EU Commission Opens Call for Leading Scientists to Shape AI Research Strategy Through RAISE Advisory Board
The European Commission invites top AI researchers to join the RAISE High-Level Academic Advisory Board, steering AI science priorities across Europe.
EU Commission Opens Call for Leading Scientists to Shape AI Research Strategy
Key Developments
The European Commission has launched a call for applications inviting top scientists researching AI or using AI in their research to join the newly formed RAISE High-Level Academic Advisory Board. The board will bring together 10 to 15 leading academics in AI science, appointed in a personal capacity to act independently and in the public interest. The application deadline is 4 September 2026.
This represents a significant governance move for RAISE (Resource for AI Science in Europe), a virtual institute launched in November 2025 that pools top talent and resources to drive excellence in AI science. The initiative spans both AI in science and the science of AI, and is currently in its pilot phase, funded under the Horizon Europe programme.
Industry Context
The advisory board announcement reflects the EU’s commitment to building European AI capacity at both the research and governance levels. The timing is strategic, arriving as the EU AI Act’s core compliance deadlines loom in August 2026—a moment when clarity on research priorities and institutional leadership becomes critical.
RAISE itself mobilises leading European scientific organisations and research infrastructures across five pilot areas: fundamental physics and astronomy, materials science, life science, earth sciences, and social sciences and humanities. These efforts work in concert with AI research centres and e-infrastructures across the continent.
The advisory board will be a key component of RAISE governance and will help consolidate efforts toward the uptake of AI in science and the acceleration of scientific breakthroughs in AI. This institutional scaffolding signals that Brussels is thinking beyond regulation toward positive capacity-building—ensuring European research institutions can compete globally in AI-driven science.
Practical Implications
For European researchers and research institutions, this call represents an opportunity to influence the strategic direction of EU-backed AI science initiatives. Board membership offers a platform to shape how European research funding flows and how AI priorities are set across the bloc.
For organisations building AI applications in Europe, the advisory board’s work will likely influence how research findings translate into policy and practice. Strong academic stewardship of AI science priorities can help align innovation pipelines with regulatory frameworks—a particular concern given the AI Act’s approaching enforcement milestones.
Irish researchers and institutions should note that this is a pan-European call with no geographic restrictions beyond the requirement to contribute to European AI science priorities. The Horizon Europe funding backing RAISE means Irish researchers and institutions are eligible to participate.
Open Questions
Key uncertainties remain around how the advisory board will coordinate with the existing EU AI Act governance structures—particularly the Scientific Panel that advises the AI Office on Act implementation. Whether the RAISE board will provide independent counter-weight to regulatory momentum, or primarily accelerate alignment with it, remains to be seen.
Also unclear: how quickly the board will translate its scientific guidance into concrete shifts in research priorities or funding allocation, and whether its remit will extend beyond science to inform broader EU digital competitiveness strategies.