On 9 November 2025, the Falling Walls Science House in Berlin hosted an Academy Executive Round Table co-organised by ALLEA, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (BBAW), and the German Union of Academies (Akademienunion). The meeting brought together leaders from European science and humanities academies to discuss funding mechanisms and strategies for cross-border scientific cooperation.
The discussion focused on how European and national funding instruments can best support collaboration between academies, and how Horizon Europe could extend its impact beyond traditional project-based funding. Participants highlighted the need for sustained investment, stronger coordination across the European Research Area, and enhanced support for early-career researchers, including mobility and networking opportunities.
Beyond funding, the round table emphasised the broader role of academies in safeguarding academic freedom, promoting research integrity, fostering interdisciplinarity, and strengthening dialogue between science, policy, and society. The importance of supporting the next generation of researchers and building international networks was also underscored, alongside the value of humanities and social sciences in contextualising research and communicating its societal impact.
The round table was moderated by Prof. Dr. Christoph Markschies, President of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, and attended by ALLEA Vice-President Annette Grüters-Kieslich; Godelieve Laureys, President of the KVAB – Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts; Mark Walport, Vice-President of The Royal Society; Beate Wagner, Managing Director of the Global Young Academy; Joachim von Braun, President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences; Mircea Dumitru, Vice-President of the Romanian Academy; Marileen Dogterom, President of the KNAW – Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen; and Yadin Dudai, Head of the Science Section at the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
The meeting concluded with agreement that strengthening collaboration, supporting researchers, and renewing the role of academies are essential for Europe’s ability to innovate and respond to global scientific and societal challenges.
From Metrics to Meaning: How Reforming Research Assessment Drives Innovation, Impact, and Trust in Science
ALLEA Welcomes Provisional EU Agreement on New Genomic Techniques
ALLEA welcomes the provisional agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the regulation of plants obtained through New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). The agreement provides a more up-to-date and differentiated framework that reflects scientific advancements in the field and offers clearer conditions for research and innovation in Europe.
This development closely reflects to ALLEA’s long-standing work and positions on sustainable agriculture and food systems, where we have emphasised the importance of evidence-based policymaking and the need to support more sustainable and resilient agricultural practices. New genomic techniques may contribute to these aims by enabling the development of plant characteristics that help reduce environmental pressures or support adaptation to changing climatic conditions.
In our publications on genome editing, ALLEA has highlighted both the scientific potential of these techniques and the need for clarity, proportionate regulation, and transparency, including in relation to intellectual-property aspects. The new framework’s distinction between different categories of NGT plants, as well as its provisions for greater clarity around IP issues, reflect several of these considerations.
As the agreement moves towards formal adoption, ALLEA will continue to follow the process and contribute scientific perspectives to ongoing discussions on how new genomic techniques may support the transition to more sustainable agriculture and food systems in Europe.
ALLEA Affirms Solidarity with the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts in Light of the Planned Discontinuation of Structural Funding
The Flemish government has announced its intention to discontinue the structural funding of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (KVAB) as of 2026. In response to this development, KVAB, a long-standing member academy of ALLEA, has released an open letter addressed to the Flemish government outlining the anticipated implications of this decision and requesting its reconsideration.
The open letter sets out the importance of sustained institutional support for independent academies in enabling them to carry out their public missions, including the advancement of scientific excellence, the facilitation of exchange between science and the arts, and the contribution to informed public discourse.
Given these considerations, ALLEA expresses its full solidarity with the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. ALLEA President Paweł Rowiński has signed the open letter, thereby joining the appeal urging the Flemish government to reconsider its funding decision and to preserve the conditions that allow KVAB to continue fulfilling its mission.
ALLEA encourages members of the academic, scientific, artistic and wider societal communities to consult the open letter and consider supporting this initiative.
Read and sign the open letter.
ALLEA Welcomes Joint Proposal by Universities and Research Institutes in Europe: Shared Vision, Unified Voice for FP10 Amendments
On December 1, 2025, leading organisations representing Europe’s research and innovation community presented a coordinated set of amendments to the European Commission’s proposals for the 10th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10). ALLEA welcomes and fully supports this joint initiative.
United by a simple and urgent call, the signatory organisations emphasise the need for Europe to act at the speed and scale the moment demands. The decisions taken in the coming period must demonstrate a clear and ambitious step change in Europe’s capacity to lead globally in cutting-edge research and innovation, accelerating both technological and societal progress underpinned by scientific excellence.
To this end, CESAER, the Coimbra Group, the European University Association (EUA), EU-LIFE, the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, the League of European Research Universities (LERU), and the Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN) have released:
● A cover note that provides a concise overview of our shared objectives and key proposals for the future of Horizon Europe (2028-2034).
