HORIZON BLOG: European R&D policy newsbytes

The US has released guidelines for how best to use AI in science, two weeks after EU science advisors unveiled their own recommendations.  

Drawn up by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, the report makes five recommendations, including making sure that scientists can broadly access the necessarily computing power and datasets to make advantage of the technology.  

Access to federal data sets for researchers should be improved, and scientists should experiment with AI assistance in their work. 

“The objective should not be to maximize the amount of automation, but to allow human researchers to achieve high quality science that utilizes AI assistance responsibly,” the report says.  

In a position paper published today, the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities says deans of UK universities could enable seed funding to help UK researchers get back into EU collaborative networks.

"Universities could support this re-engagement by providing seed funding for Horizon applications and exploring bilateral agreements that could enable researchers to join larger networks," reads the document.

“Research collaboration with continental Europe remains central to UK universities. Our reassociation to Horizon Europe both confirms these strong ties and encourages the UK research community to strengthen the engagement even further,” said Anselm Heinrich, International Dean at the College of Arts at the University of Glasgow.

The UK had been stuck outside of Horizon Europe because of Brexit until last year. London and Brussels were able to reach a deal after years of haggling over bigger political issues, such as Northern Ireland’s place in the EU single market, but also over more prosaic issues, such as the UK’s net contribution to Horizon Europe.

At the time, the UK government was worried that researchers and universities would would not be able to get up to speed with the EU funding programme, re-integrate themselves in EU funding networks, and win enough grants to cover the UK’s financial contribution.

Read the full statement here.

The Commission approved a €300 million French State aid measure to support Nuward, a subsidiary of Electricité de France's (EDF), in developing innovative small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs).

The aid will be provided as a direct grant to cover Nuward's R&D plans until early 2027, focusing on designing, testing, and preparing safety demonstrations for SMRs.

“This project will contribute to the decarbonisation of energy systems and to the EU’s open strategic autonomy, while limiting possible distortions of competition,” said Margrethe Vestager, executive vice-president in charge of competition policy.

Read the full announcement here.

The European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERIC) Forum, the umbrella group that brings together major research infrastructures, is calling for an increase in funding for ERICs in FP10, the EU’s next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

In a position paper released recently, the ERIC Forum, which represents 28 organisations, say that increased economic support for Europe’s research infrastructures is crucial to ensure the success of FP10. 

“It is essential for the EC [European Commission] to engage in dialogue with MS [member states] to support for enhanced budgets under structural funds where applicable, recognising the broadened scope and increased value ERICs now offer in alignment with EU objectives,” reads the document.

The position paper also has recommendations on consolidation, structural support, governance, innovation, and researchers’ access to ERIC services.

“For researchers to fully benefit from the ERIC services now available to them, funding for access to and usage of these services (including physical, remote and virtual user access) at the European level should be continuously available,” the paper says .

Read ERIC Forum’s position paper here.

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) announced today that Girls Go Circular, a Horizon Europe-funded project, has reached its goal of training 40,000 girls in STEM three years ahead of schedule.

The programme was launched in 2020 as part of the European Commission's Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 to empower girls in Europe's innovation landscape and address gender disparity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Today, April 25th, marks also the 2024 edition of International Girls in Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Day, which draws attention to the critical need for more girls and women in the ICT sector.

"The Girls Go Circular project was launched with a clear goal: to show young girls and women that Europe’s innovation landscape is incomplete without their ideas, their passion and their visions. Funded under Horizon Europe, our research and innovation programme, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and its community have a key role to play in closing the gender gap in research and innovation, said EU research commissioner Iliana Ivanova.

“I look forward to seeing these girls and young women shape the future of Europe."

More details here.

The European Union and Türkiye reaffirmed their commitment to intensifying cooperation in green and digital transition and greater integration in the European Research Area, including EU missions and partnerships under Horizon Europe.

EU research commissioner Iliana Ivanova and Mehmet Fatih Kacır, minister of industry and technology of the Republic of Türkiye, met today in Istanbul for the second High-Level Dialogue on science, research, technology, and innovation.

They announced that three Turkish innovation programmes will participate in the European Innovation Council (EIC) Plug-in scheme. Also, a Community Hub of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) will be established in Türkiye by the end of 2024.

“Close cooperation in research and innovation with like-minded partners is a key priority for the European Union. This is why our high-level dialogue was a milestone. We discussed how to deepen our already very successful cooperation even further,” said Ivanova. “Together, we can succeed in the green and digital transitions quicker.” 

More details here.

Today, EIT Health Scandinavia launched the EIT Health Biobanks and Health Data Registries platform, a centralised digital hub that aims to connect EU researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals with European biobanks and health data registries to share information and advance medical research.

“With the EIT Health Biobanks and Health Data Registries Portal, not just connecting data; we are connecting minds, fostering collaboration, and propelling healthcare innovation forward,” said Annika Szabo Portela, EIT Health Scandinavia managing director.

Last month, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a deal on the European Health Data Space (EHDS), legislation designed to allow EU citizens access to their health records wherever in Europe and to choose whether or not to allow their anonymised data to be shared for secondary use in research and public health.

Read EIT Health Scandinavia full announcement here.

ALLEA, the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities representing more than 50 academies from 40 EU and non-EU countries, released today its feedback on the Commission's white paper on options for enhancing support for dual-use technologies in FP10.

According to the paper, creating a new funding instrument dedicated to research projects with potential dual use applications will add to existing administrative burden in EU funding programmes. ALLEA says dual use research projects should be integrated in existing funding schemes.

"Potential future applications are often uncertain at the start of research projects, and a decision at the outset that a project proposal entails a potential dual-use application will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, in many cases,” the paper says.

“The artificial division of research projects based on speculative outcomes is expected to create challenges similar to those already experienced when researchers are asked to categorise their project as basic or applied research before work has even started.”

Read the full ALLEA paper here.

Peter Dröll, a director in charge of ‘prosperity’ in the European Commission’s directorate-general for research and innovation has announced on Tuesday that he will retire from the Commission on 1st of May.

Maria Cristina Russo, the current director for international cooperation will take over Dröll’s position.

Deputy director-general Signe Ratso is said to take over Russo's former directorate.

Read Dröll's announcement here. Read Russo's announcement here.

The European Commission has today launched calls for proposals worth €112 million, under the Horizon Europe 2023-2024 Digital, Industrial and Space Work Programme. 

Over €65 million will be allocated to artificial intelligence, with €50 million dedicated to enhancing AI capabilities and €15 million for transparent AI systems. 

Around €40 million will be invested in quantum technologies, including €25 million for a pan-European quantum gravimeter network and €15 million for next-generation quantum projects. 

Additionally, €7.5 million will support projects focusing on European values, citizen-centric digital transformation, and global ICT standardization.