Science Europe

Thanks to the Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF for inviting James Morris to participate in today's discussion during #RoR24, and to share the important connections between international reform efforts like the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment and research-on-research. Research assessment processes shape every aspect of our research systems. When policy and practice changes are thoughtfully designed and informed, they can: ✅ Enhance research quality ✅ Foster the right conditions for talented individuals to thrive ✅ Drive the evolution of positive research cultures. However, if changes are not carefully considered, they risk unintended consequences—affecting the quality of research and the attractiveness of research careers. Research-on-research plays a pivotal role here. It supports innovative pilots and experiments that generate valuable insights, inform policies, and create an evidence base to benefit all research stakeholders. Sharing these outputs as openly as possible is crucial, enabling evidence-informed conditions for reform initiatives like #CoARA, which itself provides a platform for sharing and mutual learning. At Science Europe, we emphasise the importance of transparency, open communication of pilot outcomes, and alignment with shared values. Together, we can create meaningful, evidence-based reforms that support a vibrant research ecosystem. 🔍Find out more about Science Europe’s values and commitment to improving research cultures here: bit.ly/48OEarh Photo: Courtesy Swiss National Science Foundation

New Publication: Science Europe Response to UNESCO’s Draft Principles on Open Science Monitoring 📜 Science Europe is pleased to share our response to the Global Consultation on UNESCO’s Draft Principles of Open Science Monitoring, emphasising the importance of open science as a cornerstone of a thriving research system and a positive research culture. As part of this consultation, we present insights from our ongoing study on how research funding and performing organisations can advance open science, including through monitoring mechanisms. Our findings highlight key areas for progress: 🔍 Promoting Comparability Across Levels We support UNESCO’s call for open, transparent, and reproducible methodologies for monitoring open science. Enhanced comparability —across organisational, national, and international levels — will strengthen global collaboration. 🌱 Incorporating Emerging Elements of Open Science Monitoring should expand beyond established practices like open access to encompass emerging areas such as open evaluation methods and innovative research practices. 📊 Openly Sharing Research Information Aligning with the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information, we stress the need for funding and performing organisations to make research information openly accessible, fostering greater transparency and reproducibility. We commend UNESCO for this initiative, with its strong alignment with the priorities and practices of our Member Organisations, as outlined in our October 2024 Survey Report on 'Strategic Approaches to, and Research Assessment of, Open Science'. Science Europe also offers to contribute further to the development of open science monitoring policies. 📖 Read our full response here: bit.ly/DraftPr

Science Europe is seeking a consultant to conduct a scoping review on open science and its implementation through research assessment and monitoring, grounded in a broader research culture perspective. 🔍 Key Objectives: Contextualise academic literature on open science with specific survey results. Analyse key levers for change and the contributions of open science. Engage in discussions with Science Europe Member Organisations in a series of workshops in 2025. 📝 Deliverables: A detailed report (October 2025), linking survey findings and literature analysis, with actionable insights for research culture transformation. A draft report (June 2025) and presentation at a public webinar (October 2025). 👩🔬 Who We’re Looking For: Advanced degree in a relevant field. Proven expertise in open science and/or research assessment. Strong project management, collaboration, and communication skills. Ability to produce concise, impactful reports and present findings to diverse audiences. 💼 Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be assessed on expertise, methodology, deliverable quality, and value for money. 📅 Deadline: Proposals must be submitted by 6 February 2025. Ready to make a difference in shaping the future of open science? Let’s collaborate! For more details, visit https://lnkd.in/ezxfVMAW or feel free to reach out. #OpenScience #ResearchAssessment

💎 Registration is now open for the public launch of the European Diamond Capacity Hub and the EU-funded ALMASI project on 14-15 January 2025, in Madrid, Spain. Science Europe is proud to take part in these important projects, together with the Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología, FECYT; OPERAS Research Infrastructure; CNRS; ANR, the French National Research Agency. which aim to strengthen the #DiamondOA community in Europe and develop a nonprofit, high-quality, and sustainable scholarly communication ecosystem spanning three regions: Africa, Europe, and Latin America - Join us in Madrid next year to find out more about both projects. Download the programme and register here: bit.ly/4iaHgdg

𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 - 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 During 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘚𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘝 – 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵: 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 at the Open Science Forum 2024, our Secretary General Lidia Borrell-Damian shared Science Europe’s vision for advancing research assessment practices that promote excellence, inclusivity, and alignment across global research ecosystems. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀: 🔹 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵: Embedding openness, fairness, and diversity at the core of assessment practices. 🔹 𝗖𝗼𝗔𝗥𝗔 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀: • Recognising the diversity of research contributions and careers. • Prioritising qualitative evaluation, with peer review as a cornerstone, supported by responsible use of metrics. • Moving away from inappropriate reliance on journal impact factors, h-indices, and rankings in research assessment. 🔹 𝗖𝗼𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Advancing policies on research culture, Open Science, and research assessment simultaneously and in alignment across national and institutional contexts. 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀: European research funding and performing organisations are shaping national and regional policies while engaging in international platforms like CoARA, the Global Research Council, the European Research Area Forum, and UNESCO. Their collective actions enable mutual learning, alignment, and practical advances in research assessment. By promoting inclusive and qualitative approaches to research assessment, Science Europe is driving a fairer and more effective research system that recognises the diverse contributions of researchers and achieves impactful outcomes globally.

