Framework Programme 10: ALLEA Advocates for Widening Scientific Cooperation and Freedom of Research

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In a recent stakeholder consultation, ALLEA, through its Working Group on the European Research Area, submitted guiding principles to the European Commission for the development of the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (currently referred to as ‘Framework Programme 10’), the successor of Horizon Europe, which will begin in 2028. Its stance on Framework Programme 10 (FP10) underscores the importance of global thinking and action, widening participation, and promoting research capacities to address ongoing inequalities – within and beyond the EU.

A central theme in the submitted position is the protection of academic freedom and research integrity, which it views as essential for scientific progress and innovation. ALLEA especially calls for greater support for currently underrepresented researchers (including early- to mid-career researchers and researchers from EU15 countries,) and urges funding schemes to foster creativity and innovation.

The position highlights the significance of existing schemes for widening participation in EU research projects, which encourage collaboration and support less well-resourced institutions. It emphasises the need for excellence to be distributed fairly across the EU and neighbouring nations to advance research continuously and effectively, as well as reduce inequalities in the research ecosystem.

ALLEA further stresses the need for strengthening basic research, as well prioritising long-term institutional funding models over project-based financing, simplification of application and evaluation procedures, and the importance of multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary research.

In conclusion, ALLEA’s position on FP10 emphasises global collaboration, widening participation, research freedom, and simplification, ultimately advocating for a more inclusive and diverse approach to European research funding.

The stakeholder consultation was conducted under the umbrella of the European Research and Innovation Area Committee (ERAC) Ad-hoc Task Force on “Guidance for the next Framework Programme for R&I”. This task force will write an opinion, which is due to be adopted by ERAC in June 2024, in order to provide the Commission with timely input for the next Framework Programme.

Building Bridges, Dismantling Barriers: UK Association to Horizon Europe

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A commentary by ALLEA President Antonio Loprieno

Nearly three years after my November 2020 commentary on the UK’s departure from the EU, it remains imperative that scientific collaboration be considered a global endeavour rather than be weaponised and exploited as a mere bargaining chip. We are arguably more reliant on science systems now more than ever, as we face unrelenting waves of so-called polycrises: the looming threat of climate catastrophe, perennial war, and pandemics, just to name a few. Even in the absence of such globalised challenges, scientific collaboration is vital to the betterment of our societies. Research undertaken in the fields of oncology or biomedical engineering, for example, can significantly improve the quality of life across borders, classes, and generations.

As such, I have reaffirmed my commitment to the principle that scientific endeavour does not hold a passport; bounding such crucial ventures contained therein to the results of political negotiation restricts the breadth of its outcomes. ALLEA has continually invited policy actors to recall the impacts of their decisions on science systems, encouraging them to refrain from using research as a pawn in political spats.

It is both my pleasure and relief to see that these views are shared by the European Commission and the UK Government as evidenced in the agreement they reached on the association of the UK to Horizon Europe and Copernicus. This landmark moment marks a turning of the tide – the rupture sparked by Brexit will not be as encompassing as once feared. UK researchers will not be forced to work in isolation, and the EU will of course greatly benefit from their participation in turn, as these two counterparts can now continue or resume their long-standing partnerships with the security of funding.

As President of ALLEA, I applaud this watershed agreement which re-opens pathways for the meaningful scientific collaboration that constitutes a critical societal pillar. As a network that represents more than 50 academies in nearly 40 European countries – including five in the United Kingdom, who were quick to share their optimism at this long-awaited development – ALLEA will continue to defend the sovereignty of a research landscape that is underpinned by an open exchange of thought, expertise and resources. Now that the UK has been welcomed back to the fold, the real work can continue.

Antonio Loprieno

ALLEA President

ALLEA Welcomes Motion for European Parliament Resolution on Freedom of Scientific Research

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European academies are longstanding advocates for academic freedom and institutional autonomy, in the interest of our knowledge societies. ALLEA therefore extends support for a recent motion for a resolution to protect the freedom of scientific research in the European Union more effectively, submitted by MEP Christian Ehler, rapporteur for the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE).  

