Many research organisations, including Science Europe's Member Organisations, have launched or are launching calls and initiatives to deal with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
This section provides an overview of the activities that in particular Science Europe Member Organisations are involved in. It will be regularly updated with new activities and resources.
In 2020, as the global pandemic was announced and the scale of its impact unfolded, all sectors, research and innovation (R&I) included, scrambled to adjust to travel and social restrictions. Those working in fields related to all aspects of pandemic mitigation and response diverted their attention to the crisis.
In 2021, we have made huge advances in our understanding of the pandemic and the ways in which societies can cope and recover. In parallel, the rapid development, release, and roll-out of effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 has reduced the impact of the virus. The role of R&I has been central to all parts of the global fight, and the work conducted over the last two years stands on the shoulders of wide-ranging research conducted prior, without which the rapid responses seen would not have been possible. This highlights the role of research in our preparedness of crises. However, we are not yet beyond the pandemic, and with the emergence of a new variant in November 2021 (the Omicron variant), the impacts of COVID-19 will likely continue well into 2022.
Science Europe has been monitoring the activities of its Member Organisations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the impacts that the crisis has had on organisational functioning. The information gathered paints a picture of how research organisations have adapted their processes to continue functioning effectively under COVID-19 whilst also contributing to the response and recovery through the programming, funding, managing, and performing of research.
Aside from launching research calls, Science Europe's Member Organisations are also involved in several other activities to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Examples of these include running research projects directly, openly sharing research data and facilities, and providing information to the public. An overview of such initiatives is also available.
Many organisations around the world have set up public sources of information on COVID-19, of relevant research results, or of ongoing activities to address the pandemic and its consequences. We have compiled an overview of resources to further information and initiatives that are currently ongoing in Europe and beyond.
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For Science Europe, 2021 was a very important year: the association celebrated its 10th year of existence. Founded in 2011, it has grown into a respected and influential voice in the European research policy debate. Moreover, we published a new Strategy Plan for 2021–2026, which maps our collective objectives and sets a specific yet flexible action framework over the next five years.
The outbreak of a new type of Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) delayed the organisation and hosting of all GRC meetings in 2020. On 14 January 2021, Science Europe and the German Research Foundation (DFG) co-hosted the 2020 regional meeting for the European region on COVID-19.
The year 2020 saw a global pandemic attest to the value of science. In the race for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines, Science Europe’s Member Organisations were at the forefront of the global response and our association became more relevant and important than ever.
In a side event of satellite ICRI 2021, Science Europe and the OECD's Global Science Forum host discussions on some of the critical questions that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic for different research infrastructure stakeholders.
Science Europe and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) are organising another workshop to connect European and Chinese researchers working on projects related to COVID-19.
On 14 January 2021, Science Europe and the German Research Foundation (DFG) co-hosted the Global Research Council seminar on COVID-19 for the European region.
The 2020 edition of the Science Europe High Level Workshop on ERA was co-hosted with the Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology, and Higher Education. It explored how research and innovation can contribute to crisis recovery and to societal resilience in the context of an evolving research culture.
Science Europe and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) are organising a workshop to connect European and Chinese researchers working on projects related to COVID-19.
The 2020 edition of the annual High Level Workshop on ERA explored how research and innovation can contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and to societal resilience, in the context of an evolving research culture.
Science Europe welcomes the European Commission’s ambitions for digital and green transformation as highlighted by President von der Leyen today.