3 Nov
2011
3 Nov
'11
3:14 p.m.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2011 17:42:08 +0100
From: secretariat allea <secretariat(a)allea.org>
To: secretariat allea <secretariat(a)allea.org>
Subject: Open Letter to the European Commission on Socio-economic Sciences
and Humanities research in the new FP, 2014-2020
Dear colleagues,
With this message we would like to invite you to sign an Open Letter addressed to the
European Commissioner for Research and Innovation (http://www.eash.eu/openletter2011/),
alerting her to the vital insights that Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities (SSH)
contribute to address Europe's and the world's Grand Societal Challenges.
In view of legislative decisions to be taken on the next 100-Billion-worth EU Framework
Programme Horizon 2020 (2014-2020), the letter stresses the necessity for a varied and
strong research programme in the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities (SSH): it argues
that neglecting such potential contributions as SSH research has to make risks undermining
the EU strategy to develop innovative, inclusive and sustainable societies. Yet, there
still is a distinct danger of insufficient funding in Horizon 2020 for research areas such
as cultural change, demography, education, the economy and globalisation, identity
politics and social cohesion, and many others. For background information on these matters
see: http://www.eash.eu/openletter2011/
The Open Letter initiative has grown out of deliberations among a number of European
umbrella organisations in the area of SSH, and seeks to bring to the attention of the
European Commission and national governments the concerns of the largest research
community in Europe.
If you agree, that a substantial and independent SSH-centered research programme should be
included in all future European Framework Programmes, we invite you to sign the Open
Letter online at http://www.eash.eu/openletter2011/. Please also kindly circulate this
invitation to sign among your institutions, and across your networks and subject
associations.
First results of this initiative will be presented to Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn on 10
November 2011. We hope to be able to point to a high number of signatures as an expression
of a groundswell of support and concern among SSH communities. The collection of
signatures will, however, continue after this specific date, as the legislative decision
process will last for longer.
Thank you in advance for signing and for supporting this initiative. Do not hesitate to
contact us if you have any questions:
SSH-letter@net4society.eu<mailto:SSH-letter@net4society.eu>.
On behalf of the Inter-agency Task Group on SSH in Europe,
Dr Ruediger Klein
Executive Director
European Federation of National Academies
of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA)
P.O.Box 19121, 1000GC Amsterdam
c/o KNAW, Kloveniersburgwal 29, 1011JV Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31-20-5510-722 (secretariat: -754)
ruediger.klein@allea.org<mailto:ruediger.klein@allea.org>