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Swiss Researchers Should Be Able to Apply for European Research Council Grants in 2024

Swiss Researchers Should Be Able to Apply for European Research Council Grants in 2024

The EU and Switzerland have made further progress in talks about their relationship, opening the door for Swiss academics to apply for European Research Council (ERC) grants from next year. On 15 December, Switzerland's ruling Federal Council signed off a draft negotiating mandate with the EU, paving the way for formal negotiations to start next year. That followed on from 18 months of exploratory talks about everything from food safety to financial markets.

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Time to Open Its Doors Wider, or Will China Fall into a Middle-technology Trap?

China

Innovation

Time to Open Its Doors Wider, or Will China Fall into a Middle-technology Trap?

Chinese Academy of Sciences says China faces a risk of being hamstrung at the low and mid-end of the global value chain amid the ongoing tech war with the US.

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Collaboration

The global web of science collaboration is expanding

axios

Collaboration

The global web of science collaboration is expanding

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Sierra Leone Implementing Its First National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy

Africa

Sierra Leone Implementing Its First National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy

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Proposed Horizon Cut Stuck As EU Leaders Fail to Reach Budget Review Deal

Proposed Horizon Cut Stuck As EU Leaders Fail to Reach Budget Review Deal

EU leaders failed to reach a deal on a seven-year budget review, postponing until January a decision that includes potential cuts to Horizon Europe.

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UK Weighs Global Science and Technology Priorities After Horizon Europe Association

UK Weighs Global Science and Technology Priorities After Horizon Europe Association

With EU relations patched up, UK researchers and policymakers are planning the next moves. There are no firm plans for AI legislation, but an international collaboration fund set up during the wilderness years will continue, and there will be a focus on South American links.

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EU Ministers Take Small Steps Towards Improving Research Career Structures

EU Ministers Take Small Steps Towards Improving Research Career Structures

EU ministers have adopted joint recommendations on what the bloc should do to improve research careers, taking a small step towards meaningful change.

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Funding

National Science Funders Eye Setting Up International Network to Share Research-Security Information

Funding

National Science Funders Eye Setting Up International Network to Share Research-Security Information

As part of a broader push to tighten security, science funders in the US, UK and Canada are considering setting up a network to share information about security risks affecting international research projects, according to a senior US science official.

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Ethics

The EU Just Passed Sweeping New Rules to Regulate AI

wired

Ethics

The EU Just Passed Sweeping New Rules to Regulate AI

The European Union agreed on terms of the AI Act, a major new set of rules that will govern the building and use of AI and have major implications for Google, OpenAI, and others racing to develop AI systems.

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Federal agency’s plan to disclose university misconduct findings splits academics

Integrity

Misconduct

Federal agency’s plan to disclose university misconduct findings splits academics

Institution leaders fear breach of privacy whereas transparency advocates call it an important step

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Science Communication

Science Communicators Strategize How to Demystify Science

Science Communication

Science Communicators Strategize How to Demystify Science

An expert panel discussed tactics for bridging the gap between scientists and society, such as demystifying discoveries and building trust in communities.

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Federal Council Regulates Crisis-Related Activation of Scientific Expertise

admin

Politics

Federal Council Regulates Crisis-Related Activation of Scientific Expertise

The Federal Council has adopted an implementation proposal regarding the creation of ad-hoc scientific advisory groups during crises. Switzerland’s ERI institutions are to jointly propose experts for the groups.

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Being Neurodivergent in Academia: Working with My Brain and Not Against It

elife

Mental Health

Academia

Being Neurodivergent in Academia: Working with My Brain and Not Against It

When attempts to capitalize on her undiagnosed ADHD traits led to repeated cycles of overwork and burnout, a postdoc re-evaluated how she faces the daily challenges of being a neurodivergent scientist.

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Massive Shake-Up of French Science System is Biggest in Decades

nature

France

Massive Shake-Up of French Science System is Biggest in Decades

Billion-euro plan includes greater oversight for national research institutes and the creation of a top-level council to advise the president on science

nature

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Council Backs Moves to Attract and Retain Researchers

Council Backs Moves to Attract and Retain Researchers

Research ministers endorse recommendations on research careers and approve conclusions on using R&I in policymaking

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European Commission to Seek Council Recommendations on Research Security

Collaboration

Science Diplomacy

European Commission to Seek Council Recommendations on Research Security

The European Commission is preparing the ground for a proposal for Council recommendations on enhancing research security in the face of growing threats from foreign actors.

