Photo above includes Signe Ratso, Deputy Director General Research and Innovation at the European Commission, and Orla Feely, President of CESAER and President of University College Dublin, ahead of the research security conference.
From 28 to 30 October, university representatives, government officials and EU policy makers gathered in Brussels for the first edition of the European flagship conference on research security.
The event was co-organised by the European Commission together with key stakeholder organisations such as CESAER.
During the conference’s high-level dialogue, our association was represented by Orla Feely, recently re-elected President of CESAER, and President of University College Dublin.
The following representatives engaged in the high-level dialogue alongside President Feely (from left to right in the photo above):
CESAER President Orla Feely underlined that enhancing research security is a complex and challenging task for universities. She explained that these challenges stem from the very nature of universities, which rely on the open exchange of ideas and people across borders, are embedded in broad international networks, and place high value on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Universities of science and technology, in particular, are often at the forefront of navigating these issues due to the nature of their research.
She also reflected that within this changing, complex and challenging environment, researchers have different levels of awareness and comfort when it comes to research security— with some having spent much of their professional career during an era when such considerations were not a regular part of academic life.
There are also many grey areas, she noted, particularly in research involving low-TRL (technology readiness level) technologies, where risks are less clearly defined. Some universities also lack in-house legal expertise to provide clear, authoritative guidance for such cases, making it all the more crucial to establish clarity, consistency, and accessible support at the national and European level.
President Feely highlighted that universities have a key role to play in managing research security effectively. She underlined the importance of clear institutional processes and shared responsibility, supported by visible commitment from both university leadership and researchers across all levels. Building awareness and embedding good practices into everyday research activities, she noted, will be essential to strengthening the resilience of universities over time.
Reflecting on the practicalities related to research security, she highlighted that training for researchers across all levels should be a key enabler of research security. She referred to national examples—such as in Ireland—where training on research integrity has been made a requirement for funding, which has helped encourage good practice and awareness.
At the European level, President Feely highlighted the importance of ensuring a level playing field and consistent support for universities across member states. Strengthening research security, she noted, will require close cooperation and mutual trust between universities, governments, and EU institutions, with each bringing their expertise and perspective to build a coherent and balanced approach.
She closed her intervention with a clear message: the discussions at this flagship conference represent a key opportunity to assume collective responsibility for research security and to advance a coordinated approach with consistent expectations, clear responsibilities, and tangible support for universities. Building a secure, open, and trusted research environment across Europe will require continued dialogue—but also tangible steps that universities can take to protect both their research and their researchers.
Following a dedicated CESAER seminar series and key publications in 2023, 2024 and 2025, the CESAER Task Force Openness of Science and Technology, together with other CESAER task forces, has been at the forefront of exchanging best practices in research security, as well as giving concrete national and European level recommendations to enhance research security.
In our recent input note, titled “Research security as a collective responsibility: empowering universities, enabling Europe”, our association shares best practices for strengthening research security at university level and calls on the European Union and national governments to empower universities in implementing proportionate safeguards to enhance research security.
Our association, through the Task Force Openness of Science and Technology, will continue to closely monitor and contribute to developments in the sphere of research security.
For more information, please contact Advisor for Research Vincent Klein Ikkink.
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