What's going on?

For Horizon Europe’s ‘Strategic Plan’ 2021-2024, Science Europe urges the European Commission to support cutting-edge research and innovation at all Technological and Societal Readiness Levels, and to adopt objectives that are not limited to short term impact. Europe should dare to explore unexplored paths and support riskier experimentation. Moreover, Science Europe recommends to reinforce a series of cross-cutting factors to increase the scientific, economic, and societal impacts of Horizon Europe.

Interdisciplinarity is increasingly used to tackle complex scientific questions and address large societal challenges. At the same time, the evaluation of interdisciplinary research proposals poses a set of problems, ranging from missing common standards and criteria to shortages of peer reviewers with experience in evaluating interdisciplinary research. At its third Symposium, Science Europe and its Scientific Advisory Committee brought together researchers and other experts experienced in interdisciplinarity with high-level representatives from Science Europe’s Member Organisations, who fund and perform such research.

Released in partnership with the European University Association (EUA), this joint statement demonstrates a commitment to building a strong dialogue between members of both associations, who share the responsibility of developing and implementing more accurate, open, transparent, and responsible approaches that better reflects the evolution of research activity in the digital era.