Shaping science policy in Europe.

Area of Science:

• European science policy
• Research funding
• Biomedical research

Background:

• The Lisbon Strategy (2000) elevated science's role in the EU's knowledge-based economy.
• This spurred greater scientist involvement in EU science policy.
• A collective scientific movement led to the European Research Council (ERC) for basic research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the creation of the European Research Council (ERC) and the Scientific Panel for Health (SPH).
• To understand the evolving relationship between scientists and science policy-making in Europe.
• To share lessons learned from the formation of these scientific bodies.

Main Methods:

• Historical analysis of the period 2002-2014.
• Examination of the collective action by scientists and scientific organizations.
• Review of policy documents and initiatives related to the ERC and SPH.

Main Results:

• The Lisbon Strategy catalyzed scientists' engagement in policy.
• Scientists successfully campaigned for bottom-up research funding and the ERC.
• The European biomedical community proposed the Scientific Panel for Health (SPH) for a long-term health research strategy.

Conclusions:

• The collective action of scientists can significantly influence European science policy.
• The creation of the ERC and SPH demonstrates a new model of scientist-policy interaction.
• Understanding these processes can inform future science policy development and collaboration.