European research policy

Peer review panels will be overwhelmed unless longer restrictions on reapplying are introduced, according to Maria Leptin

Early career publishing success is a reliable guide to whether scientists will succeed long term, concludes international study

Professor who set up publisher four years ago to redirect revenue to those doing quality control says it has been an ‘uphill battle’

With polls predicting defeat for Viktor Orbán in Sunday’s elections there are hopes that controversial governance reforms – copied by Donald Trump and other populist politicians – will be abolished. Yet not all scholars are convinced that reversing a decade of contested legislation criticised for restricting academic freedom would be straightforward, says Seher Asaf

Countries representing a quarter of bloc’s population receive just one in 20 grants, finds new report

Early data from Germany, France and elsewhere show rising interest from international researchers but experts warn that a lack of career progression could hamper efforts

Associating before 2027 would put country in the ‘box seat’ to access and influence massive research scheme’s next iteration

The quality of Ehler and Repasi’s amendments will force the European Council and Commission to take them extremely seriously, says Jan Palmowski

Two draft parliamentary reports seek to protect independence of key bodies but universities say more clarity is needed on directionality and defence research

As proposals for the future Horizon Europe are scrutinised by the European Parliament, we discuss likely changes to the seven-year funding programme and whether it can support a coalition of like-minded powers amid the current geopolitical upheaval

Commission ambitions diverge from major issues universities face, leading sector figures tell parliament event

As the geopolitical order shifts, the case for greater collaboration among like-minded nations on research and innovation seems obvious. But will a greater European focus on its own industrial competitiveness dissuade the likes of Canada, Australia and Japan from signing up? Seher Asaf reports

Universities launch new programmes to train engineers after coming under pressure to better meet continent’s skills needs

Universities want ‘clear division’ between FP10 and competitiveness fund to protect frontier research

Authors must put aside personal pride and seek retractions when their literature proves unreliable, says sleuth

Only 9.6 per cent of applicants awarded coveted Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fellowships, with many postdoctoral researchers saying the programme has become too competitive

After years of turbulence in the higher education sector, Dutch universities say the incoming government marks ‘change of direction’

Borderless market for research across the EU seen as ‘major opportunity’ but key groups fear ‘overly restrictive measures’

Enrolments up as universities find ways to connect with country’s huge diaspora, but deputy minister fears many students and academics who have been out of the country for so long unlikely to ever return

Success in securing ‘consolidator’ awards continues Britain’s resurgence since rejoining Horizon research initiative

Lottery-first approach can increase applications and success rate of ‘structurally disadvantaged’ researchers, study finds

University groups unite to fight for amendments to EU’s proposals for Horizon Europe successor, warning that it must remain independent

‘Remains to be seen’ whether initial influx of interest in Europe will consolidate into a trend in years ahead, experts say

R&D funders urged to work together to boost global standing of both countries in wake of new treaty

Successful research projects in scheme designed to foster collaboration involve 21 US-based grantees, up from 12 in 2024

Leading European institutions warn of ‘risk of instrumentalisation’ and say they should be allowed to determine their own role in bloc’s agenda

As European nations thrash out ideas to ‘safeguard’ knowledge, Australian progress has stalled, expert warns

Low wages and system reforms blamed as gap opens up between number of older scientists and new entrants

The European Research Area was first proposed 25 years ago in the hope of levelling up Europe’s national research systems and challenging global rivals. Implementing that vision has been achingly slow, but with legislation pending, is serious progress now realistic? Emily Dixon reports

As the regulations governing FP10 are thrashed out, there is a risk that industrial policy will taint the programme’s USP, says Jan Palmowski

Commission confirmation that €400 billion competitiveness budget will not fund research and innovation sparks outcry

Successor to Horizon Europe still at risk of being overly influenced by political priorities including defence, say leading university groups

Hopes were high that the end of the far-right Law and Justice Party’s eight years in power would herald a new dawn, after needed reforms to research assessment were undermined by politicisation. But, two years in, scholars are getting restless. Emily Dixon reports

Researchers will be able to apply for starting grant directly after PhD, while eligibility windows for grants will overlap, European Research Council says

Portraying ChatGPT as a playground for plagiarists is a timid response to AI’s ability to enhance research in all subjects, argues Agnieszka Piotrowska

Long-awaited ‘single market’ for research won’t happen based on voluntary commitments alone, sector leaders say

Huge dividends from Denmark’s weight loss drug industry are result of high tax and high investment economy, says Nobel prizewinner Morten Meldal

A significant budget boost, including for the ERC, MSCA and EIC, must not be undermined by the next two years of wrangling, says Jan Palmowski

Research framework programme’s ties with proposed European Competitiveness Fund continues to cause concern

FP10 will be ‘tightly connected’ to proposed European Competitiveness Fund in next long-term EU budget, commission says