What's going on?

Extra €10.9bn proposed for R&D programme is welcomed, but falls short of expectations.

Science Europe Secretary General quoted in Research Professional saying that she welcomed what she called a “sensible proposal”. “The Commission has done a really good compromise job, so I only hope the member states will be able to approve it,” she said, referring to the short time left before the programmes are due to begin next year.

There’s more in the pot, but MEPs and research lobbies decry ‘mismatch’ between European Commission’s revised research budget and the post-COVID-19 mountains to be scaled.

Science Europe Secretary General quoted in Science Business, saying that the €13.5 billion addition to the Horizon budget is a positive in a “world of compromises” however, “there is a disappointment that [the budget] isn’t at least €100 billion.” 

Science Europe Secretary General quoted in Research Europe saying that “Research has to be competitive, no matter who manages the funds,” Open competitive calls are “the first proof of excellence”, she said, and should be part of processes that disburse public funds.

“This should be seen as a first positive step. Now this money needs to be properly used [and] given to the right hands.” It is not certain whether there are enough suitable researchers to do the work world leaders have pledged to fund, she warned. “It’s a market question—to what extent the scientific community is able to absorb all these funds in an efficient way,” she said.

Research leaders welcome overarching aim of strategy, but express reservations about some proposals.

Science Europe Secretary General, quoted in Research Professional, said that the concepts in the draft strategy were “welcome as a clear outline for the implementation of Horizon Europe”. “Maximising impacts, greater transparency and further simplification, fostering more and better synergies with other EU programmes, ease of access through streamlined information portals…these are issues that have been requested by many stakeholders for many years, including Science Europe.”  But one proposed change, a “clearer specification of the expected impacts” of projects, has caused some concern, she added. 

R&D advocates redouble push for clarity and funding after summit ends in stalemate.

Secretary General of Science Europe quoted in Research Professional, saying that R&D advocates could use the global outbreak of the Covid-19 respiratory disease to show the importance of R&D in emergencies. 

Science Europe Secretary General, Lidia Borrell-Damian, reacts to plans by the EC for an overhauled European Research Area later this year.

Other research and higher education leaders have already expressed concern over the proposed package.