Dear EGU Expert,

This month’s Newsletter shares some of the recently published science for policy reports and studies that analyse Europe’s science for policy landscape. Not only do these reports highlight some of the institutional and individual challenges that those working on the science-policy interface are facing but also some of the steps we can collectively take to support evidence-informed policymaking and improve the integration of research into policy processes.

These reports include the Joint Research Centre’s multi-country analysis, Science-for-policy ecosystems through the eyes of professionals, the European Commission’s, Fostering knowledge-sharing within and among S4P actors, and the Science Advice Mechanism’s Report on challenges for early and mid-career researchers in the provision of science advice. In addition to this, November’s Science for Policy Newsletter highlights the open access Finnish guide Pathways to impact: Researcher’s Handbook on Science for Policy and an open call for researchers to fill over 600 positions at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

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.

Best wishes,
Chloe Hill, EGU Policy Manager

This month, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission published the report Science-for-policy ecosystems through the eyes of professionals which explores the perceived challenges for establishing and maintaining a well-functioning science-policy interface in the EU. To gather this information, a survey was conducted with 500 science for policy professionals from 22 EU Member States. This study found that while there is a willingness to provide and utilise scientific knowledge, a systematic approach that brings both sides together is lacking.

The study also found agreement across professional groups (knowledge producers, users, and brokers) on the need for greater development of science for policy skills, knowledge translation capacities, and institutional support. Not only will this study contribute to the European Commission’s initiatives to strengthen the connections between policymaking and scientific communities but also help move us towards a future where scientific evidence is not only available but integral to the policymaking process.

You can read the full report here.

The European Commission has recently launched a Mutual Learning Exercise on Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy. This initiative aims to facilitate the exchange of information, experiences, and lessons learned, and to identify good practices, policies, and programmes that promote Science for Policy.

The first thematic report of this initiative, Fostering knowledge-sharing within and among S4P actors, has already been published. This report highlights the wide range of knowledge creators that inform scientific policy advice and a need to move away from a linear approach to science advice. In this sense, the report underscores the importance of shaping science for policy within a broader knowledge for policy that allows policymakers to make sense of the evidence. It also emphasises the need for capacity-building tools to integrate high-quality research outputs into policy processes.

You can read the full report here and follow the Mutual Learning Exercise as it progresses here.

Despite being positioned to contribute innovative insights and fresh perspectives to policymaking, early- and mid-career researchers face challenges when engaging in science advice activities. Last month, the Scientific Advice Mechanism published a Report on challenges for early and mid-career researchers in the provision of science advice that examines the obstacles that both researchers and science advisory bodies face when integrating scientific advice into policymaking.

Key challenges identified included a lack of institutional support and recognition as well as gap in science-for-policy training. The insights reported were obtained from literature, a cross-European survey, a workshop, and a series of discussions and therefore paints a nuanced picture of the current landscape.

You can read the full report here.

While EGU primarily focuses on providing resources, tools, and initiatives for researchers to engage on an EU level, there are also guides that can help you to engage on local and national levels. One of these guides is the open access Finnish, Pathways to impact: Researcher’s Handbook on Science for Policy. This handbook provides readers with a general introduction to the different ways in which research can support the policymaking process and the roles that researchers can play before diving into Finnish-specific political processes and examples. It even includes practical tips from the Finnish Prime Minister’s Office in responding to policymakers’ knowledge requests.

If you know of other local, national, or regional science for policy guides that you think should be shared with the wider EGU community, please send them to policy@egu.eu.

The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission currently has over 600 job positions open for researchers! As the in-house research body of the European Commission, the Joint Research Centre has over 40 laboratories and 2,700 scientists, providing knowledge and data to support EU policies. The open call is seeking experts in a wide variety of fields including but not limited to environmental and climate sciences, engineering, energy, artificial intelligence, and geo-information technologies. The Joint Research Centre’s facilities are also located in many locations in Europe including Seville (Spain), Ispra (Italy), Karlsruhe (Germany), Petten (The Netherlands), Brussels and Geel (Belgium).

You can read more about the open positions and submit your applications here before 12:00 midday on 10 December 2024.