EU-LIFE - an alliance of European top research institutes

EU-LIFE represents leading research centres in life sciences to support and strengthen European research excellence and be a voice for research in European policy. EU-LIFE members are renowned research centres that operate with similar principles of excellence, external reviews, independence, competitiveness, and internationality.

EU-LIFE members are renowned research centres that operate with similar principles of excellence, external reviews, independence, competitiveness, and internationality. These centres have decided to join forces to address complex questions, thereby contributing to improving European science.

FIMM joined the EU-LIFE network in 2013. Currently the alliance comprises of fourteen members and one associate partner from 15 European countries, including, e.g. the Centre of Genomic Regulation (CRG, Barcelona, Spain), Institut Curie (Paris, France), the Instituto Gulbenkian de Sciencia (IGC, Oeiras, Portugal), and the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI, Amsterdam, Netherlands). Partners discuss latest developments in European science policy and produce documents for policy makers and stakeholders in life sciences. 

The structure of the alliance is based on a Board of Directors, a Strategy group, several Working groups & Task forces and an EU-LIFE Office. Mark Daly and Emmy Verschuren represent FIMM in the Strategy group.

The different activities of the alliance are carried out by dedicated Working groups, formed by experts from the member institutions. There are currently six active Working groups: Science Communication, Technology Transfer, Core Facilities, Grants & Funding strategies, Recruitment & Training and IT. FIMM (or University of Helsinki) representavives in these working groups are:

  • Emmy Verschuren & Sanni Hyppönen (Gender Equality)
  • Mari Kaunisto (Science Communication)
  • Katja Kivinen (Core Facilities)
  • Timo Miettinen (IT)
  • Leena Karhinen & Mirkka Herranen (Grants & Funding strategies)
  • Ulla Tuomainen & Markus Vähä-Koskela (Recruitment & Training)

In addition, we have representatives in these task forces:

  • Research and data management: Steffi Besselink
  • COVID-19 response: Emmy Verschuren, Vilja Pietiäinen, Katja Kivinen