The motion contains a request for an act to create a legal framework aimed at protecting the freedom of scientific research in Europe as defined in the Bonn Declaration. The text was drafted in consultation with ALLEA and other European stakeholders who have been involved in the activities of the European Parliament Forum for Academic Freedom. The draft outlines the need to define and regulate obligations for public authorities and research organisations, as well as the rights for individual researchers that the freedom of scientific research provides.  

Developments over the past years such as attacks on the institutional autonomy in some European states have shown that academic freedom must be better protected. ALLEA strives to ensure that the public as well as policy-makers are aware of the importance of safeguarding the autonomy of science through advocacy for effective protection of this right. ALLEA’s interventions against infringements include a range of actions in support of academic institutions and individual researchers under threat (see, for instance, ALLEA’s support for displaced scientists). 

The motion will be presented to the European Parliament in September. Read more about ALLEA’s activities on academic freedom here.

2nd Ukraine Conference Report Published

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Over three days in March 2023, ALLEA and the ISC hosted a second conference on the Ukraine crisis, ‘One year of war in Ukraine: Exploring the Impact on the Science Sector and Supporting Initiatives’. 

Held one year after the start of the full-scale assault on Ukraine, the conference and corresponding report sought to engage with the insights and recommendations that emerged from the previous conference held in June 2022. The aim was also to place them in the broader context of how and why the international science system and research community can show solidarity in times of crisis. The conference report affirms the validity of the recommendations of the June 2022 conference, and underlines considerations based on the worsening situation in Ukraine.

The online conference brought together over 530 participants from around the world with sessions hosted by Science Europe, National Research Foundation of Ukraine, The Council of Young Scientists, and the Ministry of Education and Science for Ukraine. The three-day event mobilised the scientific community to evaluate the protection and support efforts implemented during the past year while assessing further steps toward enhanced support and post-conflict reconstruction.

Read the full report

What is the Role of Research in Crises? A Summary of the 2023 ALLEA General Assembly

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The 2023 ALLEA General Assembly was held on 22-23 June at the Royal Society in London, and was attended by more than 260 participants.

Read more

Consumers Shouldn’t be Solely Responsible for Shift to Sustainable Food Consumption, Academies Advise European Commission  

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A group of renowned scientists nominated by European academies through the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism have advised Commissioners on how to transform European food consumption to become healthier and more sustainable.  The advice comes in response to a request from the College of Commissioners to inform the revision of the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy. The SAPEA evidence review report, which was coordinated by ALLEA, was submitted this morning in Brussels. The report addresses key policy areas including pricing, availability, composition, and the social and digital environments that influence which foods people consume.

SAPEA, as a part of the Scientific Advice Mechanism, is a consortium of academy networks that includes over a hundred academies, young academies, and learned societies. ALLEA President and Chair of the SAPEA Board Antonio Loprieno states,

“We formed a powerhouse of interdisciplinary expertise to deliver a comprehensive report on sustainable food consumption. This approach is unique in Europe, and we are proud to deliver this evidence to the European Commission”.

Europe’s current food system has a major impact on the environment, and poor-quality diets are also linked to risk of disease, obesity and overweight — which affect around 60% of adults and 30% of children in European countries, evidence shows. The experts advise unburdening the consumer and making sustainable, healthy food an easy and affordable choice.  Professor Erik Mathijs, Chair of the SAPEA working group that reviewed the scientific evidence says:

“Policies should address the whole food environment, anywhere where food is obtained, eaten, and discussed, such as shops, restaurants, homes, schools, and workplaces, and increasingly also digital media.”

Because of this complexity, it is crucial to follow the scientific evidence for decision-making, he added. Based on this evidence, the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors to the European Commission – another key part of the Scientific Advice Mechanism – recommend a range of evidence-based measures for promoting healthy and sustainable food choices, including:

Pricing: There is clear evidence that direct measures are effective. This includes sugar taxes, meat taxes, and pricing products according to their environmental impacts, as well as lower taxes on healthy and sustainable alternatives.

