Basic research in Europe

1. A challenge for the FP 7 Basic research in Europe Jerzy M Langer Polish Academy of Sciences „Research – Innovation-Growth” Warsaw, 26 Apr 2004

2. What is „basic” research? Vision is the art of seeing things invisible Jonathan Swift The Battle of the Books and Other Short Pieces Ice flake Bacterial colony

3. Usefulness of „basic science” People often ask what is the use of it. In a world where there are pressing problems, why doesn’t one devote one’s efforts to the practical benefits of mankind? Aaron Klug, 1982 I need only recall the answer of the great Michael Faraday, when at a public lecture he was demonstrating the production of electricity. - “Of what use is your invention, Mr. Faraday?” demanded an important lady. -“Madam”, he replied, “of what use is a new born child?”

4. Researchers (2001) Source – EC Key Figures 2003-2004

5. Financing basic research (2001) Source – EC Key Figures 2003-2004

6. UNIVERSITIES 63% Industrial & other 28% P A N 9% Poland - institutions of science Majority of research at universities and PAN is basic research

7. Strong and weak research areas StrongestPhysics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Astrophysics MediumBiology, Earth Sciences, Medicine, some Engineering Sciences. Lagging most Engineering Sciences, Ecology. Strong nationallyArchaeology, Literature studies Sociology, History

8. Students in Poland a demographic projection

9. Why talented people go to basic research and stay there? Curiosity & internal must (a feel of a mission) Endless frontier Joy of discovery, amplified even after a small success Sense of freedom and uniqueness (membership to a better part of a society) Fame and recognition (less anonymity than on the applied side – everybody knows who invented transistor, but almost nobody can list names of those who made transistors real purchasable devices)

10. Is there a need for a new initiative at European level? ? YES

11. Support of basic research in EUThe scientists opinion • 45 Nobel laureates – an appeal • European Science Foundation • Euroscience • ALLEA • Academia Europea • EMBO, EMBL • EURAB • ERC – Expert Group (a Mayor group)

12. Specificity of basic research • BR is generally done by small groups of researchers and very often in a solitude. • The research environment - a critical mass - need to exchange and confront views (dedicated meetings and workshops) - quality research laboratories

13. ESF position paper (April 2003)

14. A new European financial perspective for basic research • A part of the Framework Programme • A new EU Agency distributing extra budgetary resources • A European Research Council

15. General principles • Bring a European context to the support of long-term, fundamental, curiosity-driven research. • Focus on excellence as the basis for its funding decisions • Competitive decision process with scientific community involved at all stages, including final decisions. • Significant degree of operational freedom, simplicity of procedures and transparency. • Financially meaningful budget. • Complementarity, and not competition with other major financial sources

16. For whom and how? • Address exclusively the top level of researchers in Europe (groups but also individuals). • Age and origin must not be used as a criterion • All granting procedures must be highly competitive. • It will help create benchmarks. Support only the best individuals and groups, so that they can become even better.

17. Actions to be supported Research programmes – grants not contracts Individual researcher support – grants, mobility schemes (no age restriction) Research networking – when justified Meeting and workshops Research infrastructure – directly or via cohesion or structural funds (in less developed regions) Dissemination of science information – link to the public Research policy, benchmarking, foresight

18. ERC EG position The ERC – a cornerstone in ERA The suggested target of 2 Billion Euros a year for the fundinglevel will give the ERC the desired impact. The total nationalfunding of national research agencies in Europe is estimated tobe in the order of € 40 bn per year. The ERC would thencorrespond to 5 % of this amount. It will also make the ERCcomparable in size to some of the biggest research fundingbodies in Europe.

19. Funding of basic research in EUPolitical motions • European Parliament • Irish Presidency (Dublin symposium) • Competitiveness Council • EC communique on basic science To come • Dutch Presidency – final political decision

20. Europe's Search for Excellence in Basic Research, Dublin Feb 2004 • Europe's policy should be vision oriented as it moves to regain its dominant research position. Basic research should be established as a strong pillar of the ERA • There is a need to provide specific funding for basic research of high quality, in the next FP (7th) • The Commission should bring forward proposals for the governance, management and accountability of a European initiative. • This initiative, which must have the complete trust and confidence of the scientific community, should involve a new facility characterized by minimum bureaucracy, involve the scientific and engineering communities, both enterprise and academia, in its strategy and overall management. It should award individual grants on a competitive basis.

21. EU’s Competitiveness Council11 March 2004 • ACKNOWLEDGES that the main objective of high quality basic research is the developmentand enhancement of knowledge, thereby contributing to the advancement of science and topromoting sustainable economic development, competitiveness and employment in theknowledge-based economy • ACKNOWLEDGES the need ... to examine the case for specificfunding within that (Framework) Programme to support basic research of the highest quality.

23. In Europe, most basic research is carried out and funded at national level. One of the reasonsfor this is that it is largely performed by universities, thus in the framework of the nationaleducation systems. • Taken as a whole, however, the support provided by the Framework Programme for basicresearch seems limited. The resources explicitly devoted to it are not very great, and thegeneral perspective of the programmes is still very much dominated by knowledgeapplicationobjectives. • First and foremost, there seems to be a need to introduce an European level supportmechanism for individual teams’ research projects, modelled on the "individual grants" givenby the NSF. • Support mechanisms in keeping with the particular type of basic research concerned should bedefined, in particular with recourse to topics and work programmes that are more open andless binding than in the case of targeted research.

24. Successful EU actions • Marie Curie awards • FET • NEST • Infrastructure support FP 6 • EURESCO Conferences • Forward looks • EUROCORES • EURYI (EUROHORC initiative)

25. Why basic research in AC should remain a prime target? Basic research is least expensive of all kind of research and thus is affordable even for countries with modest resources. Any country willing to become more than just an amusement park or a tax heaven or just a cheap labour source, must build and cultivate solid higher education base. And this is inseparably connected with quality basic research.

26. R&D in CEE Accesion Countries facts (2001) GDP GERD GDP – about 9% of EU-15 in current prices (normalised) GERD – about 5% of EU-15 in current prices

27. CEE accession countries human capital About 100 mln people & more than 10% higher education About 200 000 researchers

28. Why then basic research is our great chance? • There we are strongest. • It is fairly inexpensive. • It is a landmark of Polish „ivy league” of higher education and thus helps to train open minds. • A distance from science-driven research to applied is much smaller if a first step is at the highest level. • There will be a lot of resources in Europe, so we must get prepared to compete, and quickly.