Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

European Science Foundation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

European Science Foundation
Remove ads

The European Science Foundation (ESF) is an association of 10 member organizations devoted to scientific research in 8 European countries.[citation needed] ESF is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organization that promotes science in Europe. It was established in 1974 and its offices are located in Strasbourg, France.

Quick facts Abbreviation, Formation ...
Thumb
ESF office in Strasbourg.

ESF member organizations are research-performing and research-funding organizations, academies and learned societies across Europe: In 2025, the European Science Foundation has 10 members from 8 countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Luxembourg, Romania, Serbia and Turkey).[2]

Remove ads

Past activities

Summarize
Perspective

Up to 2015 ESF provided a platform for research scoping, planning and networking on a European and global scale for ESF member organizations. ESF activities were organized around three operational bases: strategy, synergy and management. In line with its then mission and strategic plan, the European Science Foundation ran programmes in science; programmes to enhance science synergy such as research networking programmes and collaborative research projects for European scientists; along with activities dedicated to science management, such as providing administrative services to independent scientific committees and other organizations.

ESF-EUROHORCs – Funding gap

In June 2008, ESF in collaboration with EUROHORCs (European Heads of Research Councils) published a policy briefing 'The EUROHORCs and ESF Vision on a Globally Competitive ERA and their Road Map for Actions to Help Build it',[3] detailing essential requirements to build a globally competitive European Research Area within the next five to ten years. At the time, EUROHORCs used the European Science Foundation as an implementation agency. In 2014, this instrument disappeared from the European landscape and has not been replaced by any other funding mechanism.

ERIH journal lists backlash (2008–2011)

The European Reference Index for the Humanities (ERIH) was launched by the European Science Foundation (ESF) in 2002 through its Standing Committee for the Humanities as a reference index of humanities journals.[4] From 2008, ERIH’s initial A/B/C banding drew criticism from editors and learned societies, who warned it could be misused for research assessment; sector media reported coordinated protests and opt-outs.[5][6] In January 2009 ESF dropped the letter grades and replaced them with descriptive categories.[7] In 2014, responsibility for ERIH was transferred from ESF to Norway’s NSD – Norwegian Centre for Research Data, and the index was relaunched and expanded as **ERIH PLUS** to include social sciences.[8][9]

Relocation and governance discussions in Strasbourg (2012–2014)

Local reporting in Strasbourg noted concerns in late 2012 that the European Science Foundation (ESF) might be dissolved or relocated to Brussels as European-level bodies consolidated, while also reporting ESF’s stated preference to remain in Strasbourg. The same coverage highlighted declining staff numbers at the time and flagged a late-November 2012 general assembly as a decision point.[10] In December 2012, ESF’s members deferred a final decision on the organisation’s future until end-2014.[11]

Succession by Science Europe (2011)

In October 2011, the majority of the European Science Foundation’s national research-funding and research-performing member organisations established Science Europe, a Brussels-based association created to represent their collective interests and coordinate research policy at the European level.[12][13] This represented a strategic shift away from ESF’s traditional roles in managing research programmes and distributing funding and toward a dedicated platform for policy advocacy and alignment with European Union institutions.[14]

Science Europe assumed many of the coordination and strategic functions previously carried out by ESF, but it was not designed to operate funding schemes directly.[14] Between 2011 and 2015, ESF progressively wound down its research networking activities and transferred policy functions to Science Europe.[14]

Following this transition, ESF operates as an association under the local laws of Alsace–Moselle, no longer holding the legal status of a foundation, and continues as a smaller science-services organisation, focusing on activities such as peer review, research evaluation, and hosting scientific platforms.[15][16] Science Europe became the main advocacy body for Europe’s national research funders and performers.[17]

Portugal research-unit evaluation (2013–2015)

Portugal’s national funder FCT contracted ESF to support a two-stage evaluation of national R&D units.[18] The process and outcomes were disputed by parts of Portugal’s research community; in April 2015, Science characterised the evaluation as politically contentious in reporting on FCT leadership changes.[19] In October 2014, Nature ran a World View opinion column by Amaya Moro-Martín referring to “a flawed evaluation process supported by the ESF”; ESF demanded a retraction and threatened legal action, as covered by Retraction Watch; ESF later said it did not intend to sue “at this stage.”[20][21]

Staffing reductions and shift in operations (2015–2017)

Regional press reported in April 2017 that ESF confirmed its presence in Strasbourg “on different bases,” describing a transition from roughly 120 employees to 19 after three redundancy plans (two voluntary, one compulsory), alongside a pivot to professional services under the **Science Connect** brand (peer review, evaluations and related support) and a medium-term staffing target of around 40; examples of early clients cited included IdEx Bordeaux, the University of Luxembourg and the AXA Research Fund.[22]

Remove ads

Change of focus

ESF has recently changed its scope of work.[23] ESF has closed its traditional research support activities (European Collaborative Research Projects, Exploratory Workshops, Research Networking Programmes, etc.) and is focused now on supporting the scientific community through scientific-support services delivered by its Expert division (Science Connect 2016).[24]

Structure

Summarize
Perspective

ESF is structured as follows:

  • Governing bodies
  • Science Connect Division
  • Community of Experts
  • Expert boards

Governing bodies

The annual assembly is the highest level decision making body of the ESF. It elects the ESF president, the Executive Board, ratifies the budget and accounts and admits new members. The assembly delegates are appointed by ESF member organizations.

