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23.09.2020

Horizon Europe to trial blind evaluation and right of reply

Mathilde Reumaux, Senior Policy Officer at Science Europe, responds to the European Commission’s plans to update its proposal evaluation processes for Horizon Europe. It is good that initiatives are being trialed ahead of their potential broader rollout, but transparency for applicants is key.

14.09.2020

Funders call for research to be excluded from EU platform rules

Updating EU legislation on digital services and platforms is essential given the rapid development of online platforms and services. Science Europe explains to Research Professional that greater clarification on the Digital Services Act is needed to ensure it does not have unintended effects on research

05.08.2020

European universities hope for share of €700 billion rescue pot

Science Europe is quoted in THE saying that research and innovation must play an important role in these national recovery and resilience plans. It also stresses that the criteria on which national plans are judged should also go beyond a strict definition of immediate growth and return on investment.

03.08.2020

Look beyond publication records, urges report

A shift is under way to improve the effectiveness & efficiency of Research Assessment processes. 

Nature Careers looks into Science Europe's most recent report on looking beyond publication records and instead asses the societal impact and contributions to knowledge and policy when awarding grants and promotions.

21.07.2020

MEPs must now defend EU's research budget

Marc Schiltz, the President of Science Europe, is quoted in Science Business saying that the new Horizon budget is lower than anyone had expected it to be: “We are hugely disappointed that the budget is not in any way commensurate to the challenges ahead,” said Schiltz.

02.07.2020

Draft plans hint at green decade for R&D

Lidia Borrell-Damián, Science Europe Secretary General, quoted in Research Europe saying that a 20 per cent target would be “a good starting point”. 

She was commenting, as part of an article on proposals for the European Research Area to include spending targets and a ‘Cern for climate change’

19.06.2020

Broad support for R&D boost as Council restarts budget battle

Science Europe quoted in RP saying that the €94.4bn proposal “fails to allow for scientific knowledge to contribute” to achieving the Commission’s ambitious agenda for digitisation and environmental sustainability.
The Commission’s proposal should also be tweaked to ensure the €13.9bn that will go to Horizon Europe from the recovery fund is shared more equally between the parts of the programme dedicated to applied or basic research, Science Europe said.
It is “essential that substantial funding for all research programmes, and especially the excellent science pillar, is provided for the entire duration” of the 2021-27 budgetary period, Science Europe added.

19.06.2020

Gabriel joins MEPs in last-minute bid for strong Horizon Europe budget

Science Europe, quote in Science Business, saying that EU leaders should reconsider the European Commission’s budget proposal for Horizon Europe, as it could be “seriously damaging” for parts of the programme focused on basic research and research mobility.
According to the commission’s budget proposal released in May, most Horizon Europe programmes would lose 3.2 per cent of their budget. 
Science Europe says the plan should be reconsidered, so that the recovery money also reaches the coffers of the European Research Council, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and research infrastructures.

28.05.2020

Horizon Europe budget proposal provokes pleasure as well as pain

Extra €10.9bn proposed for R&D programme is welcomed, but falls short of expectations.

Science Europe Secretary General quoted in Research Professional saying that she welcomed what she called a “sensible proposal”. “The Commission has done a really good compromise job, so I only hope the member states will be able to approve it,” she said, referring to the short time left before the programmes are due to begin next year.

27.05.2020

Lukewarm welcome for plan to prop up Horizon budget with €13.5B pandemic recovery money

There’s more in the pot, but MEPs and research lobbies decry ‘mismatch’ between European Commission’s revised research budget and the post-COVID-19 mountains to be scaled.

Science Europe Secretary General quoted in Science Business, saying that the €13.5 billion addition to the Horizon budget is a positive in a “world of compromises” however, “there is a disappointment that [the budget] isn’t at least €100 billion.” 

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