SAPEA report: Evidence on microplastics does not yet point to widespread risk

SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies) has published an Evidence Review Report today with the aim of informing the forthcoming Scientific Opinion from the European Commission’s Group of Chief Scientific Advisors on the issue of microplastics.

According to the report, the best available evidence suggests that microplastics and nanoplastics do not pose a widespread risk to humans or the environment, except in small pockets. But that evidence is limited, and the situation could change if pollution continues at the current rate.

The SAPEA report’s authors draw on a comprehensive examination of the best available evidence from the natural sciences and computer modelling, as well as social, political and behavioural sciences. They highlight that microplastics – tiny particles under 5mm in length – are already present across air, soil and sediment, freshwaters, seas and oceans, plants and animals, and in several components of the human diet. These particles come from a variety of sources, including plastic products, textiles, fisheries, agriculture, industry and general waste.

While high concentrations of these particles have been shown to cause physical harm to the environment and living creatures in controlled experiments, the authors point out that concentration levels measured in the real world are well below this threshold – though there are also limitations in the measurement methods currently available.

You can access the full SAPEA report here.

 

About SAPEA

SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies) is an integral part of the European Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM), which provides independent, interdisciplinary, and evidence-based scientific advice on policy issues to the European Commission. SAPEA brings together outstanding knowledge and expertise from over 100 academies, young academies, and learned societies in over 40 countries across Europe. Funded through the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, the SAPEA consortium comprises Academia Europaea (AE), All European Academies (ALLEA), the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC), the European Council of Academies of Applied Sciences, Technologies and Engineering (Euro-CASE), and the Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM).

For further information visit: www.sapea.info

100th anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

This past 27th of November marked the 100th Anniversary of the National Academy of Science (NAS) of Ukraine. A jubilee to celebrate the occasion was held on 6-7 December in Kiev. ALLEA was represented by its Vice President, Professor Graham Caie (Royal Society of Edinburgh).

The jubilee session for the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, which took place at the Taras Shevchenko National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Kiev, had the presence of renown scholars and academicians from Europe and beyond. ©NAS of UKraine

The celebratory activities included an exhibition of the scientific and technical achievements of the various institutions within the NAS of Ukraine, as well as visits to a few landmarks of Kiev, such as the National Conservation Area “Sophia of Kyiv” and the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical Cultural Preserve.

 

Professor Graham Caie delivers a speech in honour of the 100th Anniversary of the National Academy Sciences of Ukraine. ©NAS of Ukraine

A jubilee session and a festive concert at the Taras Shevchenko National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ukraine were held on 7 December, with the presence of Boris E. Paton, President of the NAS of Ukraine and Chairman of the National Committee for Systems Analysis, and Anatoly G Zagorodny, Vice President of the NAS of Ukraine. ALLEA was represented by its Vice President, Professor Graham Caie, who also delivered a congratulatory speech on this occasion.

 

 

About the NAS of Ukraine

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Ukraine was founded on 27 November 1918 in Kiev. It was the oldest republican academy in the former Soviet Union. It started with the three research departments: History and Philology, Physics and Mathematics, and Social Studies; at that time, the Academy incorporated 3 institutes, 15 commissions, and national library.

Today, the NAS of Ukraine is the highest scientific research oriented and self-governing organisation of Ukraine, being attributed over 90% of all discoveries made and registered in the country. The NAS of Ukraine is doing studies in all fields of scholarly research. It has 3 sections, 14 departments, nearly 170 institutes and research centres, and employing about 16,000 researchers.

The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has been a full ALLEA Member Academy since 1996.

Systemic reforms and further consultation needed to make Plan S a success

  • ALLEA welcomes the ambition of the coalition of European research funders to move the scientific publishing system towards open access; however, broader consultation with all parties is required during the implementation phase.
  • Concurrent reforms of the systems for research evaluation and career progression are needed to minimise unintended consequences of Plan S for early career researchers and specialised disciplines.

ALLEA published an initial response to Plan S, an initiative for open access publishing supported by a consortium of research funders*. The ALLEA statement welcomes the ambition of the proposal and identifies a number of challenges to be considered by funding agencies in order to prevent perverse incentives and unintended consequences in the scientific publishing sector and the research evaluation system when moving towards open access.

 “ALLEA supports open access as a major step towards realising the universality of science and welcomes the ambition of Plan S in this regard. Implementation will however require extensive consultation and dialogue with all parties, in particular the research performing communities represented through ALLEA and other scientific stakeholders”, the statement reads.

The response provides comments and recommendations regarding various implications of Plan S concerning ethics and trust in science, the research evaluation system, the protection of intellectual property rights as well as economic considerations.

