ISE press release, January 10th, 2023
ISE (Initiative for Science in Europe)
speaks out loud! Together with
Ciência Viva,
ISE launched in September 2022 a Manifesto to garner broad and robust
support from key stakeholders as well as individual researchers and
other supporters for early career researchers.
Indeed, it is time
to act! The Covid pandemic and the general uncertainty we are
experiencing is negatively impacting early career researchers, whose
working conditions and job insecurity are not satisfactory. We must
motivate and support the next generation to engage in research, to build
and consolidate the future, enhancements, and peace of our continent,
in a healthy world.
The Manifesto found a great echo in the
scientific community as well as among political decision-makers and
caught the attention of Commissioner Mariya Gabriel who made a point of expressing her support through an event organised by ISE together with her cabinet on January 10th and which concluded by a ceremony during which the President of ISE, Martin Andler, handed over the document to her in person.
Mariya
Gabriel was accompanied by the services directors-general from the two
general directorates, EAC and RTD, under her responsibility, the JRC,
and members of the cabinet. This event allowed her to express her
commitment to education and careers of researchers and to announce her
intention to launch a pilot project. This is to test how the European
Commission and Member States, academia and companies could work together
to better understand the situation, coordinate funding, and support
career paths in research by promoting networking between universities
and businesses. The aim is to open the prospect of a new partnership
with Member States, public and private stakeholders, and leverage
funding to combat the risk of a decline in excellent scientific research
across the European Research Area.
The Manifesto calls for:
- Europe-wide monitoring young researchers’ situation
- Improving
research careers and working conditions in Research Performing
Organisations (RPOs), Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) and
in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
- Enhancing research careers in the third sector, including NGOs and governmental organisations
- Involving national funding agencies in cooperation with the European Commission.
ISE intends to make sure that these four goals receive the same attention in future policies.
The number of individual and collective signatories
of the Manifesto is continuously increasing. European and national
associations and organisations such as Eurodoc, Marie Curie Alumni
Association, Young Academy Europe, Association of ERC Grantees, League
of European Research Universities, Coimbra Group, International
Consortium of Research Staff Associations, Una Europa, European
Educational Research Association, the Portuguese National Association of
Researchers in Science and Technology, and many others are actively
supporting.
The Manifesto is the outcome of Jean-Pierre Bourguignon‘s call about Early Career researchers in the Covid crisis, and is actively supported by Manuel Heitor, former Minister of R&I in Portugal. ISE and Ciência Viva, with the support of the CNRS, co-organised the 4th Gago Conference on European Science Policy on June 13, 2022 “Europe supporting young researchers in times of uncertainty” where the Manifesto was decided.
The Manifesto is downloadable here.
Signatures are collected here.
Contact: Monica Dietl, ISE Executive Coordinator
Image credit: ISE
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