● A full list of the jointly proposed amendments to the FP10 legal texts.
Together, these organisations represent more than 900 universities and research institutes across Europe. Their message is clear: FP10 must be equipped to strengthen Europe’s capacity to generate excellent research, attract world-leading talent, and translate knowledge into meaningful societal and economic impact. The proposed amendments aim to ensure that the final FP10 legal framework aligns with the needs of the research and innovation community and maximises the programme’s contribution to Europe’s resilience, competitiveness, and long-term prosperity.
ALLEA commends this collective effort and shares the commitment to a strong and ambitious FP10 that reinforces Europe’s scientific leadership.
The next chapter of Horizon Europe presents a unique opportunity to strengthen Europe’s research and innovation ecosystem. ALLEA will continue to advocate for a framework that empowers the scientific community and fully unlocks Europe’s talent and potential.
The ALLEA Science-Policy Standing Committee Holds Its Inaugural Meeting in Berlin
On 24 November 2025, the ALLEA Science-Policy Standing Committee (SC) held its inaugural meeting at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, marking an important step in strengthening ALLEA’s science-policy engagement and fostering collaboration among Europe’s leading academies.
The Committee is ALLEA’s central body guiding engagement in science-policy matters. Established to respond to the dynamically changing European research and innovation landscape, the Committee ensures that ALLEA’s activities remain timely, transparent, and strategically aligned with its mission to foster a scientific culture of inclusivity, responsibility, sustainability, and quality while delivering science-based solutions to the pressing challenges of our time for the benefit of society, therewith reinforcing Europe’s leadership in research and innovation.
The Committee brings together leading experts from across Europe to provide a platform for identifying and addressing key challenges at the interface of science, policy, and society. By coordinating ALLEA’s science-policy work and shaping the development of dedicated Task Forces, the SC strengthens the collective voice of the academies in European research policy debates.
Chaired by Prof. Godelieve Laureys (President of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts, KVAB), the inaugural meeting focused on defining the purpose and tasks of the Science-Policy Standing Committee. Participants engaged in breakout group discussions exploring questions such as how to coordinate and monitor Task Forces effectively and how to enhance multilateral cooperation among member academies in a functional and goal-oriented way. They also discussed current ALLEA activities and explored priority areas for European academies over the next three years.
For more information on the Committee and its composition, please click here.
ALLEA Co-Hosted An Academy Executive Round Table on Funding for Cross-Border Collaboration at Falling Walls 2025
On 9 November 2025, the Falling Walls Science House in Berlin hosted an Academy Executive Round Table co-organised by ALLEA, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (BBAW), and the German Union of Academies (Akademienunion). The meeting brought together leaders from European science and humanities academies to discuss funding mechanisms and strategies for cross-border scientific cooperation.
The discussion focused on how European and national funding instruments can best support collaboration between academies, and how Horizon Europe could extend its impact beyond traditional project-based funding. Participants highlighted the need for sustained investment, stronger coordination across the European Research Area, and enhanced support for early-career researchers, including mobility and networking opportunities.
Beyond funding, the round table emphasised the broader role of academies in safeguarding academic freedom, promoting research integrity, fostering interdisciplinarity, and strengthening dialogue between science, policy, and society. The importance of supporting the next generation of researchers and building international networks was also underscored, alongside the value of humanities and social sciences in contextualising research and communicating its societal impact.
The round table was moderated by Prof. Dr. Christoph Markschies, President of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, and attended by ALLEA Vice-President Annette Grüters-Kieslich; Godelieve Laureys, President of the KVAB – Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts; Mark Walport, Vice-President of The Royal Society; Beate Wagner, Managing Director of the Global Young Academy; Joachim von Braun, President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences; Mircea Dumitru, Vice-President of the Romanian Academy; Marileen Dogterom, President of the KNAW – Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen; and Yadin Dudai, Head of the Science Section at the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
The meeting concluded with agreement that strengthening collaboration, supporting researchers, and renewing the role of academies are essential for Europe’s ability to innovate and respond to global scientific and societal challenges.
FALLING WALLS SCIENCE SUMMIT | Which funding schemes can support European collaboration? | By Invitation Only
ALLEA Celebrates the 200th Anniversary of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
From 4-5 November, ALLEA participated in an International Conference celebrating the 200th anniversary of one of its most prolific members, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA).
ALLEA Co-Organises Flagship Conference on Research Security
From 28-30 October, ALLEA co-organised the European Flagship Conference on Research Security in Brussels, together with the European Commission and 11 other partners.
European Flagship Conference on Research Security