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Most former Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) fellows are staying in Europe to pursue a career in research and innovation after their fellowship, according to an end-of-fellowship survey.
The survey found that two years after the fellowship 69% of former Innovative Training Networks, COFUND and Individual fellows were still working or living in the EU, 11% in the UK, 7% in Horizon 2020 associated countries and 13% in non-associated third countries.
The fellows targeted by the survey participated in projects funded under Horizon 2020.
Read the full statement here.
The European Commission has adopted the 2025-27 work programme for the EU’s science hub, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), organised in 25 research portfolios ranging from competitiveness to the energy transition to artificial intelligence governance.
“The work programme outlines how the JRC will support EU policymaking in the next three years,” the statement reads.
Read the full statement here.
The European University Association (EUA) is calling on the EU to strengthen Erasmus+ under the next long-term budget to bolster the competitiveness and global visibility of its higher education and research sector.
Citing a changed geopolitical situation, Michael Gaebel, director of higher education policy at the EUA, said that “increased investment in higher education, notably through Erasmus+, is vital to ensuring that Europe can proactively respond to these challenges."
He also called on the EU to “match its ambitions for Erasmus+ with the appropriate budget.”
Read the full statement here.
Stakeholders in the first post-Brexit EU-UK summit are expected to discuss a “youth opportunity scheme” allowing people aged 18 to 30 to move, study and work freely between the UK and EU countries for a limited period of time.
“Even without re-establishing fully-fledged free movement for our students, such a scheme could nevertheless address partially some of the concerns that universities have been raising since the withdrawal of the UK from the EU in 2020, and the progressive end of the participation of UK universities in the Erasmus+ programme,” Ludovic Thilly, chair of the Coimbra Group executive board, said in a statement.
Read the full statement here.
The European Commission will this year open five new calls worth more than €1.25 billion under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
The new calls are focused on training researchers, bring science closer to citizens, help organisations boost their fellowship programmes and fund collaborative projects.
The budget also includes €22.5 million to be spent in 2025 for the ‘Choose Europe for Science' pilot programme, aimed at strengthening research careers in Europe.
The MSCA will also allocate an additional €10 million to support displaced Ukrainian researchers.
Read the full statement here.
The Supporting at-risk researchers (SAFE) will award up to two-year fellowships to international academics at doctoral and postdoctoral level to continue their research in the EU.
Out of 359 applicants, 56 fellows from 15 countries, of which 60% are women, will be offered to pursue their work in 13 EU member states. Germany, France and Italy are the top hosting countries.
Their disciplines range from law to economics to engineering to cultural studies.
Read the full statement here.
The Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) has selected six consortia under its recent quantum calls as part of efforts to strengthen Europe’s quantum technology ecosystem.
These actions, which aim at speeding up the development of industrial-scale quantum manufacturing capabilities, will receive €145 million through specific grant agreements, set to be completed later this year.
“The outcomes of these partnerships will support future pilot lines and reinforce Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem by integrating quantum innovations into the chips value chain,” the statement reads.
Read the full statement here.
The European Commission has published the final Horizon Europe work programmes for 2025, which include calls worth than €7.3 billion.
The Commission will allocate 35% of the 2025 work programme budget to climate change action and 8.8% to biodiversity. On the other side of the twin transition, it will dedicate €1.6 billion for the development of artificial intelligence.
Read the full statement here.
The EU and Japan have agreed to cooperate further on core digital technologies like artificial intelligence, semiconductors and high-performance computing.
“This strategic partnership holds real economic weight for both the EU and Japan,” Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said in a statement.
The two partners will also reinforce their collaboration on data governance, submarine cables, Arctic connectivity, digital identities and cybersecurity.
Alongside Japanese minister of state for science and technology policy Minoru Kiuchi, Virkkunen is set to sign a letter of intent on quantum technology on May 13.
Read the full statement here.
Industry group Waterborne Technology Platform welcomed the European Parliament’s resolution for an increased budget for research and innovation under a standalone Framework Programme and the renewal of the current Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
“This renewed CEF should give priority to cross-border connections and national links with European added value, considering that such infrastructure is an absolute precondition for a successful deepening of the single market and for increasing the Union’s resilience in a changing geopolitical order,” the statement reads.
Read the full statement here.
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