Dear ALLEA members and friends, 

We have all been following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis that unfolded with great shock and anguish. In a statement from 25 February, ALLEA called on the Russian government to respect the international conventions on the protection of civilians and cultural artefacts, and expressed its full solidarity and support to its Ukrainian member, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. In a follow-up statement from 4 March, we announced the provisional suspension of membership of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus from ALLEA.

Amidst the atrocities and losses that have already transpired from this war, we have also witnessed with utmost admiration the solidarity and tireless mobilisation of the scientific communities in Europe and beyond to provide assistance to the scholars who have been affected by the war. In this light, ALLEA has extended its partnership with the Breakthrough Prize Foundation to set up the ‘European Fund for Displaced Scientists’ to support scholars and scientific institutions impacted by the war. The Foundation will dedicate $1.5 million of its $3 million pledge for impacted scientists to ALLEA, who will encourage academic institutions in Europe to apply for funding to host scientists forced to flee their homes. You can also read about other support schemes by European academies and ALLEA partners on our portal Support for Ukraine.

As we wholeheartedly anticipate the return to peace and the rule of law in Europe, our scientific endeavours continue, and I am pleased to present our latest statement 'Aligning Intellectual Property Rights with Open Science' prepared jointly by ALLEA's Open Science Task Force and the Permanent Working Group Intellectual Property Rights. The statement examines the current patent system in the context of the ideals and objectives of open science and recommends, among others, the introduction of grace periods in patent applications to make knowledge open as early as possible. I invite you to read the full statement here.

Kind regards, 

Antonio Loprieno 

President of ALLEA