Europe

The Royal Society works with academies, funding agencies, scientists and governments across Europe. 

The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in June 2016. The Society is working across the areas of mobility and collaboration, funding and infrastructure and policy and regulation to understand the impact of Brexit on UK and science.

In July 2016, the academies of Europe came together to sign a statement Science is Global, accompanied by a social media campaign.

The Royal Society engages with the European Union to promote the effective use of scientific evidence in policy-making and to advise on European research funding programmes. In March 2015, the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moedas, delivered a lecture at the Royal Society on ‘science without borders’.

The Society is a member of the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC), a forum for national science academies in the EU, and All European Academies (ALLEA), a forum for science and humanities academies in the Council of Europe region. We contribute to reports and statements published by both organisations and engage with European parliamentarians on issues affecting science in Europe.

Information by country

France

In 2018, the Royal Society, the Leopoldina and the Academie des Sciences published a joint statement underlining the importance of cooperation in European science.

In 2017, the Royal Society, the Leopoldina and the Academie des Sciences published a joint statement providing guidelines for best practice in the evaluation of scientific research.

The Royal Society collaborates with Academie des Sciences, the French national science academy, on scientific advice for G7 heads of government. 

The Academie des Sciences supports the Royal Society Milner Award for outstanding achievement in computer science by a European researcher.

Germany

In 2017, the Royal Society, the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften and the Leopoldina published a joint statement emphasising their commitment to ensure that science remains open to the world, to support and promote excellent science and to the continued scientific collaboration between the UK and Germany in this time of change.

This statement follows a high-level meeting in Berlin in February 2017 including scientists from all three organisations.

In 2010 we awarded the Royal Society King Charles II Medal to Chancellor Angela Merkel, for making an outstanding contribution to furthering scientific research in Germany.

The Society collaborates with the Leopoldina, the German national science academy, on scientific advice for G7 heads of government. In June 2015, the Society worked with the other G7 science academies on three statements that were sent to heads of government in advance of the G7 summit in Germany on: antibiotics, tropical diseases, and the future of the world’s oceans. 

The Leopoldina supports the Royal Society Milner Award for outstanding achievement in computer science by a European researcher.

The Society has held several Frontiers of Science meetings in Germany with the support of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

Italy

The Society collaborates with Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, the Italian national science academy, on scientific advice for G7 heads of government. In May 2017, the Society worked with the other G7 science academies on three statements that were sent to heads of government in advance of the G7 summit in Italy on: New economic growth, Cultural heritage and the challenge of neurodegenerative diseases in an aging population. 

Turkey

Scientists in Turkey are eligible for Newton International Fellowships, Newton Advanced Fellowships and Newton Mobility Grants which all form part of the UK’s Newton Fund.