The Executive Board sets and direct the overall strategy of the ESF and coordinates the relations with EU and other institutions. The Executive Board consists of the ESF president and 3 to 8 member organizations. The Executive Board meets twice a year.

The President officially represents the ESF to the public and in relations with other national or international organizations.

The Chief Executive is responsible for the implementation of the strategy and policy set by the Executive Board, for administration of the ESF office and its finance and for ensuring the execution of the decision of the assembly and the Governing Council.

Science Connect Division

Science Connect is ESF's Expert services division dedicated to support scientific decision-making through a range of science-support services, such as Grant Evaluation, Career Tracking, coordination of EU-funded Projects and the hosting of scientific platforms and Expert Boards.

Community of Experts

According to the ESF website, the Community of Experts is a network of international recognized experts that covers the full spectrum of the scientific landscape (Humanities, Economics and Social Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Engineering Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Life and Biomedical Sciences).[25] Its role is to sustain scientific collaboration and support excellence in research grant peer-review and proposal evaluation across all scientific disciplines.

ESF's Community of Experts comprises two colleges:

  • The College of Review Panel Members. Review Panel Members have a broad expertise in several scientific disciplines and their mission is to build consensus during the evaluation of research proposals.
  • The College of Expert Reviewers. Expert Reviewers are scientists specialized in a specific scientific domain and are in charge of assessing and evaluating several types of proposals such as fellowship applications and research projects.

Expert boards

Since 1974 ESF has set up and hosted expert boards and committees in several scientific domains. These include space sciences; radio-astronomy frequencies; nuclear physics; marine and polar sciences; and materials science. At present ESF hosts the following Expert Boards:

European Space Sciences Committee (ESSC)

Established in 1974, the ESSC provides unbiased, expert advice to the space scientific community including the European Space Agency, the European Commission, EU national space agencies. Over the years, the ESSC has become the reference body in Europe for independent scientific advice on space matters and a key partner for international research collaboration.

Nuclear Physics European Collaboration Committee (NuPECC)

NuPECC's aim is to strengthen European collaboration in nuclear physics through the definition of a network of complementary facilities within Europe. NuPECC issues recommendations on the development, organization and support of European nuclear physics and particular projects.

Committee on Radio Astronomy Frequencies (CRAF)

Established in 1988, CRAF represents all the major radio astronomical observatories in Europe. CRAF initiates and encourages scientific studies aimed at reducing radio astronomy interference at source and the effects of interference. Throughout the years CRAF has become an active voice in Europe and engages with other groups of radio astronomers in discussions with international organizations that decide on the use of radio spectrum.

Remove ads

Member organizations

Thumb
European Science Foundation Map

Belgium

Bulgaria

France

  • Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)(French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea)
  • Core Technologies for Life Sciences (CTLS)

Hungary

Luxembourg

  • Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR)

Romania

  • Consiliul Național al Cercetării Științifice (National Council for Scientific Research -CNCS)

Serbia

Turkey

Remove ads

Presidents

  • 1974–1979 Brian Flowers
  • 1980–1984 Hubert Curien
  • 1985–1990 Eugen Seibold
  • 1991–1993 Umberto Colombo
  • 1994–1999 Sir Dai Rees
  • 2000–2005 Reinders van Duinen
  • 2006–2011 Ian Halliday
  • 2012–2015 Pär Omling
  • 2016 – April 2020: Martin Hynes[26]
  • April 2020 to date: Véronique Halloin

Secretaries General and Chief Executives

  • 1974–1979 Friedrich Schneider
  • 1980–1986 John Goormaghtigh
  • 1986–1993 Michael Posner
  • 1991–1993 Umberto Colombo
  • 1993–1998 Peter Fricker
  • 1998–2003 Enric Banda
  • 2004–2007 Bertil Anderson
  • 2007 John Marks
  • 2008–2011 Marja Makarow[27][28]
  • 2012–2015 Martin Hynes[26]
  • 2016 – June 2019: Jean-Claude Worms [29]
  • July 2019 to date: Nicolas Walter

Notes and references

External links

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads
Remove ads