The idea of the ALLEA Madame de Staël Prize emerged in 2014 with the inauguration of the “New Narrative for Europe” project initiated by then President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso (2004–2014).
The Prize recognizes researchers or intellectuals whose work has contributed significantly to the advancement of Europe. A laureate’s work is ideally of an interdisciplinary nature and exhibits a remarkable and demonstrable contribution to the processes behind European development, integration and identity.
The laureate of the ALLEA Madame de Staël Prize 2025 is set to be announced at the end of the year, with a Prize handover ceremony planned for 2026.
Please find more detailed information on the nomination process for the ALLEA Madame de Staël Prize.
Nominations should be directed electronically to our ALLEA Liaison Officer, Dagmara Bożek: bozek@allea.org, by 30 September 2025.
ALLEA Supports Joint Statement Warning that Introducing Directionality in MSCA Would Risk Undermining the Programme’s Success
European research organisations, led by Coimbra Group, EU-LIFE and YERUN, have issued a joint statement calling on the European Commission and Member States to preserve the bottom-up structure of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). The statement responds to a proposal to introduce directionality in the 2026–2027 Work Programme by steering project calls toward predefined areas.
The signatories stress that MSCA’s success lies in its openness to all fields and topics, driven by researchers’ initiative and scientific excellence. Imposing thematic restrictions risks narrowing the scope of innovation and limiting opportunities for early-career researchers.
MSCA in its current state already delivers significant contributions to strategic areas even before any political prioritisation is envisioned. More than 1,000 ongoing projects focus on artificial intelligence, backed by nearly €1 billion in EU funding under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. Over 170 projects address quantum technologies, and thousands of MSCA researchers are involved in work related to the EU Missions.
Also notable is that the demand for MSCA continues to grow, while the budget has seen only marginal increases between funding cycles. While the primary message is about preserving MSCA’s model, the signatories also encourage a significant funding boost in the next Framework Programme (FP10) to match the programme’s expanded impact and address the structural challenges that research careers face.
ALLEA has extended its support to the statement alongside YERUN, Coimbra Group, EU-LIFE, Aurora Universities Network, CESAER, EASSH, ECIU, EUA, Eurodoc, Initiative for Science Europe (ISE), LERU, MCAA, PolSCA, SPARC Europe, The Guild, UNICA.
Event Report. 2025 ALLEA General Assembly, ‘Europe and the Arctic: Science and Diplomacy’
A summary of the scientific symposium ‘Europe and the Arctic: Science and Diplomacy’, held as part of the 2025 ALLEA General Assembly, which took place on 3-4 June in Copenhagen, Denmark, kindly hosted by the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters.
ALLEA Partnered in “Reimagine Food & Agriculture: A Strategic Summit on the Narratives that Shape our Reality”
On 5 June 2025, ALLEA joined over a hundred experts, policymakers, scientists, and civil society leaders at the “Reimagine Food & Agriculture: A Strategic Summit on the Narratives that Shape our Reality”, hosted at the Palace of the Academies in Brussels by ALLEA member academy KVAB – the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts.
Convened by Re-Imagine Europa and held under the patronage of the European Parliament, the summit addressed a pressing question: How can we move beyond polarised debates and outdated narratives to create sustainable, resilient, and competitive food systems?
The event marked a key moment in shaping Europe’s agricultural and food policy at a time of rising geopolitical instability, climate urgency, and social division. It brought together a diverse coalition of actors, including the European Environmental Agency, European Institute for Agroecology, Environmental Defense Fund, European Food Forum, EU-SAGE, Euroseeds, Bruegel, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, as well as key EU institutions.
The day was opened by KVAB President Godelieve Laureys, who set the tone for strategic, cross-sector dialogue. Among the summit’s highlights was the participation of Lise Korsten, President of the African Academy of Sciences, who joined the opening panel to share insights on global food security and agricultural policy.
ALLEA contributed to the summit through:
A series of expert workshops convened over the past 18 months to depolarise the debate on sustainable food systems, bringing together stakeholders from science, farming, policymaking, and civil society.
Ongoing work on genome editing, including ethical, legal, and societal reflections, available here: Genome Editing for Crop Improvement
ALLEA’s contribution to the SAPEA evidence review report on sustainable food systems, which informs science-based policy advice within the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism: SAPEA Report
ALLEA thanks all partners and participants who are helping shape the future of food and agriculture in Europe and beyond.
ALLEA Welcomes the Young Academy Finland as its 60th Member
ALLEA can now count among its members the Young Academy Finland following recent election by current membership. This addition marks the seventh Young Academy within the ALLEA network. Bringing this academy into ALLEA’s network not only supports young academics – it fosters further cooperation between Young and Senior Academies as well.
Young Academy Finland is a multidisciplinary organisation for young researchers that aims to promote research and strengthen the status of science and scholarship in society. Its aim is to create dialogue between different disciplines and between researchers and society in general. It promotes open science practices and aim to make the perspective of young researchers more prominent in public discourse on science and scholarship. It also aims to encourage students to pursue a career in research by building connections between researchers and schools.
Young Academy Finland was established by the Finnish Academy of Sciences and Letters with the help of an endowment from the Emil Aaltonen Foundation in 2017. Its members are elected by the Finnish Academy of Sciences and Letters for four-year terms, and through an open call we also look for candidates to be proposed to become members. Its operations are run by Science Coordinator.
ALLEA Responds to Continued Attacks on Academic Freedom in the United States
Today, ALLEA has released a new statement in response to the most recent restrictions imposed by the U.S. Administration on the academic sector, re-affirming the importance of upholding the fundamental principles of academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
We remain deeply concerned by the continued censorship of research designs and publications in the United States, the increasing marginalisation of scientifically relevant topics from public discourse, and the growing cuts to funding in key areas of research targeted at academic institutions. The new executive orders that freeze billions in federal research funding—including in critical fields such as biomedical and environmental research—are likely to inflict severe harm not only within the U.S. but globally.
We recall the overwhelming response to our previous statement in February 2025, which addressed threats to academic freedom and international research collaboration. That mobilisation, supported by more than 160 research institutions across Europe and beyond, reflected a shared understanding that defending academic freedom is an urgent and universal responsibility. We underscore our continued commitment to standing up against serious threats to the autonomy of science, which are incompatible with the principles of an open and democratic society.
In light of these developments, we call upon all scientific institutions, political decision-makers, and the broader public to recognise and defend the essential role of independent science in the U.S. and worldwide. The statement reiterates the need for clear regulatory frameworks to shield academia from undue interference, to guarantee the rights of scholars and students, and to maintain the autonomy of research. We urge governments across the globe to refrain from coercive actions against academic institutions and instead to engage in constructive dialogue that supports and protects the independence of research and higher education.
Read the full statement here.
