Minister says EU nations support event for Covid-hit researchers

Various member states back high-level careers conference championed by former ERC president, says Portuguese minister

Many EU member states back the idea of holding a conference focusing on the careers of young researchers who have been impacted by the pandemic, according to the Portuguese research and education minister Manuel Heitor.

Such an event has been championed by the former president of the European Research Council, Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, who wrote for Research Professional News that Covid-19 has “shattered emerging careers and destroyed motivation” among young researchers. More than 80 per cent of postdoctoral researchers funded by the EU’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions mobility scheme reported that the pandemic had impacted their project negatively or very negatively, he pointed out.