Supporting the European Research Area’s Policy Agenda

EU-LIFE’s policy work towards the advancement of the European Research Area (ERA) this year focuses on giving a voice to independent research institutions in several European Union led platforms as a stakeholder. We continue to convey our messages to inform ERA priorities in bilateral meetings and workshops held by the European Commission.

EU-LIFE sits in the ERA Forum for Research & Innovation, where we represent the alliance in the group of research performing organizations and contribute to the debate about the implementation of ERA priorities across Europe. EU-LIFE is also an active member of the core group to develop an agreement on the reform of research assessment, working closely with the lead drafting team facilitated by the European Commission.

We are also strengthening ties with stakeholders to stimulate the implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda. We direct special attention to the ERA priorities closer to our mission, such as science careers, research assessment and competitiveness in European research and innovation. Our latest joint actions with other stakeholders include:

• Co-organising with INESC Brussels Hub the workshop Research Careers and Research Assessment, which provided a space of dialogue for  over 40 participants, including early and later career stage researchers, research organisations and funding bodies, to debate the challenges of research careers in Europe and how to overcome them.
• Taking part in the Business at OECD roundtable on leveraging private investment in health and life sciences in Europe in a session with different stakeholder organisations including Ali Karami Ruiz, Senior Director, Strategic Engagement and Communications, Business at OECD; Stefan Gijssels from Seboio Health Policy Consulting; Wilfried Ellmeier, President Biomedical Alliance in Europe; Claire Skentelbery, Director General EuropaBio; and Olivier Grumel, Senior Director, Government Affairs & Policy, Johnson & Johnson.
• Inviting Lidia Borrell-Damian, Secretary-General of Science Europe, for a discussion exchange session with the aim to develop the EU-LIFE community’s expertise on the Diamond Open Access model (DOA).
• Participating in the Philea Research Forum Conference 2022, entitled ‘Foundations, science and equality – what are the key elements for success?’, where Marta Agostinho provided the perspective of research institutes together with Joanne Duberley (Work Inclusivity Research Centre at University of Birmingham, WIRC), Caren Norden (Gulbenkian Institute of Science, IGC) and Francine Ntoumi (Congolese Foundation for Medical Research, FCRM).
• Delivering a presentation in a session about responsible research funding in the Scientific Understanding & Provision of an Enhanced and Robust Monitoring system for RRI (SUPER MoRRI) 2022 Annual Event. The panel also included Stephen Curry (San Francisco Declaration of Research Assessment, DORA), Sean Sapcariu (Luxemburg National Research Fund, FNR) and James Wilsdon (Research on Research Institute, RoRI).