European Academy of Sciences

European Academy of Sciences
Name	European Academy of Sciences
Formation	2003
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	Brussels
Region served	Europe
Languages	English, French
Leader title	President

Contents

European Academy of Sciences The European Academy of Sciences is an independent pan-European learned society that brings together eminent Nobel Prize laureates, members of national academies such as the Royal Society, the Académie des sciences (France), the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, and distinguished figures from institutions including the Max Planck Society, the CNRS, the CERN, and the European Commission. Founded with participation by leaders who have affiliations with universities such as University of Cambridge, Université Paris-Saclay, ETH Zurich, and Sapienza University of Rome, the Academy fosters links among figures associated with awards like the Fields Medal, the Turing Award, the Lasker Award, and the Wolf Prize.

History

The Academy was established in the early 21st century by a group of scientists and engineers with backgrounds at organizations including the European Space Agency, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, the Imperial College London, and the École Polytechnique. Early meetings included participants from national academies such as the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and delegations from research centers like the Pasteur Institute and the Karolinska Institute. The founding period overlapped with European initiatives represented by the Lisbon Strategy and scientific policy dialogues at the European Parliament, while collaborating with institutions linked to figures known from the Nobel Prize in Physics and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

The Academy's declared goals align with objectives championed by entities such as the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the World Health Organization when addressing scientific advice, research excellence, and innovation policy. It promotes exchanges among members affiliated with universities like Heidelberg University, KU Leuven, University of Oxford, and Università degli Studi di Milano and encourages multidisciplinary dialogue referencing developments tied to the Human Genome Project, the Large Hadron Collider, and initiatives at the European Investment Bank that support research commercialization. The Academy advocates for evidence-informed policy through interactions with bodies similar to the European Research Council and partnerships resembling those with the Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Fellows include elected scientists with links to institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Princeton University, the Johns Hopkins University, and the University of California, Berkeley, and personalities recognized by awards like the Belgian Francqui Prize and the Royal Society of Canada Medal. Membership categories mirror structures seen in the Academia Europaea and the National Academy of Sciences. Fellows have backgrounds spanning laboratories such as Salk Institute for Biological Studies, observatories like the European Southern Observatory, and companies like Siemens AG or Philips. Honorary members have often been leaders from political arenas connected to the European Commission or from philanthropic organizations comparable to the Gates Foundation.

Governance follows an executive board model similar to those of the Royal Society, the Académie des sciences (France), and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, with elected officers including a president, vice-presidents, and a treasurer drawn from universities like Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa and École Normale Supérieure. Advisory committees comprise specialists with affiliations to research councils such as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and think tanks akin to the Bruegel institute. Secretariat functions are based in Brussels, coordinating with regional academies such as the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

The Academy runs conferences, symposia, and workshops that feature speakers from organizations like Nature (journal), Science (journal), the European Space Agency, and the International Monetary Fund when addressing science policy intersections. Programs include mentorship and mobility schemes modeled on the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and collaborative projects with research infrastructures exemplified by the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC). It organizes thematic panels on topics handled by specialists affiliated with the World Health Organization, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The Academy confers prizes and medals inspired by historic awards such as the Copley Medal, the Royal Society Bakerian Medal, and national honors like the Legion of Honour when celebrating scientific achievement. Award recipients have affiliations with laboratories like Max Planck Institutes and universities including Columbia University and Harvard University, and sometimes coincide with laureates of the Nobel Prize or recipients of the European Inventor Award. Awards often recognize contributions to research themes central to projects like the Human Genome Project and the Large Hadron Collider.

The Academy maintains partnerships with supranational and national research organizations including groups similar to the European Research Council, the European Commission, and foundations akin to the Wellcome Trust and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Collaborations extend to universities such as University of Bologna, University of Warsaw, Trinity College Dublin, and to research entities like the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the CERN. It engages in joint initiatives and memoranda with academies like the Academia Europaea and the Royal Society, and participates in networks connected to the Global Young Academy and continental partnerships oriented around programs like the Horizon Europe framework.