EU research budget cut

Dear All,

Would you share a testimonial regarding how you will be affected by the the cuts that have been foreseen to the European Research Budget?

An initiative by a group of researchers asks for your help if so!

You have certainly heard about the cuts that have been foreseen to the European Research Budget (more information here: https://url6.mailanyone.net/v1/?m=1kX1tx-000AQi-4R&i=57e1b682&c=X6KTsKniSu6QFiLmT57lAC3MzK5lInqx2_szgTboduiRlGAuxMtGvvcpKZ48hOyaUCQqORZHFhthDr9h7_NMyhZwqnuV7su-r3oIP2BnKxKA-A-qSI6jwNo9nj1zptSCGw9tVp6-EXMvWo2CESnrZn1xQLb_fA4nLDaCS6R2xAVkHBsOJ1q3WofpcexvoF3hi2gYZKPjJTl8vPF3jQSOJGut7Dy2M3wM1XP-xuUSlV1o1W5O76_kXaVlAVJXD2ktBg1PUzxeedu5f0xsoW38yKQ5TtOxicXQ-D202eevp-bI4hrhjXzvUIxXHFnPHP-wPDTkdWTnlSG2zZLLtYV4Ew or here: https://url6.mailanyone.net/v1/?m=1kX1tx-000AQi-4R&i=57e1b682&c=oWzN0L2VSvPA1YaR0OeBHJckfL2BlSJduuezWE0MKUWRXlPzX-a8jyD52EDYJZDo1X7hjjcZglq6eJIgHwKTbC_EhSxbI7SLqeaGVSyo7_ezggTtApvs7k1Ev_Dy0amhvsS45Kuy6PTTvP0z8BxOHFSu59qnk8qrcEjMzif3bik758VYc1iw3doxdqBbl2bsU90pG-pkXDBaBOAEp5htxc1YwU1QI72_6WHJd7uI0U5K4Hua8Ijl53V73ERSx1QQ ).

Together with a few other European researchers we are campaigning for an increase in the EU Horizon research budget, and, as part of that, we have been in touch with MEPs who are supportive of this cause. These MEPs have asked us if we could present them with testimonials of researchers who have established their research group in Europe but are concerned about their future due to limited EU/Horizon funding and are perhaps considering moving to the US or elsewhere. Or of senior investigators who feel that their research was made possible only through European research grants, and who fear that future generations will not be able achieve such important work with the new budget.

The testimonials we are collecting are complementary to other on-going efforts. Our action aims to show that behind the proposed cuts there are real people, exceptionally talented researchers, from every science discipline and every European country, who are concerned about the future of European research; and aims to help MEPs to make a compelling case that reducing the research budget to unreasonable levels could possibly drive some of the best researchers away from Europe.

If you were willing to help, we would kindly ask you whether you would consider writing such a testimonial yourself and/or whether you would agree to share our request with your network. We have collected 35 testimonials so far, but are aiming for about 50. Every testimonial counts and if each of us could collect 2 or 3 of them, we can get there very quickly.

The structure of testimonials would be - 1 sentence about who you are, what you are doing (for non-scientists), why your research is important and why you are concerned about the current funding cuts (e.g. possibly that you will have to consider leaving the EU if that does not change or any other concern that you have / consequences you foresee). If possible on letterhead, signed and pdf format, and addressed to members of European Parliament.

Further parliamentary discussions are taking place on Oct. 27th, and we are therefore working with very short timelines (we would like to receive testimonials by 26th October, but will continue to collect further letters of support on the 27th/28th )

Share your testemonial with Nathalie Conrad for further handling (nathalie.conrad@kuleuven.be).

Thank you very much for your consideration and for your support.

Best regards,

Daniel Yar,

Swedish Chapter