The Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) has contributed to the European Commission's public consultation on the European Research Area (ERA) Act through three statements, calling for stronger investment in researchers and robust protections for academic freedom.
The MCAA has submitted its response to the European Commission's public consultation on the forthcoming ERA Act. Representing over 24,000 researchers from more than 150 countries, the Association has contributed through multiple documents: its own comprehensive policy paper, a joint statement with fellow ERA Forum Stakeholder Group 4 members (Association of ERC Grantees (AERG), European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers (Eurodoc) and Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE), and a statement by the ISE.
A shared vision for researchers
Across all three contributions, the MCAA and its partners deliver a unified message: Europe's research competitiveness and resilience depend on sustained investment in people and knowledge, supported by strong framework conditions and protected excellence-driven instruments. The statements converge on several critical priorities.
Binding investment in research and development. The contributions call for enforceable national commitments to reach the 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) target for research and development (R&D), with 1–1.25% GDP dedicated to public investment. Public funding must remain the backbone of European research, complemented rather than replaced by private investment. The statements converge on the need for a ring-fenced, self-standing €220 billion 10th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10), alongside targeted measures and improved synergies to strengthen research and innovation capacity in Widening countries. The MCAA goes further by advocating for dedicated Work Programmes within FP10, including one specifically for the MSCA.
Protection of excellence-driven, bottom-up funding. The statements unanimously call for explicit safeguards to preserve the autonomy and non-directional character of programmes like the MSCA and the European Research Council (ERC). Greater alignment across the European Union (EU) should focus on governance coherence and interoperability, not on steering the research topics of bottom-up instruments.
Stronger conditions for research careers and mobility. Researchers at all career stages deserve transparent employment contracts with full access to social security. The contributions advocate for minimum standards that reduce precarity, simplified administrative and visa procedures, and recognition frameworks that support mobility without penalising non-linear career paths.
Gender equality and equal opportunities. As fundamental ERA values, these require more than formal compliance. The statements call for strengthened accountability through minimum Gender Equality Plan requirements, improved support for researchers with caregiving responsibilities, and flexible, career-stage-sensitive eligibility criteria that better reflect diverse research trajectories.
Safeguards for academic freedom. Freedom of scientific research is foundational to the ERA, yet protections remain uneven across Member States. The statements call for EU-level, legally binding safeguards and propose an independent European ombudsperson for academic freedom to support researchers facing undue interference. Critically, the contributions recognise that precarious employment conditions undermine researchers' real independence and creative freedom, making addressing career precarity essential to protecting academic freedom.
Open Science and research assessment reform. Reinforcing immediate open access, rights retention, and the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) principles is essential for the free circulation of knowledge. The statements call for EU-wide measures, including Secondary Publication Rights, support for the diamond publishing model, and investment in open infrastructures. Equally important is transforming research assessment through initiatives like the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), moving beyond publication metrics to recognise quality, openness, and diverse contributions.
Knowledge valorisation and intersectoral mobility. Recognition of knowledge valorisation in academic careers remains insufficient. The statements call for intersectoral mobility schemes between academia and industry, with guaranteed rights of return, alongside training and institutional support that enable researchers to translate knowledge into societal, economic, and policy impact.
Coherent approaches to emerging challenges. The contributions highlight the need to reduce fragmentation in guidance on artificial intelligence in research and to develop common, risk-based principles for international cooperation and research security, preserving openness and academic freedom while strengthening resilience.
A substantially strengthened MSCA
The MCAA reiterates its call for a ring-fenced and autonomous MSCA within FP10, with a dedicated budget of at least €25 billion within an overall €220 billion framework programme. The programme's track record demonstrates why investment in people delivers systemic returns: since 1996, the MSCA has supported nearly 150,000 researchers who continue to generate economic, societal and technological impact.
Three contributions, one voice
Through these coordinated submissions, the MCAA draws on the lived experiences of mobile researchers working across Europe and beyond to advocate for an ERA that is open, competitive, fair and globally attractive. The Association stands ready to continue contributing evidence from its community to help shape policies that address the structural challenges facing researchers.
Read the MCAA policy paper "Transformative ERA Act for researchers"
Read the joint statement from the ERA Forum Stakeholder Group 4
Read the Initiative for Science in Europe statement