Availability and visibility: Healthy and sustainable food options are more frequently chosen if they are displayed in prominent places. The advertising of foods which are unhealthy or unsustainable if consumed regularly should be restricted. Voluntary codes of conduct in this area have not been effective.

Composition: Reducing unhealthy fat, sugar, and salt content, and adding more plant-based alternatives, can be helpful — but only if these measures are mandatory and comprehensive. The evidence shows that past voluntary agreements have had limited effect.

It will be critical to create an environment that allows all stakeholders to work towards the goal of healthy and sustainable food, following fair rules. This approach may also help to overcome opposition from those who profit from the current system, including some large private sector organisations with powerful voices, scientists advised.

 

ALLEA Publishes 2023 Revised Edition of the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity

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Today, ALLEA released the 2023 revised edition of “The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity” which now reflects the latest views of the research community on good research practices. Together, these revisions help ensure that the European Code of Conduct remains fit for purpose and relevant to all disciplines, emerging areas of research, and new research practices. As such, the European Code of Conduct can continue to provide a framework for research integrity to support researchers, the institutions in which they work, the agencies that fund them, and the journals that publish their work.

The Chair of the dedicated Code of Conduct Drafting Group, Krista Varantola, launched the new edition under the auspices of ALLEA’s 2023 General Assembly in London, presenting the revised Code to delegates of ALLEA Member Academies in parallel with its online release to the wider research community.

 

The 2023 revised edition

ALLEA President Antonio Loprieno sees a fit-for-purpose European Code of Conduct as “providing a common framework, developed by peers, to enhance trust in science among policymakers and the public at large, through improved quality and reliability of research design, conduct, and dissemination“.

Accordingly, the revisions echo an increased awareness of the importance of research culture in enabling research integrity and implementing good research practices and place a greater responsibility on all stakeholders for observing and promoting these practices and the principles that underpin them. It likewise accommodates heightened sensibilities in the research community to mechanisms of discrimination and exclusion and the responsibility of all actors to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The revised European Code of Conduct also takes account of changes in data management practices, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as well as recent developments in Open Science and research assessment. In the meantime, Artificial Intelligence tools and social media radically change how research results are produced and communicated.

As the Drafting Group Chair Krista Varantola points out, “the rapid development of digital tools and their availability for research create tremendous opportunities, but at the same time pose new challenges to upholding the highest standards of research integrity”.

 

The revision process

From early 2022, the Drafting Group, consisting of members of the ALLEA Permanent Working Group on Science and Ethics, set about exploring what changes would be needed to update the 2017 edition of the European Code of Conduct to ensure it reflects the current views on what are considered good research practices. Their work culminated in October 2022 in a draft revised document being sent for consultation to leading stakeholder organisations and projects across Europe, including representative associations and organisations for academia, publishers, industry, policymaking, and broader societal engagement. The response to this stakeholder consultation was exceptional, indicating a sense of ownership and engagement with the European Code of Conduct amongst the research community. All feedback was captured and discussed in detail in February 2023 by the Drafting Group. A summary of the stakeholder feedback process and how this informed the 2023 revision can be found at www.allea.org/code-of-conduct.

 

Read the 2023 revised edition here.

New Chair Appointed for the Working Group on the ERA

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Arben Merkoçi assumes office as the new Chair of the Working Group on the ERA

Arben Merkoçi appointed new Chair of Working Group on the ERA

On 15 June 2023, Arben Merkoçi,  ICREA Professor and Director of the Nanobioelectronics & Biosensors Group at Institut Català de Nanociencia i Nanotecnologia (ICN2), was introduced as the new Chair of the Working Group on the European Research Area (ERA) at the group’s first meeting of the year. Prof Merkoçi (Academy of Sciences of Albania) was appointed to the position by the ALLEA Board on the proposal of the ALLEA Presidency. ALLEA welcomes the appointment of Prof Merkoçi as Chair of the Working Group on the ERA and wishes him good luck in his tenure!

