EUNICE Alliance Launches Research Task Force to Strengthen Joint Research

Santander, 14 January 2026. The EUNICE European University Alliance has reached an important milestone with the establishment of its Task Force for Research, a strategic coordination body aimed at strengthening research collaboration and supporting the development of joint initiatives across partner universities.

The creation of the Task Force was endorsed by theGeneral Assembly in Kalamata in October 2025. This team is working in close coordination with the Vice Presidents/Vice Rectors for Researchto support the definition of a shared research agenda, facilitate transnational cooperation, and translate strategic orientations into concrete, research-driven actions.

The Task Force for Research is focused on structuring collaboration through thematic research clusters, building on existing strengths identified through alliance-wide analysis. These clusters will serve as the main framework for network activities, joint workshops, and the development of collaborative projects.

Key priorities

Key priorities of the Task Force for Research include:

1. Structuring EUNICE research collaboration through clusters, mapping institutional strengths and identifying cluster leadership at institutional level.
2. Supporting transnational research hubs and shared infrastructures, including access to laboratories, equipment, and facilities across the alliance (EUNICE Joint Open Lab).
3. Activating collaboration through thematic workshops and networking formats, including an Alliance seed-funding programme, designed to connect researchers and initiate joint activities.
4. Strengthening EU-Level funding capacity, by encouraging joint participation in European research calls and supporting proposal development.
5. Enhancing integration across EUNICE missions, aligning research with education, mobility, and innovation activities.

During its initial phase, the Task Force for Research will contribute to the definition of the alliance’s joint research priorities, support the launch of cluster-based workshops, launch a seed-funding pilot, expand the research hub model, and promote existing collaboration mechanisms such as joint PhD schemes, researcher mobility, and shared research infrastructures. Longer-term ambitions include reinforcing EUNICE’s positioning within the European Research Area and increasing the visibility and impact of joint research activities.

This initiative marks a significant step toward deeper institutional coordination, increased participation in European research programmes, and more effective researcher collaboration across the alliance. Led by the University of Catania, and administratively supported by the EUNICE General Secretariat, the task force brings together a team of highly experienced research leaders and professionals from across the alliance:

• Cristina Satriano (University of Catania, Italy).
• Ignacio Varela (University of Cantabria, Spain).
• Malin Wikstedt (University of Vaasa, Finland).
• Patrick Hoffmann (Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Seftengen, Germany).
• Rania Aro (University of Mons).
• Sébastien Delprat (Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, France).