ALLEA Welcomes Two Young Academies as New Members

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

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/

Stakeholders Welcome European Efforts Towards Publicly Owned and Not-For-Profit Scholarly Communication

Publicly funded research and its results should be immediately and openly available to all without barriers such as subscription fees or paywalls.

For European public research and innovation actors, scholarly knowledge is a public good. Publicly funded research and its results should be immediately and openly available to all without barriers such as subscription fees or paywalls. This is essential for driving knowledge forward, promoting innovation, and tackling social issues.

Key representative organisations of the public research and innovation sector have welcomed today’s adoption of the ‘Council conclusions on high-quality, transparent, open, trustworthy, and equitable scholarly publishing’.

In a joint response, the signatories urge EU member states and institutions to continue their efforts towards a high-quality, transparent, open, trustworthy, and equitable scholarly communication ecosystem, through stakeholder engagement, constructive dialogue with the public research and innovation sector, and with evidence-based reforms underpinned by the principles of open science.

Joint Response to Council of Europe’s conclusions on high-quality, transparent, open, trustworthy, and equitable scholarly publishing

Signatories include the European University Association (EUA), Science Europe, the Association of European Research Libraries (LIBER), the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA), the Association of ERC Grantees (AERG), the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers (Eurodoc), cOAlition S, OPERAS, and the French National Research Agency (ANR).

The public research and innovation sector is actively pursuing a not-for-profit scholarly communication ecosystem. Notable examples, among other initiatives, include: backing for not-for-profit open access publishing models (e.g. the Action Plan for Diamond Open Access); demand for more dependable and comparable data on the state of scholarly communication (e.g. the Journal Comparison Service); and emphasis on infrastructure development (e.g. OPERAS).

As such, the statement welcomes the Council of the EU’s encouragement of initiatives that align with the objective of developing a not-for-profit scholarly communication ecosystem and reiterates the signatories’ commitment to launch activities that will further engage their members in shaping the future of scholarly communication.

The Ukraine-Australian Research Fund Call for Applications is Now Open

 

Call for Applications open until 31st May 2023.

The Australian Academy of Science has partnered with the Breakthrough Prize Foundation to deliver a program to support Ukrainian researchers in eligible fields of science who have been impacted by the war with Russia. The donation is being used to establish two different activities, each designed to offer practical support to enable the continuation of research and technology activities by Ukrainian scientists.

Activity 1 – Short-term visits

The first activity (Activity 1) will support Ukrainian researchers to participate in short-term visits to Australia to engage in project research at a host institution, or to participate in a conference and site visit program. The Australian host organisation is responsible for applying for the funding and administering the grant to cover the direct costs to support the visit. More details on eligibility criteria, application, assessment, and terms of the award can be found here.

Activity 2 – Facility access

The second activity (Activity 2) provides practical support to research being undertaken in Ukraine that has been impacted by the current war. Under this activity, Ukrainian researchers can access leading infrastructure capabilities in Australia, such as supercomputing facilities, microscopy and microanalysis, and telescopes. Ukrainian researchers will be able to send their samples to National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) facilities for analysis, with the results returned to the Ukrainian research institute. Funding will cover the cost of sending samples between Ukraine and the Australian testing facility, and the cost of testing and analysing the samples. This activity will keep Ukrainian researchers productive and publishing at their own institutes in Ukraine while also engaging in international collaborations. More details can be found here.

For more details on the application process for both activities, visit the Australian Academy of Science’s page here. You can also read the FAQs for more information.

TechEthos Publishes Policy Briefs on Enhancing EU Law on Emerging Technologies

TechEthos publishes recommendations on enhancing EU legal frameworks for new technologies that could impact the planet, the digital world, and bodily integrity.