Prof Merkoçi takes over the position from Prof Kerstin Sahlin (Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences) who assumed the role in 2021. ALLEA extends its heartfelt thanks to Prof Sahlin, whose tenure saw the publication of a statement for a new ERA of Freedom and Excellence, among other notable achievements. We also deeply appreciate her continued engagement with the Working Group as a member. 

ALLEA Welcomes Two Young Academies as New Members

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ALLEA can now count among its members the Young Academy of Sweden and the Young Academy of Scotland following an election by current membership this past month. Bringing these academies into ALLEA’s network not only supports young academics – it fosters further cooperation between Young and Senior Academies as well.  

The Young Academy of Sweden is an interdisciplinary academy for prominent younger researchers in Sweden. Founded in 2011 through an initiative by the Royal Swedish Academy, the Young Academy serves as an independent platform that provides young researchers with a strong voice in the policy debate and that promotes science and research, often with a focus on children and young adults.

The mission of the Young Academy of Scotland is to help Scotland’s people and policy-makers build a future that is equal, enterprising, sustainable, healthier, smarter and international. Also established in 2011 by its Senior Academy, The Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Young Academy brings together entrepreneurs, academics, business leaders, teachers and other professionals to work collaboratively for the benefit of society.

ALLEA President Antonio Loprieno extends a warm welcome to the two Young Academies:

“With the admission of additional and diverse Young Academies to our network, ALLEA has continued the important step in bringing young researchers into interchange with established academics, including and beyond Senior Academies. This enriches discussions across disciplines, borders and, crucially, generations.”

Call for Contributions: Open Consultation on Innovative Outputs in the Humanities

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Working with digital outputs in the humanities? Consider contributing to the ALLEA Working Group E-Humanities draft recommendations by 26 July 2023.

The ALLEA Working Group E-Humanities has launched an open consultation concerning draft recommendations on recognising digital scholarly outputs in the humanities. The goal is to gather broad feedback from active humanities researchers and institutions in order to tailor the recommendations to the community’s needs.

A link to the draft recommendations and instructions for contributing is available here: https://bit.ly/ALLEAehumanities

 

Open Consultation

The consultation is open to all researchers and practitioners working in disciplines within the humanities, policymakers, and representatives of all public and private organisations active in the field. We are particularly keen to hear from humanities researchers in ALLEA member academies. The consultation is open until 26 July 2023.

 

Practicalities

1. Suggest changes or leave comments in the document.

2. Types of feedback

  • clarification – let us know whether any parts of the text are unclear and need clarification or elaboration.
  • omissions – highlight issues we might have overlooked.
  • further reading – suggest resources worth recommending to readers.

3. Recognition. All contributors will be listed in the final report. Please ensure that your comments are properly signed with your name. If you wish to remain anonymous, use private browsing.

4. Contact. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact the WG Chair, Dr Maciej Maryl, directly (maciej.maryl@ibl.waw.pl).

Please note that the final draft will be additionally proofread for language.

 

On the report

This report proposes recommendations regarding recognition, evaluation, and assessment of innovative scholarly outputs in the humanities.

First, the report focuses on the cross-cutting issues pertinent to digital practices in the humanities, such as (1) linking studies with underlying data, (2) open-ended outputs, (3) collaboration and authorship, (4) training and competence building, and (5) reviewing and evaluating. Next, it discusses particular case studies of innovative outputs where these cross-cutting issues manifest themselves, i.e. (a) digital scholarly editions, (b) extended publications, (c) databases and datasets, infographics, (d) code, (e) blogs, and (f) podcasts.  Finally, the conclusion provides some general remarks on recognising and evaluating digital practices in the humanities.

 

About the ALLEA Working Group E-Humanities

The ALLEA Working Group E-Humanities, composed of experts from across European academies, is committed to identifying and raising awareness for priorities and concerns of the humanities, paying particular attention to current and emerging developments in digital practices. Currently, the Open Science agenda figures highly in research policy and research funder requirements, and is driving changes in research practice. To address this agenda, and facilitate the adoption of Open Science across the humanities, the working group has turned its attention to supporting humanities researchers in their research data management practices.

More information on the ALLEA Working Group E-Humanities and its members can be found here: https://allea.org/e-humanities/