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Government of Canada Supports Science and Research Organizations That Are Transforming Research and Knowledge into Action

Government of Canada Supports Science and Research Organizations That Are Transforming Research and Knowledge into Action

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UK to Give Young Researchers Cash to 'pump Prime' Re-entry to Horizon Europe

UK to Give Young Researchers Cash to 'pump Prime' Re-entry to Horizon Europe

The UK and EU have officially signed off on UK association to Horizon Europe, ending nearly three years of uncertainty in which UK-based researchers were locked out of parts of the scheme due to high-level political disputes.

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Drawing Inspiration from Science

Infographic

China

Drawing Inspiration from Science

More than 10,000 visual works for academic papers across assorted fields over the past four years have made their way to the world's top academic journals.

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Spanish Presidency Proposes Cuts to Horizon Europe

Spanish Presidency Proposes Cuts to Horizon Europe

Documents leaked to Science|Business show the EU research programme could lose as much as €5.3B, as member states scramble to find money to pay back recovery fund loans.

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Canada Association Raises Questions over Who Controls Horizon Europe

Canada Association Raises Questions over Who Controls Horizon Europe

Last week, Canada became the latest non-European country to announce it will join Horizon Europe, the EU's €95 billion research and innovation programme.

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How the 'Right to Science' Can Help Us Overcome the Many Crises We Face Today

How the 'Right to Science' Can Help Us Overcome the Many Crises We Face Today

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights - proclaimed 75 years ago - describes science as fundamental to humanity. Upholding this right has never been more relevant than it is now.

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'Politicians Don't Understand Science': Advisers Give Evidence at UK COVID Inquiry

'Politicians Don't Understand Science': Advisers Give Evidence at UK COVID Inquiry

Patrick Vallance, Chris Witty and others reflect on advising the UK government during the ongoing investigation into the country's pandemic response.

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Canada to Sign Horizon Europe Association Deal Next Year

Canada to Sign Horizon Europe Association Deal Next Year

After lengthy negotiations, the EU and Canada reached agreement for Canadian researchers to join Horizon Europe research programme from next year.

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EU Budget Negotiations Could Spell Cuts for Horizon Europe

EU Budget Negotiations Could Spell Cuts for Horizon Europe

Alarm bells for the future research budget are ringing as Germany looks set to say no to the Commission's proposal to put an extra €100 billion into the EU's seven-year budget.

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Swiss Cross Fingers for Fast Association to Horizon Europe After Commission Opens Talks

Swiss Cross Fingers for Fast Association to Horizon Europe After Commission Opens Talks

Swiss university leaders have welcomed the European Commission's announcement that it will finally open exploratory talks on Horizon Europe association, with hopes this could lead to an agreement as early as next year.

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Policy

Using People's Feelings of Happiness to Make Better Policy Decisions?

lse

Policy

Using People's Feelings of Happiness to Make Better Policy Decisions?

How we spend our time directly impacts how satisfied we are with our lives, and understanding the activities that bolster our wellbeing can help policymakers make better decisions when allocating resources. Research is helping them do just that.

lse

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Open Science

Code Sharing in the Spotlight

nature

Open Science

Code Sharing in the Spotlight

The Year of Open Science has highlighted the importance of sharing the code associated with peer-reviewed manuscripts. We at Nature Computational Science provide support - via policies and implementations within our submission system - to facilitate this task.

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How to Navigate the Challenges of Corporate-academia Research Partnerships

blogs

Research

Industry

How to Navigate the Challenges of Corporate-academia Research Partnerships

Many research projects draw on sources of funding from the corporate world. Fola Adeleke discusses the challenges inherent to this kind of research and outlines three key considerations for researchers engaging with corporate partners.

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Xi-Biden Summit Resumes Research and Technology Collaboration on Climate

Cooperation

China

Xi-Biden Summit Resumes Research and Technology Collaboration on Climate

Washington and Beijing have resumed a raft of environment-related collaboration measures, including promises of new support for Chinese and American universities to work together on recycling and resource efficiency.