Science Europe

Science Europe

Formation	October 2011 (2011-10)
Type	NGO
Purpose	Research
Website	www.scienceeurope.org

Science Europe is an association of major European research and research funding organizations. It was established in October 2011 and is based in Brussels. Science Europe currently represents 51 European funding organizations.

The association facilitates co-operation amongst its members and supports excellence in science and research in all disciplines, acting as a platform to develop positions on research policy issues and to address policy messages to European institutions, researchers, national governments, and the public.

Science Europe is actively involved in the development of the European Research Area. With the ongoing development of the ERA, and increased collaboration between research organisations in undertaking and planning research, co-ordination at the policy level is essential. Prior to the establishment of Science Europe, many of its members were collaborating through the European Heads of Research Councils (EUROHORCs) and the European Science Foundation (ESF). EUROHORCs officially dissolved immediately before the Science Europe Founding Assembly, and some of the policy-related functions previously carried out by ESF were taken up by Science Europe.

Much of Science Europe’s ERA-related work is based on a roadmap adopted in 2009 by EUROHORCS and ESF, the Vision on a Globally Competitive ERA and Road Map for Actions. The document has been adapted into a roadmap for Science Europe.

Areas of activity

Science Europe carries out advocacy and policy activities in a variety of research policy areas, including:

• Cross-border Collaboration
• Ex-post Evaluation and Impact of Research
• Gender and Diversity
• Open Access to Scientific Publications
• Open Access to Research Data
• Research Infrastructures
• Research Careers
• Research Integrity

Dedicated working groups are set up around these policy areas to make concrete progress on finding common approaches; these working groups draw on the extensive experience of the member organisations.

Science Europe works to promote open access to research data, and published Principles on the Transition to Open Access to Research Publications in 2012.

The Scientific Committees

Science Europe is informed and supported in its activities by six Scientific Committees, composed of highly-authoritative academics from throughout Europe, representing the broadest range of scientific communities and disciplines.

These Committees, each composed of 15 members including the Chair, act as the voice of researchers to Science Europe and are essential for the provision of scientific evidence to support science policy and strategy developments at pan-European and global level.

The Scientific Committees cover the following domains:
• Humanities;
• Social Sciences;
• Life, Environmental and Geo Sciences;
• Medical Sciences;
• Physical, Chemical and Mathematical Sciences (including Materials Sciences);
• Engineering (including Geo- and Bio-Engineering and Technological Sciences);

The six Scientific Committees play a dual role:

1. They provide input into the work that Science Europe and its Member Organizations carry out to develop the European Research Area (ERA);
2. They provide independent scientific advice and input to science policy and research developments, by offering strategic vision and guidance and by horizon scanning, within and across disciplines.

Science Europe in the Press

• The European Voice - Academics fight for data-privacy exception
• Pan European Networks - Science Europe adopts open access principles
• Calls for EU states to cough up science funding
• HORIZON 2020 – Supporting science
• European Researchers Strive for a New ERA

Science Europe Member Organisations

Austria

• FWF - Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung in Österreich / Austrian Science Fund

Belgium

• F.R.S. - FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique / Fund for Scientific Research
• FWO - Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen / Research Foundation Flanders

Bulgaria

• BAS - Българска академия на науките / Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Czech Republic

• GACR - Grantová agentura Ceské republiky / Czech Science Foundation

Denmark

• DSF - Det Strategiske Forskningsråd / The Danish Council for Strategic Research
• DFF - Det Frie Forskningsråd / Danish Council for Independent Research
• DG - Danmarks Grundforskningsfonden / Danish National Research Foundation

Estonia

• ETAG - Eesti Teadusagentuur / Estonian Research Council

Finland

• AKA - Suomen Akatemia / Finlands Akademie/Academy of Finland

France

• ANR - Agence Nationale de la Recherche / French National Research Agency
• CNRS - Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique / National Centre for Scientific Research
• CEA - Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives / French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission
• IFREMER - Institut Français pour l'Exploitation de la Mer / French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea
• INRA - Institut National de la Recherche agronomique / National Institute for Agricultural Research
• INRIA - Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique / French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control
• INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale / French National Institute of Health and Medical Research
• IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement / National Institute for Development

Germany

• DFG - Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft / German Research Foundation
• HGF - Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren / Helmholtz Association
• MPG - Max-Planck-Gesellschaft / Max Planck Society
• WGL - Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz / Leibniz Association

Hungary

• MTA - Magyar Tudományos Akadémia / Hungarian Academy of Sciences
• OTKA - Országos Tudományos Kutatási Alapprogramok / Hungarian Scientific Research Fund

Iceland

• Rannís -Rannsóknamiðstöð Íslands/Iceland Centre for Research

Ireland

• HRB - Health Research Board
• Irish Research Council
• SFI - Science Foundation Ireland

Italy

• CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche / National Research Council
• INFN - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare / National Institute for Nuclear Physics

Latvia

• LZP - Latvijas Zinatnes Padome / Latvian Science Council

Lithuania

• LMT - Lietuvos Mokslo Taryba / Research Council of Lithuania

Luxembourg

• FNR - Fonds National de la Recherche / National Research Fund

Netherlands

• NWO - Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek / Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research

Norway

• RCN - Norges Forskningsråd / Research Council of Norway

Poland

• NCN - Narodowe Centrum Nauki / National Science Centre

Portugal

• FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia / Foundation for Science and Technology

Slovakia

• APVV - Agentúra na podporu výskumu a vývoja / Slovak Research and Development Agency

Slovenia

• ARRS - Javna agencija za raziskovalno dejavnost Republike Slovenije / Slovenian Research Agency

Spain

• CSIC - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas / Spanish National Research Council

Sweden

• FAS - Forskningsrådet för Arbetsliv och Socialvetenskap / Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research
• FORMAS - Forskningsrådet för miljö, areella näringar och samhällsbyggande / Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Science and Spatial Planning
• VR - Vetenskapsrådet / Swedish Research Council

Switzerland

• SNSF -Schweizerischer Nationalfonds/Fonds National Suisse/Swiss National Science Foundation

United Kingdom

• AHRC - Arts and Humanities Research Council
• BBSRC - Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Council
• EPSRC - Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
• ESRC - Economic and Social Research Council
• MRC - Medical Research Council
• NERC - Natural Environment Research Council
• STFC - Science and Technology Facilities Council

For more information please refer to the Science Europe website.

External links

• Official website