LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) is the world’s largest and most sensitive low frequency radio telescope. It was designed, built, and is now operated by ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy. LOFAR’s reach now spans Europe – from Ireland to Poland, with the newest LOFAR antenna station being delivered to Ventspils University of Applied Sciences in Latvia. Here we propose that LOFAR is a prime example of how state-of-the-art facilities leads to the sharing and building of competencies and innovation: it is one of today’s major success stories of research infrastructures on a European scale. Read more [...]
In a scientific world where there are too many candidates for the scarce positions and funds, recruitment became extremely demanding. With the needed ambition to publish more impactful stories, scientists often choose not to publish smaller projects. But is that really important? And, if so, can we foresee some solutions? These are some the questions we discuss in the present article. Read more [...]
Six years ago, the Spanish parliament approved Law 14/2011, known as the Science Law, aiming to modernise and harmonise different aspects of scientific activity in Spain, by a virtually unanimous vote. Today, Spanish scientists are still waiting for the law to be fully implemented; more than three and half years after the deadline for implementation has passed.
In this article, the 5s6s Platform, a grassroots movement of Spanish scientists, including about 400 tenured scientists working in OPIs, supported by another >1300 scientists working in different Spanish Universities and other research institutions, denounces this untenable situation and requests that the Government finally implements the law. Read more [...]
Astonishment is the only possible reaction at reading the latest call for funding of MIUR. Italian researchers based on Italian universities can apply for an individual fund of 3,000 euros in order to support their basic research activity. The idea of Read more [...]
On 8th May 2017, one of the arm of the British scientific establishment, the Royal Institution, has opened its famous lecture theatre to a debate about Brexit. Brexit is not about extricating the UK from the European scientific endeavour. And Brexit does not bring to an end many important aspects of the integrated European scientific projects. Today, it is not obvious, however, which strategies the UK--and the other EU 27 countries--could adopt to sustain as much as possible international collaborations and mobility. In this opinion piece, representatives of EuroScience argue that scientists need to raise their voices to guarantee their future and the future of our societies. Should all negotiation fail and the UK ends up with weakened relations with the EU 27, the authors argue, it remains to be seen whether the UK plan to strengthen relations and collaborations with the US, the Commonwealth and East-Asia will be an adequate substitute. Read more [...]
The Turkish Council for Scientific and Technical Research (TÜBİTAK) issued on March 24, 2017 a decree addressed to all Turkish peer reviewed scientific journals, including the international periodicals listed by the Turkish Academic Network and Information Read more [...]
A large number of major European organisations in the area of science, research, innovation and higher education have written an Open Letter to European Prime Ministers, ministers responsible for those same areas, as well as the President of the European Council and of the European Commission, and Commissioner Carlos Moedas for Research and Innovation to express their concern about recent developments of science in the US. Read more [...]
About a month after the British Referendum, the UK Parliament held a Parliament Links Day to communicate political plans to support UK science post-Brexit. Read more [...]
If you are involved in science, IT, European politics or just have your ear to the ground, you may have heard about it by now: The European Open Science Cloud.
As a long term investment, doing science is worse than buying a car. Exact numbers vary, Read more [...]
Finding reliable funding in the course of a scientific career is difficult, even for the best scientists, says Emmanuelle Charpentier, head of regulation and infection biology at the Max-Planck-Institut in Berlin, Germany. Better known for her work on developing the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technique, she calls for an informed debate on the implications of her work and wishes to avoid giving into the media buzz without more in-depth reflection. In this first of a two-part series, Charpentiers shares her perspective in an authentic way. Read more [...]
In the second instalment of a two-part series, Emmanuelle Charpentier, head of regulation and infection biology at the Max-Planck-Institut in Berlin, Germany, gives her opinion on the challenges in obtaining research funding in the current system in Europe. She also shares her views on how mobility can be hampered by bureaucracy. Finally, she points to the limited coherence for scientists pursuing a research career in Europe. Clearly, many efforts have yet to be made to improve the condition of scientists in Europe. Read more [...]
In the second Croatia’s election in the past year – following the collapse of an inefficient coalition plagued by corruption allegations – they have once again elected no single majority. Read more [...]
European science conversations by the community, for the community
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