Tag: Press release

In line with the basic principles and key focus areas of the Young Academy of Europe (YAE), since 2017, the André Mischke YAE Prize for Science and Policy has been awarded each year as a recognition of excellent early- to mid-career researchers who are both active in science but also made important contributions to science policy, to evidence-informed policymaking at the European level, to science communication and outreach as well as to the strengthening of the network between future generations of researchers. Since 2019, the Prize is bearing the name of the Founding Chair of YAE, the late André Mischke, and aims to recognise, reward and promote the engagement of excellent early- to mid-careers scholars with science policy. Below we present this year’s awardee: Dr Jacek Kolanowski.

Dr Jacek Kolanowski is a habilitated assistant professor at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Poznan, Poland, and head of the Research Facilities and Innovation Centre, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney, Australia. He obtained his BSc and MSc in Poland, his PhD in France, and spent postdoctoral years in Australia. He has been managing several national and European grants, and directed the Centre for Chemical Biology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, where he was responsible for the management of an interdisciplinary research group and research facilities totaling over 35 people in 5 years. In this role he focused on fostering diverse and flexible academic-industry collaborations and facilitating research translation through developing robust methods and bringing new technologies to wide range of users. His interdisciplinary research is focused on the design, synthesis, validation and use of low-molecular-weight chemical compounds to visualise and control biochemical parameters in biological models both for basic and applied research.

In addition, Dr Jacek Kolanowski has also been active in science outreach by delivering several popular science lectures, lessons, and workshops in schools. He was a member of the Polish Young Academy and later served it for 2 years as vice-chair and 2 years as chair. He played an important role in fostering solidarity and networking among young researchers in Europe, as the founder of the Young Science Beyond Borders conference, providing a platform for young researchers from low- and middle-income countries and scientists at risk to interact with and access science in the EU or by providing academic support for Ukrainian researchers following the Russian invasion.

Besides his merits in building capacity and community among young scientists, he was proactively engaged with policymakers to positively influence science policy at both national and European level.

Furthermore, Jacek Kolanowski was a founding member, Board member and first elected President of the Young Academies Science Advice Structure (YASAS), a pan-European network of Young Academies and he catalyzed the campaign for YASAS to join as an independent partner the prestigious Science Advice Mechanism for the European Commission through SAPEA.

By awarding the YAE Prize to Jacek Kolanowski, the YAE aims to recognise excellent interdisciplinary and translational research, management, science outreach and science policy activities, as well as the building of early- to mid-career researcher networks and the structure facilitating the contribution of these networks and researchers to science advice for policy at the European level. The YAE will award the eighth annual YAE Prize, honouring our Founding Chair André Mischke, at the joint annual Academia Europaea and YAE meeting entitled Building Bridges 2024 in Wroclaw, on 26-28 November 2024.

The Young Academy Europe (YAE) along with the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers (EURODOC), the International Consortium of Research Staff Organisations (ICoRSA), the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) and the Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE) which coordinates this project, has launched a survey to gather the views on research and innovation (R & I) of the candidate parties to the European Parliament on 6-9 June.

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Whilst the European Union’s (EU) budget for R & I ranks as the 3rd largest item in the total EU budget, the R & I strategy of parties and candidates participating in the elections is very rarely discussed. This is evenmore important, because in the forthcoming years, R & I are poised to be paramount in preparing the EU to confront pressing societal challenges such as climate change, health crises, energy transition, as well as ensuring strategic autonomy and development.

Over twenty years ago, the Union established the ambitious goal of transitioning into a knowledge-based society, committing to allocate 3% of its GDP (at national and EU levels) towards R & I. However, this goal remains unmet, placing the EU behind its primary global competitors like the USA and China. Investing in and fostering groundbreaking R & I within the EU not only drive economic growth but also directly or indirectly impact the quality of higher education for Europe’s 18 million tertiary education students. Additionally, it plays a vital role in attracting and retaining talent, thereby influencing significant segments of the labor market in the long term.

The newly elected European Parliament will wield substantial influence in shaping the EU’s multiannual financial framework (MFF), especially concerning the next Framework Programme for R & I (2028-2034) and the overall balance among the financial framework’s different “pillars.” Given the gravity of these matters, the Initiative for Science in Europe, in collaboration with Eurodoc, ICoRSA, MCAA, and YAE alongside local organizations, has crafted a questionnaire for political parties.

We are keenly interested in the perspectives of the parties on issues related to R & I. The received responses will be made public on a dedicated website and disseminated to EU citizens, Higher Education Institutions, and the media prior to the election.