“ALLEA supports open access as a major step towards realising the universality of science and welcomes the ambition of Plan S in this regard. Implementation will however require extensive consultation and dialogue with all parties, in particular the research performing communities represented through ALLEA and other scientific stakeholders”

It furthermore notes the legitimate concerns of some researchers, especially those at the early stage of their careers, that their ability to win research grants and promotions may be adversely affected if they do not have publications in what are perceived at the moment to be high status journals. Research assessment without consideration of journal reputation or impact factors, as advocated in Plan S, is thus crucial.

“It is essential that whatever model or models finally gain acceptance ensure the highest quality standards, incentivise and reward ethical behaviour, are economically viable, and support the integrity and trustworthiness of scholarly communication across the full range of academic disciplines”, the European federation of academies underlines.

The response highlights that further clarification is needed regarding the protection of intellectual property rights of authors and the type of open licence to be used. “Any prescription should ensure an appropriate degree of choice for researchers and allow for exceptional cases”, it states.

“It is essential that whatever model or models finally gain acceptance ensure the highest quality standards, incentivise and reward ethical behaviour, are economically viable, and support the integrity and trustworthiness of scholarly communication across the full range of academic disciplines”

ALLEA stresses the need for coordination within the global scientific system. “In the context of big science a further complication is that many consortia are global in scope with authors in multiple jurisdictions using different funding models, so some global coordination of the transition to full open access is needed”, the statement reads.

Download Statement

Download Press Release

*Plan S requires that from 2020, scientific publications resulting from research funded by public grants must be published in compliant open access journals or platforms. Learn more: https://www.coalition-s.org/

ALLEA paper on the impact of SSH presented at EU Council Presidency Conference

Seeking to shape the next EU science and innovation programme Horizon Europe, ALLEA presented a paper at last week’s Austrian EU Council Presidency conference in Vienna. The document underlines the need for understanding innovation as a factor to transform society, presents new approaches to integrate the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) and calls for a conceptualisation of impact that takes wider social, cultural and political developments into account.

On 29 November, Professor Kerstin Sahlin, member of the ALLEA Working Group Horizon Europe, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, presented an ALLEA paper at the “Austrian EU Council Presidency Conference on Impact of Social Sciences and Humanities for a European Research Agenda”.

Prof Kerstin Sahlin presents the ALLEA paper at the EU Council Presidency conference in Vienna on 29 November.

 

The paper, entitled “The Importance of SSH Research in Horizon Europe” and composed by Working Group Chair John Bell (British Academy), is based on the discussions that have been taking place over the past months within the Working Group.  The full paper will be published as part of the conference proceedings in the Journal for Research and Technology Policy Evaluation (Fteval).

The paper warns of the dangers of emphasising the economic impact of research alone.  According to the document, such an approach could foster “a technocratic paradigm in which the translation of fundamental research into innovative ‘products’ is seen as the benchmark of success”.

“In the past, the Commission has understood the relationship between research and innovation too much in terms of an overly simplistic, linear process in which research is expected to lead to ever higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). The dominance of this paradigm belittles the contribution of Humanities and the Social Sciences”, the paper reads.

Challenging norms and traditions to foster social innovation

Humanities and Social Sciences can offer new approaches towards social problems that follow non-experimental methods and use imagination and modelling to think through “what if?” scenarios, as well as challenge norms and traditions to foster social innovation. Social Sciences and Humanities also help to consider non-material features of the human existence.

“The quality of life depends not on having new gadgets or new products, but on being able to live a life which has value that may make use of what technology has to offer in a valuable way. Vision, beauty, style, and enjoyment are integral to a valuable human life”, the working group argues.

More inter- and transdisciplinarity

All this can only be achieved in a joint endeavour, especially by intensified inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation across Europe and beyond. The challenges ahead call for a profound and inclusive dialogue between all actors in society.

In this sense, the ALLEA Working Group Horizon Europe argues for more interdisciplinarity and a bigger and well-defined role of the SSH in design and evaluation of the research which is funded through Horizon Europe. “Otherwise the societal challenge to build inclusive, innovative and reflective societies runs the danger of being marginalised by other, more tangible material and technological challenges.”

Nominations for 2020 Breakthrough Prize are now open


The Breakthrough Prize, in partnership with ALLEA, the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities, announces the opening of public nominations for the 2020 Breakthrough Prizes in the fields of Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences and Mathematics. The partnership, now in its third year, encourages European nominations for world’s largest science prize.

