Dear EGU Expert,
This month’s Science for Policy Newsletter highlights several science for policy resources and activities that you can dive into before recharging over the holiday season. Read on to learn about science for policy sessions at EGU24 you could submit an abstract to, exciting sessions from the Science for Policy in Europe Conference that are now available to watch on demand, a list of #Science4Policy internship and traineeship opportunities, an opening to visit the European Commission Joint Research Centre’s scientific laboratories and facilities, insights on Climate research needs and challenges from the European Climate Research Alliance, and information about EGU’s 2024 Science for Policy Hangout.

If you have any further questions or comments about the policy opportunities that exist for scientists in Europe, don’t hesitate to get in touch via policy@egu.eu or on the EGU’s official Science for Policy Twitter Account @EGU_Policy.

Wishing you a relaxing and joyful holiday season,
Chloe Hill, EGU Policy Manager

With the EGU24 abstract submission deadline on the Horizon (10 January 2024), now is a great time to consider the sessions that are relevant to your research and areas of interest! This year, there are several policy-related sessions that you might like to consider submitting an abstract to with a small selection highlighted below. Those submitting abstracts to policy-related sessions that fall within the Education and Outreach Sessions (EOS) Programme Group, also have the possibility of submitting two EGU24 abstracts – one to an EOS-led session and another to a different programme group.

EOS4.1 Science policy interface: shaping debates

This session will aim to bridge the gap between science and policy by showcasing success stories and facilitating discussions on effective science-policy formats. Explore the impact of scientific knowledge and your research on policies in climate, environment, sustainability, and resources by submitting an abstract to this #EGU24 session!

EOS4.2 Geoscience, policy, and society: Bridges built and lessons learned

This session will focus on overcoming the unique challenges that scientists face to have an impact on the world of policy. Abstracts submitted to this session should showcase those working to surmount science-policy challenges to create bridges between scientists, citizens, and policymakers to make critical societal impacts.

ITS3.5/BG1.19 Biodiversity from a geoscience perspective

Scientific evidence from the geoscience community is therefore valuable in many political decisions for restoration, or rewilding, including the recent EU Nature Restoration Law. This session will demonstrate the broad spectrum of biodiversity-related areas in which the geosciences contribute and where more geoscience research is needed.

In October, the European Commission held the Science for Policy in Europe conference that brought together policymakers, science advisors, researchers, ethics experts, and other professionals to discuss methods of creating and supporting better science for policy ecosystems in Europe. It included several exciting panels and interactive sessions that are now available for everyone to watch, re-watch, and share on the European Commission’s Science and Innovation YouTube channel.

Some of the sessions that might be of particular interest to EGU experts include:
- How can we build better Science for Policy ecosystems
- Policies and instruments to build capacity and skills
- Ethics and values in science for policy

Internships and traineeships can be a great way to gain a better understanding of Europe’s political landscape and science for policy mechanisms. Getting an insider’s perspective on the policymaking process can also be a great way for researchers to gain better political insight and understand what information is likely to be useful to those in decision-making positions!

EGU’s most recent #GeoPolicy blog post highlights several European internship and traineeship opportunities that you can apply for – read the full list here.

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) is giving access to its scientific laboratories and facilities to visiting researchers as part of its strategy to strengthen research capabilities, skills, knowledge, and tools. This capacity-building program will provide researchers with equipment and other resources needed to do their jobs competently or to a greater capacity within the running and use of similar research infrastructures. This opportunity will also increase the visiting researcher’s familiarity with the JRC laboratories which can improve the suitability of their proposals for the Open Access to Research Infrastructures programme.

To bridge the gap between the scientific community and decision-makers, the European Climate Research Alliance has recently published a White Paper identifying three key topics in polar climate science that need to be considered by policymakers to respond to the challenges of human-induced climate change.

- Observations and monitoring
- Process understanding and linking scales
- Climate variability and change

You can read more about these three key topics and ECRA’s position on the need for European collaborative research efforts here.

Throughout 2023, EGU has been hosting monthly Science for Policy Hangouts that have provided EGU members with an informal space to meet and chat #SciPol and related topics. EGU is happy to announce that these Hangouts will continue in 2024! You can join us on the first Monday of each month at 14:00 CET in 2024 to learn about science for policy initiatives and join in on the discussions!

You can already register for the first six months of EGU’s 2024 Science for Policy Hangout here. We’re looking forward to seeing you there in 2024!