For the survey see this link, and for the official press release go here.

Organized by:
ISE, Eurodoc, ICoRSA, MCAA, YAE

On March 15th, the peer-mentorship exchange platform PEP-CV (https://pep-cv.mariecuriealumni.eu/) officially launched, providing a space for creating mentorships to support the writing of narrative-style CVs. This initiative is a collaboration between six research funding agencies, the Marie Curie Alumni Association, and the Young Academy of Europe to provide support for the global research and innovation community in presenting the diverse set of experiences, achievements, and careers in the format of narrative-style CVs.

PEP-CV is a free and open resource for everyone in the Research & Innovation sector, buttressing existing guidance on narrative-style CVs, while supporting efforts to further develop their use and implementation globally. To this end, the PEP-CV platform aims to support the broader recognition of activities and outputs in research, in line with ongoing responsible research assessment initiatives such as the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and the Coalition on Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA).  

PEP-CV will be an open resource to bring the community together and provide peer-mentoring  

Many funders and institutions around the world use narrative-style CVs, but feedback from researchers underscores the need for more guidance and understanding of what a “good” CV looks like. As a CV is highly dependent on the experiences, achievements, and expertise of the writer, the ideal CV should be personalized and unique to the individual. Individual peer-to-peer mentoring on how to select and present achievements and experiences is, therefore, the ideal next step to augment currently available resources and support individuals in evaluations they face in their career. 

PEP-CV is a platform to support the ongoing adoption of narrative-style CVs found across the globe through fostering peer-mentorship activities, and to provide space for discussion around a broader range of career pathways and research outputs to ensure they are adequately articulated in narrative-style CVs. It is open to everyone in the research and innovation ecosystem and is based on the values of collaboration, openness, collegiality, diversity, and inclusion.  

The platform is a collaboration between six funding agencies (FNR, NWO, SFI, SNSF, UKRI, Wellcome) and two researcher groups (MCAA and YAE). The funders involved already require narrative-style CVs in their funding programmes, and these countries have researchers who can already contribute to PEP-CV as mentors. As more researchers write and evaluate a broader set of achievements and experiences, more mentors will join and help grow the platform. 

PEP-CV will benefit mentees, mentors, and supporting institutions 

Through fostering mentorship exchanges, PEP-CV will provide added value for mentors, mentees, and supporting institutions. Mentors will engage in global networking and mutual learning through their activities, while building their CV and mentorship experience. Mentees will learn to write a more effective narrative-style CV, highlighting the strengths of their individual profiles and receiving insight from experienced colleagues. Both mentors and mentees will be fostering a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive research and innovation environment. 

Institutions supporting PEP-CV through promotion and financial support will enhance their reputation and credibility around responsible research assessment practices as well as demonstrate the fulfilment of CoARA commitments. In addition, they will help support staff in developing their narrative-style CVs, recognizing their broad contributions to the research and innovation ecosystem and making it more inclusive. 

PEP-CV aligns with ongoing initiatives in responsible research assessment, including CoARA and DORA 

Initiatives such as DORA and CoARA  strongly advocate for the recognition of a broader range of activities and contributions to research, and the narrative-style CV is currently one of the ideal forms for an individual to showcase these diverse outputs and activities. PEP-CV is a resource that individuals and institutions can use to evidence their support for responsible research assessment and the importance of recognizing a broader range of outcomes and activities in research and innovation. In addition, PEP-CV contributes to the use of the narrative-style CV formats across different research and innovation ecosystems, simplifying the transition or supporting existing resources.  

For more information, contact Pooja Khurana, the PEP-CV community manager: PEP-CV@mariecuriealumni.eu  

As previously announced, the Young Academy of Europe has been actively involved in advising on the creation of an agreement for reforming research assessment, as part of the Core Group organised by the European Commission.

The Core group involved 20 research organisations, representing the diversity of the research community across Europe, contributed to the drafting process led by the Drafting Team, while EU Member States and Associated Countries have been consulted on the agreement in the framework of the ERA Forum and the European Research Area Committee (ERAC). Over 350 organisations from +40 countries covering all stakeholder groups have expressed interest in the Agreement, through a number of stakeholder meetings held over the past 6 months.

Today, the final Agreement is made public. It sets a shared direction for changes in assessment practices for research, researchers and research performing organisations, with the overarching goal to change the system to maximise the quality and impact of research. The Final version of the Agreement can be accessed here.