Researchers writing in Frontiers in Science warn that advances in AI and neurotechnology are outpacing our understanding of consciousness – with potentially serious ethical consequences. They argue that explaining how consciousness arises – which could one day lead to scientific tests to detect it – is now an urgent scientific and ethical priority. Such an understanding would …
The European Commission published calls for projects to award EU funds worth a total of just over €204 million to propel the deployment and take up of innovative digital technologies across Europe. The nine calls under the Digital Europe Programme focus on unlocking the potential of AI and big data, the completion of the Network of European Digital …
The new initiative is designed to make research careers in Europe more attractive by offering excellent working conditions and long-term prospects. The 2025 call for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Choose Europe for Science is open as of 1 October 2025. With an indicative budget of €22.5 million, this pilot scheme aims to make European research careers more appealing …
The European Commission welcomes political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on the ‘Omnibus’ package to simplify EU investment programmes. Proposed by the Commission in February 2025, the package strengthens InvestEU, the EU’s flagship investment instrument, by increasing the EU guarantee by €2.9 billion – unlocking nearly €55 billion in additional public and private …
The European Union has officially launched the Partnership on One Health Antimicrobial Resistance (OHAMR). Co-funded by Horizon Europe with €75 million, this ambitious 10-year programme tackles the urgent global health threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Next steps AMR causes over 35,000 deaths annually in the EU and 1.27 million worldwide (2019), with projections of up to 10 million per …
The outcomes of the European Commission’s survey on research and innovation actors’ awareness and uptake of the Codes of Practice for Knowledge Valorisation confirm the relevance and great potential of the Codes being used in day-to-day research and innovation activities. The survey, which closed on 16 June 2025, aimed at gathering feedback from research and innovation stakeholders on their use …
The ERC Scientific Council continuously monitors the quality of the submission and evaluation processes, ensuring they are optimised to serve the needs of the European research community. Drawing on feedback from applicants, panel members, and the broader research community, the ERC Scientific Council has decided to introduce a set of improvements in the 2026 and …
The Commission has launched the European strategy on research and technology infrastructures to boost Europe’s leadership in scientific excellence and technological innovation. To remain a frontrunner in the global race for science and innovation, Europe must reinforce decisively its research and technology infrastructures and make them even more integrated and accessible to a wider range …
The European Research Council (ERC) has selected 478 early-career researchers across Europe to receive this year’s Starting Grants. With a total funding of €761 million, these grants support excellent research across diverse fields, including physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, and social sciences and humanities. The backing will help researchers at the beginning of their …
The European Commission has launched a call for evidence for the upcoming European Research Area Act (ERA), which will address the remaining challenges in establishing a single market for researchers, knowledge, and technology—often referred to as the EU’s fifth Freedom. The ERA Act, expected to be adopted in the second half of 2026, will focus …