For the third year, the Breakthrough Prize and the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA) announce the opening of the public nominations window for the 2020 Breakthrough Prize in in the areas of Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences and Mathematics. Each prize comes with a $3 million award. Prizes will be awarded in late 2019, during a live, globally televised gala award ceremony in Silicon Valley. 

Nominations can be submitted online starting today until 1 April 2019. While self-nominations are prohibited, anyone may make a nomination for another person. The nomination form and rules are available at www.breakthroughprize.org.

This is the eighth year of the Breakthrough Prize, known as ‘The Oscars of Science’ as it is regarded the world’s largest science prize, honouring top scientists from across the globe by awarding up to four prizes in the Life Sciences, one in Fundamental Physics and one in Mathematics. In addition, up to six New Horizons Prizes, each consisting of a prize of $100,000, will be handed to promising early-career researchers in the fields of Fundamental Physics and Mathematics.

The Breakthrough Prize welcomes nominations on behalf of outstanding scientists throughout the world. For the third year, ALLEA’s online platforms, as well as other communication channels, will increase awareness of the opportunity to nominate great scientists and mathematicians for this honour. ALLEA brings together 58 academies in more than 40 countries, with members leading scholarly enquiry across all fields of the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities.

All researchers in Europe are encouraged to visit the site and make a nomination on behalf of outstanding scientists and colleagues.

 

About the Breakthrough Prize

The Breakthrough Prize was founded by Sergey Brin, Pony Ma, Yuri and Julia Milner, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, and Anne Wojcicki to celebrate achievements in Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences and Mathematics. The awards are presented at an annual globally televised ceremony, followed by a day of lectures and discussions co-sponsored by Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley and University of California, San Francisco. In addition to the Breakthrough Prize, awards for junior researchers in mathematics and physics are also handed out yearly.

To learn more visit, https://allea.org/breakthrough-prize

 

Contact information

For The Breakthrough Prize
Janet Wootten
jwootten@rubenstein.com / +1 212-843-8024


For ALLEA
Susana Irles
irles@allea.org / +49 (0) 30 325 98 73 72

ALLEA publishes Italian, Portuguese, Slovak and Slovenian translations of the European Code of Conduct



A new set of translations of the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity has been published on November  2018 with the support of the European Commission’s Translation Services and ALLEA Member Academies.

ALLEA has just released four new translations of the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. The newly available translations are in Italian, Portuguese, Slovak and Slovenian. In the upcoming months, ALLEA will continue to publish translations of the European Code of Conduct in all official languages of the Council of Europe area, as well as selected languages from around the globe.

You can access all available translations of the Code of Conduct here.

Implementing the Code

The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity serves the European research community as a framework for self-regulation across all scientific and scholarly disciplines and for all research settings.

The 2017 revised edition of the Code addresses emerging challenges emanating from technological developments, open science, citizen science and social media, among other areas. The European Commission recognises the Code as the reference document for research integrity for all EU-funded research projects and as a model for organisations and researchers across Europe.

The revised Code was published originally in English on 24 March 2017. Since its publication in English, the Code has been used by multiple research institutions and universities across Europe, and presented in various conferences on research integrity and research ethics.

A Nordic perspective on Europe


How have Nordic values contributed to our idea of Europe? On 14 November 2018, the Council of Finnish Academies invited speakers from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Great Britain to take a Nordic perspective on questions of identity, nationalism, migration and populism in Europe. The symposium was held in Helsinki at the House of the Estates and forms part of the ALLEA series “Europeon Test – Narratives of Union and Disunion”, with conferences in various European countries.


ALLEA Vice President Krista Varantola welcomes the audience of the “Europe on Test” symposium at the House of the Estates in Helsinki.

 

In the opening addresses, Professor Jan Sundberg and Professor Krista Varantola, former chancellor of the Council of Finnish Academies and ALLEA Vice President, stressed the need for reflections on European identities in times of multiple crises and growing populist right wing movements in Europe and beyond.

Nordic exceptionalism

In the first session, historical trajectories of the Nordic countries in relation to Europe were examined by Juhana Aunesluoma, Bo Stråth and Mary Hilson. They pointed out that Nordic countries are quite diverse and each one has a distinct history of relations with Europe. Whereas only Finland is in the Eurozone, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have their own currency. In parallel, Finland, Denmark and Sweden are part of the European Union, while Norway and Iceland are not. Some are constitutional monarchies, others republics and three out of five are in the NATO. ALLEA Vice President Krista Varantola illustrated this diversity in Northern Europe by describing Nordic countries as “a typical family that disagrees in words but nevertheless sticks together when they feel their values or actions are questioned or threatened from the other side”.  