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 At the Open Science Forum 2024 in Budapest, our Secretary General 𝗟𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗗𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗮𝗻 represented Science Europe during 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘝 – 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. She highlighted the importance of reciprocity as a cornerstone of successful research collaboration, sharing key insights and urgent actions needed to foster equitable and impactful partnerships. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀: 🔹 Reciprocity in Research Collaboration: Building partnerships based on humility, respect, and mutual benefit. 🔹 Role of Research Funding Organisations: Co-designing programmes with global partners from the outset to embed reciprocity. 🔹 Role of Research Performing Organisations: Raising awareness and co-developing codes of conduct for equitable partnerships. 🔹 Global Coordination: Engaging G7 and G20 research funding systems to address structural barriers. 🔹 Balancing Priorities: Open Science and research security need careful, inclusive debate. 🔹 Urgency of Action: Implementing reciprocal approaches in research programmes is critical to ensure impactful collaborations. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀: Through extensive collaboration with African and Latin American partners, Science Europe has gained valuable insights: • Decolonising partnerships by designing joint research agendas that address global challenges for mutual benefit. • Addressing logistical barriers, such as the need for simplified visa processes for scholars. • Embracing indigenous knowledge systems and inclusive collaboration methods to enrich scientific solutions. 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱: Science Europe remains committed to showcasing the tangible outcomes of reciprocal research collaborations to policymakers, advocating for structural reforms, and promoting inclusive scientific practices. Reciprocity isn’t just a principle—it’s the key to addressing global challenges together.

📰 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 As the EU prepares for the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10), Science Europe emphasizes the critical role of research and innovation (R&I) in shaping Europe's future. High-level reports by Enrico Letta, Mario Draghi, and the Horizon Europe expert group highlight the need for substantial investment and a stable, transparent framework to attract top researchers. Science Europe calls for a €200 billion investment in FP10, dedicated solely to R&I, ensuring continuity and sufficient funding for basic research, collaborative projects, and innovation. Key instruments like the European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions must be preserved, with a balanced focus on low and high technology readiness levels. To enhance EU competitiveness, FP10 should simplify processes, support researcher mobility, and promote international collaborations, fostering a resilient and innovative Europe. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ehPeMW9z #FP10 #HorizonEurope #EUResearch

The 16th High Level Workshop on the European Research Area co-organised with our members the HUN-REN Headquarters and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences opened yesterday in Budapest, bringing together the heads of research funding and performing organisations from 29 European countries with policy makers and academics to discuss the very timely topic of the role of research and innovation in driving European competitiveness  - now high on the EU policy agenda following the release of reports by former Italian Prime Ministers Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi and former Portuguese science minister Manuel Heitor and ahead of upcoming discussions on the EU's new framework programme for R&I. Key topics discussed included: 🔹 how to mobilise EU-wide excellence in science 🔹 best practices to promote the freedom and excellence of research in Europe to reduce R&I disparities 🔹 the potential of #AI to strengthen European R&I In the opening session, Mari Sundli Tveit, President of Science Europe stressed the need for targeted investments, enhanced researcher mobility and stronger collaborative frameworks while safeguarding academic freedom and autonomy, to close disparities in R&I across Europe. Keynote speaker Michal Pazour identified the need for a transformative research and innovation policy at European level, strengthening synergies between different EU instruments. National investment in R&I however is key, as is the need to build strategic partnerships across Europe which could also help tackle the issues related to brain circulation and researcher mobility. Other speakers discussed the multi-dimensional nature of excellence in science, highlighting the importance of academic freedom and focus on fundamental research to respond to the societal challenges we face. We need societies which nurture science, and the development of a science ecosystem which fosters STEM education, promotes diversity and provides adequate funding and support structures. On the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence, discussions ranged from how it can be used ethically and responsibly to fostering collaboration and access to state-of-the-art tools and infrastructure. Thanks to the excellent contributions from yesterday’s speakers: Mari Sundli Tveit; Balázs Gulyás; László Kollár; Signe Ratso; Balázs Hankó; Michal Pazour; Krisztina Szepesvari; Krzysztof Jóźwiak; Renno Veinthal; Anne Line Wold; Marjan van Meerloo; Lidia Borrell-Damian; Luisa Henriques; Špela Stres; Ruth Narmann; Katalin Solymosi; Matthias Koenig; Adrian Curaj; Roland Jakab; Luciana Balboa; Anu Noorma; Mairéad O'Driscoll; Milica Djuric-Jovicic and Katarina Bjelke. Today we look at European competitiveness from a global perspective, exploring how we can build collaborations based on reciprocity and transform research into concrete benefits for the economy and society. 

It was a pleasure today to participate in the conference #rethinkingresearchassessment organised by the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding - UEFISCDI; the Open and Universal Science (OPUS) Project; Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment and the UNESCOChairSTIP- TN and Science Europe. James Morris from Science Europe presented our recent survey report on the Strategic Approaches to and Research Assessment of Open Science, exploring how Science Europe members are actively shaping and contributing to the evolving landscape of open science and #researchassessment reform, central to enhancing research quality and impact. Science Europe members are aligning their assessment practices with their open science strategies, reflecting a strong coherence between policy and implementation and part of ongoing processes, influenced by international initiatives such as CoARA). A research culture perspective is vital when approaching the reform of research assessment and/or the promotion of open science, and provides a framework to analyse the effects and unintended consequences of policy and practice changes, as well as their impact upon the behaviours and attitudes of the research community – it is this interconnected viewpoint that Science Europe strives for in its current activities. Find out more about the report here: bit.ly/3NGn0Cg Lidia Borrell-Damian as a member of the COARA Steering Board provided an an update on the status of the coalition and its many activities, highlighting the importance of a true international perspective and bringing together different stakeholder groups to support research assessment reform to develop shared perspectives.