International Science Policy

The EU is a central arena for science policy. The Leopoldina’s aim is to ensure that the interests of the German scientific community are visible in the shaping of European policy. At the heart of this is a researcher-centred perspective, alongside core values such as freedom of research, excellence, integrity and inclusiveness.

The Leopoldina is actively involved in key debates on the European Research Area (ERA), the EU framework programme for research and innovation (FP9 and FP10), and European science diplomacy. In policy-for-science discussions – for example on genome editing or the implementation of the EU Competitiveness Compass – it contributes evidence and expertise. In addition, it plays an active role in committees of the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany and is a member of Forum.EU, the German Federal Government’s central advisory structure for European research and innovation policy.

Through the academy networks EASAC, ALLEA and FEAM, the Leopoldina also helps to shape EU science policy and contributes to the development of evidence-based recommendations for policymakers. As the SAPEA consortium, these networks are also firmly integrated into the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism.

ESAF was established in 2014 and is a semi-formal body comprising the chief scientific advisers of the EU Member States as well as of associated and candidate countries. ESAF primarily serves as a forum for the exchange of best practice in science-based policymaking. In coordination with the German Federal Government, the President of the Leopoldina represents Germany in ESAF.

International cooperation is indispensable to science, but is increasingly shaped by geopolitical tensions, security concerns and differing regulatory frameworks. As a result, questions of academic freedom, integrity and security are gaining in importance.

Through analyses, statements and confidential exchange formats, the Leopoldina helps to assess risks in a differentiated manner, supports a balanced approach between openness and security interests, and promotes processes for weighing risks. It advocates an evidence-based assessment of restrictive measures while at the same time strengthening researchers’ individual responsibility in dealing with international cooperation. Of particular relevance in this context is the Joint Committee on the Handling of Security-Relevant Research of the Leopoldina and the DFG. In addition, the Leopoldina plays an active role in the relevant bodies of the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany, as well as in national, European and international exchange and networking formats, for example with the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), in the context of the G7, or within ENCORS.

The Leopoldina also contributes its expertise to the German Federal Government’s bilateral foreign science policy, for example through the commissions on scientific and technological cooperation (WTZ), which serve to coordinate and shape joint research and innovation priorities and to promote bilateral cooperation projects at governmental level. To this end, the Academy takes part in the country-specific exchange rounds organised by the responsible ministries, such as the BMFTR and the Federal Foreign Office, and reports at meetings of the WTZ commissions, often together with its respective country-specific partner organisations.