Nordic countries are “a typical family that disagrees in words but nevertheless sticks together when they feeltheir values or actions are questioned or threatened from the other side”. – ALLEA Vice President Krista Varantola

Professor Mary Hilson from Aarhus University in Denmark argued that the narrative of a Nordic exceptionalism had a bidirectional effect in all countries. Like in other processes of (European) identity formation, “Nordic Europe” was considered a first step towards an integrated Europe. This narrative at the same time created new boundaries between Nordics and the rest of Europe. Nordic peculiarities such as a high level of public trust and openness towards other cultures further contributed to their integration in Europe.

Populism and migration

The discourse behind European integration is however being challenged or reshaped by the recent global economic crisis, conflicts over migration and mobility, as well as by the spread of populist movements in Europe. In the second and third panel discussions, these changing narratives were analysed. One of the statements was that migration is being blamed for problems that have other roots in the economic and social systems our societies are depending on. Populism and new nationalisms are built on the premise that such systems could be managed by isolated countries themselves. Speakers warned about this increasingly powerful but naïve narrative and called for a deconstruction of such arguments.

Reinventing narratives of Europe

In the concluding reflections, speakers agreed that new narratives are necessary to reinvent the idea of Europe in order to counteract these growing nationalist tendencies. Such voices threaten the achievements of European integration and therefore peace and stability. Nordic European values such as openness and institutional trustworthiness should be emphasised in such narratives. The Nordic welfare state, consensual politics and industrial relations, and a security community in international affairs could help to shape future narratives.

Inspired by a British Academy conference on “European Union and Disunion” in late 2016, the ALLEA series “Europe on Test: Narratives of Union and Disunion” has recently taken up the debate at the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities with the conference “Germany and Europe – Views from within and without” on 20 October 2018.

The initiative seeks to address recent political developments and other aspects of relevance that may pose a challenge for the future of Europe as a community. The debate will continue at upcoming conferences in Torino at the Accademia delle Scienze di Torino on 11 and 12 April 2019, and in Warsaw at the Polish Academy of Sciences on 11 October 2019.

Watch the conference

https://youtu.be/piqZieXTNys

 

ALLEA, FEAM and KNAW publish symposium report on health inequalities

ALLEA, jointly with the Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM) and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), published the report “Health Inequalities: an interdisciplinary exploration of socioeconomic position, health and causality” today. The publication summarises the main findings of a recent symposium organised by the KNAW in Amsterdam.

The report is part of a project under the tripartite partnership of ALLEA, FEAM and KNAW, which strives to explore the topic of health inequalities using the evidence base and knowledge provided by a range of disciplines such as public health, genetics, economics, demographic studies and other social sciences.

The initiative seeks to identify and comprehend how different life factors can affect our health and wellbeing, and assess the impact they may have on our socioeconomic position (and vice versa). It pays special attention to investigating causal effects of socioeconomic position and health, since different disciplines often use different sets of methods and come to different conclusions.

To align the different approaches, an interdisciplinary symposium was organised in Amsterdam on 24 May 2018 to convene scholars, experts and interested stakeholders. Participants and speakers addressed the socioeconomic disparities and introduced the breadth of various takes on the topic followed by a vibrant panel discussion.  The discussants explored the evidence and perspectives on the issues raised in the project discussion paper.

This report summarises the discussions and scientific findings of the symposium and delivers a concise picture of the current situation. It also reviews the current state of the art in place within the relevant disciplines with multiple references to important studies and research papers that have shaped the discourse around health inequalities. 

ALLEA is delighted to contribute to this joint endeavour as a network with wide membership in the Council of Europe region. Our Member Academies are committed to research excellence and cross-border collaboration as is the case with KNAW that has successfully steered this project and the work of its Scientific Committee.

Download Symposium Report

Download KNAW Discussion Paper

Towards a data-enabled Europe

 

 

“My vision of a data-enabled Europe is that it improves the quality of life of its citizens”

Professor Richard Catlow, Royal Society Foreign Secretary and Vice-President, talked with ALLEA about the motivation behind the ALLEA-Royal Society conference “Flourishing in a data enabled Europe” held on 1-2 November 2018 at Chicheley Hall, United Kingdom. As Chair of the Organising Committee of this initiative, Prof Catlow shared with us his vision on what academies and scientists can do to  promote new uses of data for human benefit.

 

Tell us about the incentives of setting up this initiative.

