Manifesto: Europe supports early research careers and stimulating research workplaces#

Members of Academia Europaea may have followed more or less closely the outcome of the call that Jean-Pierre Bourguignon MAE published last fall about the impact of the Covid epidemic on early career researchers. It led to the organisation in June of the 4th Gago Conference "Europe supporting young researchers in times of uncertainty", coorganised by Ciencia Viva and ISE, with an organising committee which included representatives of MCAA, Eurodoc, YAE, Euroscience... as well as Jean-Pierre Bourguignon and Manuel Heitor, the former Research Minister of Portugal.

During the preparation of the Conference, the war against Ukraine started; it became quickly clear that it would also impact early career researchers, but also that both crises were hurting early career researchers for whom the situation is, to say the least, far from good even before the latest events. It was decided that the conference should lead to the publication of a Manifesto for early career researchers. After some polishing during the summer, the text was released publicly last week, and is now open for endorsement by organisations and individuals - more info and links at:

https://initiative-se.eu/press-release-a-manifesto-for-early-career-researchers#

Addressing researchers' precarity, and improving their career path is a policy that is now adopted by the Commission and Members States. But as we all know, little will happen unless there is a strong pressure coming from stakeholders.

Academia Europaea therefore encourages its members to endorse and sign up the Manifesto and to spread the information about its existence and encourage all relevant stakholders to sign, both individually and as institutions.