The position of Switzerland in H2020 and ERASMUS +
The rectors of the League of European Research Universities [LERU], during a meeting in Helsinki from 16-17 May 2014, have reflected on the present relationship between Switzerland and the European Union [EU].
Although respecting the Swiss vote to limit the immigration and the consequent EU decision to exclude Switzerland from the Erasmus+ programme and downgrade Switzerland from associated to third country in Horizon 2020 calls, the rectors regret the negative impact this will have on the strong Swiss research, innovation and education community…
EAS’s recommendations on Open Access
The European Astronomical Society [EAS] published a report entitled “Exploring the road to Open Access Publishing”. The report examines many aspects of open access with regard to publishing in the domain of astronomy, and provides 6 recommendations.
The EAS report explores the benefits and limitations of open access publication. The recurrent and main concern is the financial uncertainty arising from the transition from the traditional system and open access publication.
The conclusions of the report underline the importance of informing the members of the scientific community…
Statement from the Ukrainian Physical Society
The European Physical Society supports through its e-EPS newsletter the following statement of the Ukrainian Physical Society [UFT].
The Ukrainian Physical Society, on behalf of the physics community in the Ukraine, would like to express its disappointment that the Eastern Partnership Summit, Vilnius, 28-29 November 2013 did not seize the opportunity of reinforcing Ukraine’s ties to Europe. The Ukrainian Physical Society deeply believes that closer relations with…
Managing the Transition to Open Access Publication
Discussions regarding open access to scientific literature began in 1990s as a result of the widespread availability of the World Wide Web. In order to better understand the implications and impact of recent policy developments, the European Physical Society [EPS] organised a Round Table on Open Access publishing at its Council Meeting on 5 April 2013. The Round Table brought together scientists from different fields (astronomy, chemistry, physics, biology…) and from different countries and learned societies. Sir John Enderby chaired the Round Table, whose participants were: J. Dudley (EPS); M. Huber (EAS); D. Kulp (APS); A. Oleandri (SIF – EPJ); B. Pulverer (EMBO); U. Schubert (EuCheMS); and J.-H. Weil (FEBS).
The Round Table showed that publishing is an essential part of scientific research, necessary for the communication of results, inspiring future research and career development. Publishing is also a core activity of learned societies. The Round Table also brought to light that different scientific communities, national contexts, and positions in learned societies have an influence on positions regarding open access to scholarly, peer reviewed articles.
Assisting education in the EU countries under serious economic pressure
The EPS Executive Committee supports a widespread dissemination through its e-EPS newsletter of the following appeal, which is integrally reproduced.
Dear Colleagues,
please consider our initiative which is open on support-education-eu.itp.uni-heidelberg.de trying to assist education in the EU countries affected by serious economic pressure. We should like to ask you to sign it, and it would be…
Open Access: a challenge on the boil for scientists and publishers
A Round Table session on Open Access, introduced and moderated by Professor Sir John Enderby, President of the Institute of Physics [IoP] from 2004 to 2006, was hosted during the 2013 EPS Council meeting. Participants with various interests and backgrounds confronted their views on the evolving landscape of scientific publications. Professor Enderby opened the discussions by a presentation of the different, counteracting interests in scientific publications of researchers, funders, librarians and information managers, publishers, small and medium enterprises, and the general public. The recent statements by governments on the implementation of open access [OA]…
The Finch Report: impact on researchers
Steven Hall, Managing Director of IOP Publishing has recently published an article entitled “What does Finch mean for researchers, librarians and publishers?”.
June 2012 saw publication of the Finch report into expanding access to published research findings, the UK Government’s response to the report and the issuing of a revised policy on open access publication of research papers by the UK Research Councils. All appear to be driving the UK towards the world’s most rigorous adoption…
Scientists express concern over L’Aquila verdict
On 6 April 2009 an earthquake of a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter Scale struck the region of L’Aquila, Italy, destroying the city center and killing 308 people and injuring 1 600. On 26 October 2012, an Italian court found six of Italy’s most respected seismologists and a seismic specialist from Italy’s civil protection guilty of manslaughter.
The verdict has raised grave concerns in the international scientific community agency. Both the European Geosciences Union and the American Geophysical Union have published articles on their respective web sites…
Open Access for UK and Horizon2020 publications
In June 2012 a UK working group of scientists, funding agencies and publishers made available a report on “Accessibility, sustainability, excellence: how to expand access to research publications”.
This work, known as the Finch report after the chairwoman of the group, Janet Finch, made the recommendation for a larger implementation of open access models in the UK publishing scene. The Finch report has very rapidly triggered a decision of Research Councils UK (RCUK), the umbrella body for Britain’s seven research councils,…
Nobel Laureates warn against Horizon2020 budget
In an Open Letter to the EU Heads of States and Governments, 42 Nobel Laureates and 5 Fields Medallists have stated their grave concern that the upcoming negotations on the overall EU budget from 2014-2020 will disproportionally hit the research and innovation budget. The letter has been published on 23 October in leading newspapers across Europe:
Financial Times (UK), Le Monde (FR), Der Standard (AT), Irish Times (IE), El Páis (ES), Público (PT), Postimes (EE), Le Temps (CH), Jurnalul National (RO), Corriere della Serra (IT), Berlingske (DK), Svenska Dagbladets (SE)…