In September 2017, I summarised the work of the Royal Society and British Academy on Data management use: Governance in the 21st Century at the General Assembly of ALLEA in Budapest. There was high interest in this topic, with many members from academies around Europe recognizing it was timely to consider the impact of data and digital technologies on society. So together with then ALLEA President Gunter Stock we decided to launch a joint Royal Society and ALLEA project to explore a vision for the use of data for human benefit in Europe. This is what led to the pan-European conference on Flourishing in a data-enabled society held on 1-2 November 2018 at Chicheley Hall, UK. The Royal Society is pleased to be hosting a conference that brings together leading thinkers on this topic from across Europe, which is one of our key roles in continuing to input into fora to shape the European scientific endeavour.

 

One of the main features of this conference is that it seeks to involve different sectors: from science to big tech all the way through to governments and public sector. What is expected from this cross-sectoral dialogue?

Currently, there are many debates on the use of data – but they are often unconnected, focusing on particular sectors or disciplines. Although governance solutions are often, and rightly, context specific, there is a need to connect debates across sectors to ensure that learning spreads across different sectors as quickly and effectively as possible. The conference also served to explore the diversity of approaches that can be found across Europe, and to draw where possible features that transcend borders which might inspire strategic decisions from various actors, from industry to governments.

 

How can academies best help shape the debate around the controversial topic of data use?

If we consider the memberships of ALLEA’s network of academies across Europe, there is a tremendous breadth of knowledge and expertise, across all sciences and humanities, that can help shed light on questions about the use of data and digital technologies. Academies can convene leading experts and have a critical role in gathering evidence and informing public debates. All stakeholders need to be engaged. For example, as part of the Royal Society’s work on machine learning, we commissioned a public dialogue which gave us a better understanding of what the UK public thinks about these technologies.

 

What is your vision of a data-enabled Europe?

Overall my vision of a data enabled Europe is that it improves the quality of life of its citizens, including a thriving research community across academia and industry. Technology should serve all of society and not just certain groups, and be trusted as it supports people and communities in their life, their work and their learning, while maintaining human autonomy. Ethical and responsible technology should meet as best as possible the needs of individuals and society. And we need governance and strategies that ensure a fair distribution of benefits and risks.

Learn more about the conference “Flourishing in a data-enabled society”.

ALLEA-Royal Society conference: Living a good digital life in a data-enabled Europe

In this fast-paced environment where technology is an irreplaceable attribute to our modern-day societies, questions about the flows of data we exchange via multiple devices that we own, the electronic residue we leave behind while browsing the internet and the final destination of this data often remain unanswered. At the same time, new applications of data can make a great contribution to human flourishing, but, to realise these benefits, societies must navigate significant choices and dilemmas.

The pan-European ALLEA-Royal Society conference “Flourishing in a data-enabled society” delved into these conundrums during a two-day event held in Buckinghamshire (UK) on 1-2 November 2018. Experts explored major opportunities and challenges that come with new uses of data, and discussed the potential trade-offs that stem from such use across various sectors: in society, from academics to governments, from civil society actors to tech industry.  In a set of keynotes, panel discussions and breakout sessions experts from ALLEA Member Academies representing a variety of academic backgrounds and stakeholders from a multitude of sectors convened for an interactive and multidisciplinary conference at Chicheley Hall, the Royal Society’s residential conference centre.

From fearing new uses of data to data-enabled human flourishing?

A close-up view revealed that not only has this topic gained in relevance over the past few years; it has transformed the ways users perceive technology as large parts of the society increasingly fear the human autonomy be put at risk. Flourishing as such was addressed during the conference from a number of angles while experts from the field of ethics, law and public policy argued that living a good digital life should be viewed at the centre of discussions around the topic of data use.

In his introductory speech, ALLEA President Antonio Loprieno underlined the omnipresence of data in the daily lives of citizens: “Data raises questions like privacy, accountability, legal and ethical aspects. But the core question is certainly how we, humans, can share and use data without the fear of facing a risk. How can data be collected, processed and managed for human good?”

 “Data raises questions like privacy, accountability, legal and ethical aspects. But the core question is certainly how we, humans, can share and use data without the fear of facing a risk. How can data be collected, processed and managed for human good?”  – Antonio Loprieno, ALLEA President

The conference marked the beginning of an interdisciplinary debate across Europe that is timely, relevant and applicable to the digital era. Outcomes of the conference will be released in a discussion paper that will seek to inspire and shape the discourse around a data-enabled Europe. This initiative is the result of a Royal Society-led proposal first presented in the context of ALLEA’s 2017 General Assembly in Budapest.

To learn more on the topic, read ALLEA’s interview with Prof Richard Catlow, Royal Society Foreign Secretary and Vice-President, and Chair of the Organising Scientific Committee of the “Flourishing in a data-enabled society” project.

 

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