ALLEA Strategic Priorities

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STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

In an era shaped by interlinked geopolitical tensions, polarised societies, environmental and climate crises, threats to liberal democracy, and extraordinary levels of social inequalities, the role of research and evidence-based knowledge remains critical. To address complex societal challenges, there is growing need for bold, curiosity-driven research, robust research policy standards and frameworks, impartial and trustworthy scientific advice and enhanced cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Threats to academic freedom and liberal democracies are growing, driven by an unprecedented power of a few individuals and multinational corporations, while the spread of misinformation and the ethical challenges of rapid advancements in artificial intelligence are on the rise. It is imperative for academia to counter these trends and take a decisive stand on the ownership and governance of public intellectual discourse and to maintain public trust in science.

As a pan-European federation, ALLEA places emphasis on Europe in its geographic and cultural sense, going beyond the political concept of the EU, and is a vital part of the European Research Area (ERA) ecosystem. Highlighting science as encompassing all scholarly fields and as a universal public good, ALLEA provides a strong voice across various domains, from research policy to science diplomacy, contributing a European perspective to global debates.

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Principles and ambitions

The following principles and ambitions underpin ALLEA’s strategic objectives:

Independence and Integrity

Ensuring the autonomy of scientific research and maintaining high standards of ethical conduct.

Excellence and Impact

Promoting excellence in all types of research, from curiosity-driven to applied, to provide sustainable solutions to societal challenges.

Interdisciplinary and International Cooperation

Encouraging collaboration across various disciplines and geographical borders.

Inclusivity and Engagement

Supporting diversity within the scientific community and fostering engagement with society to build mutual understanding and trust.

ALLEA has adopted strategic priorities for the years 2025-2030. These priorities form the foundation of ALLEA’s activities in the coming years and are laid out within three strategic objectives, and a fourth, cross-cutting strategic objective.

Strategic objectives

ALLEA has adopted strategic priorities for the years 2025-2030. These priorities form the foundation of ALLEA’s activities in the coming years and are laid out within three strategic objectives, and a fourth, cross-cutting strategic objective.

1

Promoting Autonomy, Integrity, and Trust in Science

ALLEA is committed to defending academic freedom and promoting research integrity, values that are increasingly under pressure both in Europe and globally, facing political and technological challenges such as a growing need for research security and the use of generative artificial intelligence in research.

Through initiatives like the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, recognised by the European Commission as the reference document for all EU-funded research projects, ALLEA will advocate for open, inclusive, and responsible research, upholding and promoting best-practice standards. Targeted activities will give special attention to the role and needs of early and mid-career researchers.

ALLEA will further raise awareness of undue political or ideological interference with research, speak up for the autonomy of scientific institutions in Europe and beyond, and provide support for researchers at risk. A particular focus will continue to be collaborations with relevant partners in support of Ukrainian science and research.

Trust in science and a healthy, open, and inclusive research culture are the indispensable foundations for progress, innovation, and equity. ALLEA will continue to investigate and work towards strengthening public trust in science and scientific reasoning, actively countering mis- and disinformation where necessary.

2

Improving Conditions for Research

In light of the rapidly evolving research environment, characterised by security concerns, limited resources, and increased competition ALLEA is dedicated to advocating for open, stable and supportive research conditions in Europe. Striving for a research culture that promotes curiosity, creativity, excellence, and innovation, ALLEA seeks to foster the impact of scholarly inquiry across disciplines and sectors.

ALLEA will continue to advise the European Institutions on the framework programmes for research and innovation, as well as on other policy and legislative initiatives in the context of the European Research Area (ERA), promoting the broad dissemination of and access to excellent research through open science.

By uniting European academies and joining forces with relevant partners, ALLEA amplifies their collective voice in shaping the European research policy and fosters open, secure, inclusive and resilient conditions for scientific progress to benefit public life and drive social, cultural, and economic development.

In collaboration with like-minded organisations, ALLEA will centre its activities around high-priority topics including in areas such as the role of curiosity-driven research, open science, scientific excellence, widening participation, research assessment, or the responsible use of AI.

3

Providing Independent Science Advice

ALLEA plays a pivotal role in the delivery of interdisciplinary and independent science-based policy advice in Europe and beyond, including as founding member and largest partner in the Scientific Advice Mechanism to the European Commission (SAM). Targeted communications activities seek to broaden the outreach and to increase the public understanding of evidence-based policy making.

To address today’s complex, multi-faceted challenges, ALLEA will foster interdisciplinary and international research cooperation as exemplified by cross-border collaboration between academies.

ALLEA will persist in offering its members avenues for engagement in European science-policy debates and processes, thereby enhancing their representation at the EU level and providing robust and comprehensive policy input.

Initiatives will be launched with the member academies, addressing issues of particular relevance for policy and society, as well as emerging topics related to research conditions in Europe. Regular scoping activities and robust science-policy structures and workflows will enable member academies to inject ideas into science-policy debates at the European level and develop initiatives under the umbrella of ALLEA.

4
Cross-cutting strategic objective

Engaging with Members, Partners and the Public

As an association of academies guided by inclusivity, the overarching strategic objective of ALLEA is to represent and advocate on behalf of its diverse constituency of member academies. Collaboration and engagement with relevant partners in the research community will be key to address the complex challenges of our time, create synergies, and enhance the impact of our work.

To enhance impact, ALLEA will engage with members, provide support for multilateral initiatives led by member academies, and implement a structured process to foster collaborative projects that leverage the expertise of its network. As such, ALLEA will provide members and partners with a forum to elevate and jointly develop their initiatives from the national to the European and global levels.

To support member academies in their efforts to achieve international benchmarks in scientific excellence, ALLEA will provide best practice guidelines and offer capacity building where needed. Topics of particular relevance for ALLEA’s member academies, such as equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), climate sustainability, or inquiry-based education and scientific literacy will be given special attention.

Speaking on behalf of its members, ALLEA will work to amplify the voice of science in society and for researchers, reaching diverse audiences and promoting informed debate to foster public engagement with and trust in scientific expertise.

See these priorities in action

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