Policy at Science Europe
The Research Funding and Research Performing Organisations that make up Science Europe share a common mission: to fund and perform excellence in research. Science Europe is aimed at achieving this objective through cross-border collaboration. It provides its members with a platform to speak with a common voice to the European institutions, national governments and other stakeholders, and seeks to develop common positions on a wide-range of science policy issues.
Since the European Union proposed the creation of the European Research Area (ERA) in 2000, the European research landscape has been developing and stronger co-ordination across Europe has become vital for European research agencies in order for them to be influential and have coherent positions within this landscape.
The policy-related work of Science Europe is guided by the 'Vision on a Globally Competitive ERA and their Road Map for Actions', jointly developed in 2009 by the members of the European Heads of Research Councils (EUROHORCs) and the European Science Foundation (ESF). The roadmap currently lists ten areas of action, which constitute the principal focus of Science Europe policy work:
• Strengthening the dialogue between science and society;
• Promoting European research careers;
• Developing joint strategies based on scientific foresight;
• Developing cross-border co-operation in research funding (‘European Grant Union’);
• Sharing standards on 'Peer Review' of proposals at the European level;
• Sharing expertise in ex-post evaluation of publicly funded research projects and programmes;
• Facilitating cross border co-operation of Research Performing Organisations (RPO);
• Ensuring shared funding and efficient exploitation of medium-sized research infrastructure;
• Developing a common policy on 'Open Access' to scientific publications and 'Permanent Access' to research data; and
• Connecting European research to the world.
Science Europe is putting in place dedicated expert Working Groups to make concrete progress on issues related to these policy areas, drawing on the extensive experience of the Member Organisations. A full revision of the Road Map is currently under way, to be completed by mid-2013.
Science Europe policies will be directly and continually informed by the scientific community through input from its six Scientific Committees.
Science Europe strongly supports the European Research Area (ERA). Its vision for ERA is that it is a dynamic, creative, flexible and evolving space within which researchers, ideas and knowledge circulate freely and respond to society’s challenges. This vision guides Science Europe policy work, as confirmed in July 2012 when Science Europe signed a Joint Statement with the European Commission and other stakeholder organisations on 'Working in Partnership in Achieving the European Research Area‘. See also Science Europe Statement on the ERA and the Press Release on the occasion of the signing ceremony on 17 July 2012.