In February 2023, TechEthos released four policy briefs targeted at enhancing EU legal frameworks for emerging technologies in the three families of Climate Engineering (Carbon Dioxide Removal and Solar Radiation Modification), Extended Digital Reality, and Neurotechnologies. These policy briefs, co-authored by Julie Vinders and Ben Howkins from Trilateral Research, were developed based on the analysis of International and EU laws and policies governing these three technology families, published as a report in July 2022.

TechEthos Report on the Four Policy Briefs Published in Feb 2023

The findings of this report were debated in a series of policy consultations with relevant EU officials, particularly those working at relevant Directorate General (DG) units and cabinets of the European Commission and involved in relevant legislative and policy development processes, held from December 2022 to February 2023, which then led to the identification of the regulatory priorities for the EU set forth as recommendations in the policy briefs.

Some key highlights from the four policy briefs are shown below.

Enhancing EU legal frameworks for Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR):

  • Clarify the role of CDR, a type of climate engineering technique that removes atmospheric carbon dioxide and stores it in geological, terrestrial and oceanic reservoirs, in meeting the EU’s legally binding target of net-zero by 2050
  • Carefully evaluate wider socio-economic implications of CDR, including but not limited to fundamental rights, biodiversity, international development, international trade, food production and food security, short- and long-term cost implications, and energy security
  • Devise robust sustainability requirements for CDR, particularly those in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Enhancing EU legal frameworks for Solar Radiation Modification (SRM):

  • Investigate whether further research into various types of SRM, a type of climate engineering technique that aims to reflect sunlight and heat back into space, should be conducted, and determine the conditions, if any, under which SRM research in general, and especially any open-air testing, could be conducted
  • Focus on both the large-scale SRM activities with the purpose of moderating the global climate system as well as the cumulative effect of small-scale SRM activities conducted for purposes other than the moderation of the global climate system
  • Collaborate internationally and evaluate existing international governance regimes

Enhancing EU legal frameworks for Digital Extended Reality (XR):

  • Include the protection of fundamental rights, such as the right to dignity, the right to autonomy, the right to non-discrimination, the right to privacy, and the right to freedom of expression, as a central consideration in assessing the risk factor of AI-enabled XR technologies
  • Recognise that the immersive and increasingly realistic nature of XR technologies, which include advanced computing systems that can change how people connect with each other and their surroundings through interactions with virtual environments, may exacerbate the risks and impacts of harmful online content consumed through XR, particularly by special category groups such as children
  • In addition to the Code of Practice on Disinformation, the EU should encourage the adoption of similar industry-led self-regulatory codes addressing issues associated with harm to XR users, including hate speech, online violence, (sexual) harassment, and mis- and disinformation

Enhancing EU legal frameworks for Neurotechnologies:

  • Monitor and assess the possible under-regulation of consumer and dual use neurotechnologies (devices and procedures used to access, monitor, investigate, assess, manipulate, and/or emulate the structure and function of the neural systems of natural persons)
  • Recognise and define putative neurorights, such as the “right to cognitive liberty”, prospectively, through the adoption of a Declaration on Neurorights and Principles, similar to the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles, and include them in the human rights frameworks
  • Adjust and promote the more effective enforcement of existing legal frameworks

You can also find a report consolidating the recommendations in the four briefs here.

——

TechEthos is led by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and will be carried out by a team of ten scientific institutions and six science engagement organisations from 13 European countries over a three-year period. ALLEA is a partner in the consortium of this project and will contribute to enhancing existing legal and ethical frameworks, ensuring that TechEthos outputs are in line with and may complement future updates to The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity.

Citizens and Experts Join Forces to Tackle Climate Change

Inside PERITIA’s Citizen Fora Series

This past winter, PERITIA offered a space for individuals from different backgrounds to exchange ideas and deliberate on policy issues related to climate change. Organised by Sense About Science and the Policy Institute, the series provided unique opportunities for citizen and experts to meet, deliberate and exchange on some of the most pressing and controversial topics confronting society today.

