European Science Foundation

The European Science Foundation (ESF) is a french association under the local laws of Alsace–Moselle (a region in the eastern part of France), foundation only by name and not in legal status.^[1]

ESF (European Science Foundation)

Legal status	Association - foundation only by name and not in legal status
Location	Strasbourg, France
Membership	10 (2025) from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Luxembourg, Romania, Serbia and Türkiye
Website	www.esf.org

Office in Strasbourg.

Its office is in Strasbourg. In 2025, the association has 10 members from 8 countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Luxembourg, Romania, Serbia and Türkiye.^[2]

Shift in European research funding structures and aftermath for ESF

In 2008, EUROHORCs (European Heads of Research Councils; ceased in 2011 when its members established Science Europe) published a roadmap for a more competitive European Research Area.^[3] The ESF served as EUROHORCs’ implementation agency for funding and coordination instruments, which were wound down in 2011–2014 as national research organisations left ESF’s pooled model; no equivalent intergovernmental scheme has been re-established at ESF level.

However, over the same period, EU research funding was consolidated within the European Commission’s framework programmes, notably Horizon 2020. The programme, launched in 2014 with a budget of nearly €80 billion (around €30 billion more than the preceding Commission's Seventh Framework Programme), was designed to streamline EU research and innovation initiatives under a single framework, strengthen Europe’s global competitiveness, and address major societal challenges through coordinated funding at Union level.^[4]

ESF no longer performs its former role of running funding programmes for EUROHORCs. Instead of dissolving, it keeps operating as an association under the local laws of Alsace–Moselle (an eastern region of France with a distinct local-law regime), providing mainly administrative project services, and applying to participate in EU projects in order to benefit from funding.^[5][6]

As a result, the ESF of today is entirely different from the organisation that once coordinated European funding programmes, while continuing to use the same name.

Grant evaluation

Under ESF’s grant evaluation, the organisation runs a reviewer scheme whereby it outsources the intellectual evaluation work.^[7] External academics undertake the assessments, while ESF provides the administrative framework (direct email outreach to acquire reviewers, submission portal, deadlines).^[8] The reviewers are expected to volunteer their work or may receive an honorarium from ESF, a modest one-off payment as a token of thanks.^{[8] [9] [10] [11]} Meanwhile, ESF earns a commission from the peer-review requesting organisation.^[12]

ERIH journal lists backlash (2008–2011)

The European Reference Index for the Humanities (ERIH) was launched by the ESF in 2002 through its at the time Standing Committee for the Humanities as a reference index of humanities journals.^[13] 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.^[14][15] In January 2009 ESF dropped the letter grades and replaced them with descriptive categories.^[16]

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.^[17][18]

Relocation and governance discussions in Strasbourg (2012–2014)

Local reporting in Strasbourg noted concerns in late 2012 that the 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.^[19] In December 2012, ESF’s members deferred a final decision on the organisation’s future until end-2014.^[20]

Succession by Science Europe (2011)

In October 2011, the majority of the ESF’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.^[21][22] 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.^[23] Since the creation of Science Europe, ESF’s membership has narrowed markedly (see currentmember organisations).

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.^[23] Between 2011 and 2015, ESF progressively wound down its research networking activities and transferred policy functions to Science Europe.^[23]

Following this transition, the European Science Foundation 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 services organisation, focusing on activities such as outsourcing grant evaluation and project administration.^[1][24] Science Europe became the main advocacy body for Europe’s national research funders and performers.^[25]

Portuguese research-units evaluation controversy (2013–2015)

Portugal’s national funder FCT contracted ESF to support a two-stage evaluation of national R&D units.^[26] 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.^[27] 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.”^[28][29]

Survival of elimination vote (2014)

In December 2014, Physics World reported that ESF had “survived an elimination vote” by its members, while its future role remained uncertain as legacy programmes and policy functions were wound down.^[30] ESF’s chief executive at the time, Martin Hynes, acknowledged that many larger national member organisations were resigning - particularly in France, Germany and the United Kingdom - and that ESF might continue with a smaller membership base.

“The question is whether there will be enough members to carry the organisation forward with credibility,” Hynes said, adding that private organisations might be eligible to join under revised statutes.^[30]

Peter Fletcher of the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) stated that STFC and the other UK research councils were in the process of resigning, describing the creation of Science Europe “a positive opportunity for European science.”^[30] ESF members approved changes to the organisation’s statutes to enable new categories of membership, including private organisations - measures that Hynes said were necessary to avoid a de facto dissolution.^[30]

Note: find members listed here, in 2025 ten members but no indication any private organisation is involved with ESF.

European Commission’s COST programme: independence from ESF and subsequent expansion (2014)

The intergovernmental programme COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) - long administered by ESF -became legally independent as the COST Association under Belgian law. By taking over the COST contract with the European Commission, the new association was intended to ensure stability and continuity for COST’s networking mission; the separation was widely viewed as a visible reduction in ESF’s portfolio.^[31]

Since becoming independent, COST has expanded its activity: its 2024 annual report notes 40+ member organisations, 324 active COST Actions and over 60,000 researchers and innovators engaged - around one-third growth since the start of Horizon Europe.^[32] COST Actions are designed to fund collaboration (meetings, training schools, short-term scientific missions) rather than research per se, and are positioned in the EU’s Widening participation policy family; under Horizon 2020, COST committed 50% of its budget to researchers from “widening” countries to spread excellence and strengthen inclusion across the European Research Area.^[33][34]

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). Thereafter, ESF began providing administrative services under the "Science Connect" brand.^[35] In 2025, while retaining its name, ESF appeared under new branding again.

Member organisations

Map of membership of the European Science Foundation

Belgium

• Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique

Bulgaria

• Българска академия на науките

France

• Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer

Hungary

• Magyar Tudományos Akadémia

Luxembourg

• Fonds national de la recherche - ofgekierzt FNR (lb)

Romania

• Consiliul Național al Cercetării Științifice

Serbia

• Српска академија наука и уметности

Turkey

• Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastırma Kurumu

Secretaries General and Chief Executives

Initial foundation:

• 2004–2007 Bertil Anderson
• 2007 John Marks
• 2008–2011 Marja Makarow^[36][37]

Notably, Makarow is the only woman to hold this position, despite ESF's publicly advertised Gender Equality Plan.

Transition to association under the local laws of Alsace–Moselle:

• 2012–2015 Martin Hynes^[38]
• 2016–2019: Jean-Claude Worms ^[39]
• 2019 to date: Nicolas Walter

Note: since 2019 tenure indefinite.