The universities of the A-4U support the Call on the European Union to strengthen research in Social Sciences and Humanities

A temporary alliance of universities in countries called ‘leading in Social Sciences and Humanities’ by the European Commission, found that there is a strong consensus amongst the European institutions about the need to strengthen SSH research and improve its integration in Framework Programme 9. To help the European Commission to define the actions needed to implement this vision, the authors jointly make five recommendations:

1. The creation of an SSH Platform and strengthening of multidisciplinary collaboration
2. Encouraging researchers to think about how to generate academic and societal impact when drafting proposals
3. Recognizing that all disciplines crucially contribute to the goals of an inclusive and prosperous Europe
4. Investing in high-quality SSH research & innovation opportunities
5. Adding a target budget of 10% to the existing Key Performance Indicators for Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH).

The position paper with the five recommendations is available for download. Other organisations are encouraged to show their support to this call on the EU until 28 February 2018. After this date the final document will be sent to representatives of the European Institutions so that they consider it in the design of the EU’s IX Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP9).