These workshops are designed to be “deliberative mini publics” that give participants with the opportunity to learn, discuss and make policy recommendations. These citizen fora help to ensure that public opinions are heard and taken into consideration when making policy decisions. The workshops focussed on the mitigation of the climate crisis through policies linked to local urban transport. The sessions were held in five capital cities: London, Berlin, Dublin, Warsaw, and Yerevan.

Participants from all walks of life attended the day-long workshops, where they listened to experts and discussed their own ideas before making policy recommendations. The workshops concluded with a policy vote, through which participants could collectively express their views on the policy issues discussed. Further, the impact of these encounters between laypeople and experts are now being analysed by researchers, with the hope of gaining insight into how to improve the conditions of trust in the policy-making process.

“We start with where the public is at in a discussion, and figure out how expertise can contribute to their thinking and deliberations.”

– Tracey Brown OBE, director of Sense About Science, one of the partners who designed and led on the series.

Overall, PERITIA’s citizen fora are a promising approach to the promotion of public participation in policy-making, providing a platform for citizens to engage in public reflection and deliberation on some of the most pressing issues confronting society today. Through these workshops, researchers expect to learn how to cultivate trust in experts and policymakers, ultimately leading to better policy decisions in the future.

Read more about the workshop series here

How Do We Decide Which Experts to Trust?

 

 

Prof T.Y. Branch, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Cologne

In this ALLEA Digital Salon exclusive, Prof T.Y. Branch, Postdoctoral Fellow at the the Cologne Center for Contemporary Epistemology and the Kantian Tradition (CONCEPT) and member of PERITIA’s research team on the “Social Indicators of Trust”, discusses how publics use both epistemic and non-epistemic values in their decisions to trust or distrust experts and expertise.

Prof Branch shared her insights into this complex and integrated decision-making process, which often involves reading social and cultural cues, described why scientists and science communicators should pay close attention to these social indicators of trust to be more effective, and the utility of acknowledging and being transparent about the role of non-epistemic values in science.

“We know it is no longer enough to just convey the facts of science or the empirical data. You can throw as much empirical data at people as you want, but it is not going to provoke a change in them.”

We invite you to watch the interview, which is part of the ALLEA Digital Salon Women in Science Series. You can also read more about Prof Branch’s work here.

If you are interested in learning more about  this important relationship between public trust and experts/expertise, you could check out PERITIA’s final conference on 4-5 May 2023.

 

Registration for the Symposium ‘Crises and the Importance of Research’ Is Now Open

ALLEA is pleased to announce that the registration for the scientific symposium ‘Crises and the Importance of Research: How Prepared Can We Be?’ is now open. The event will take place in London from 22–23 June 2023 and will bring together international experts to explore the contribution of research to various aspects of crises. The symposium is part of the ALLEA General Assembly and hosted by ALLEA’s Member Academies, the British Academy, the Learned Society of Wales, the Royal Society, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Scientists, policymakers, and professionals from across Europe will discuss how public services aid in disaster response; the role of actors across different levels of governance, geographical areas, and economic sectors in preparing for future pandemics; the crucial importance of data in emergencies answers; and, lastly, the role of the European research community in supporting researchers at risk. This symposium delves into critical issues from the spheres of science, society, and policy, and serves as a platform for international, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral exchange. Participation is open to all and is free of charge.

Read more about the General Assembly 2023

 

About the ALLEA General Assembly

The General Assembly annually convenes academies of sciences and humanities from 40 countries across the Council of Europe region. General Assemblies are hosted by ALLEA Member Academies and the programme typically consists of the internal business meeting of academy delegates, and a scientific symposium open to the public.

The symposium (22 June 2023) explores pressing topics from the fields of science, society, and policy, and provides a platform for international, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral debate.

The business meeting (23 June 2023) addresses governance, strategy, and policy matters and is restricted to Member Academies’ delegates.

Task Group on IP System for New Genomic Techniques Meeting

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