Petition for an increased EU Budget for Research and Innovation

The European Commission, under the leadership of Commissioner Carlos Moedas, has recently published its proposal for Horizon Europe, the upcoming European Research and Innovation Programme for the period from 2021 to 2027.

Portuguese research re-evaluated

To grant 322 scientific proposals for the next 5 years, the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation [FCT] worked together with the European Science Foundation [ESF] for the first time. The distribution of funding raises questions concerning the future of some active physics groups.
The FCT, which is the primary funding body in Portugal, conducted an evaluation of research units across the country in all science fields and announced the first results this summer: 22% of the Portuguese units evaluated were…

Horizon 2020 starts with €15 billion

The European Commission presented in December 2013 the first calls for projects under Horizon 2020, the European Union’s [EU] research and innovation programme over the period 2014-2020.

Horizon 2020 is the EU’s biggest ever research and innovation framework programme with a seven year budget worth nearly €80 billion. With more than €15 billion over the first two years, the funding is intended to help boost Europe’s knowledge-driven economy, and tackle issues that will make a difference in people’s lives…

€70 billion for Horizon 2020

After long negotiation between European Union leaders agreeing on the next seven year budget for the Union, the final figure of €70.2 billion has been agreed upon for the research programme Horizon 2020. Although this total is 23% more than allocated for the current framework programme FP7, the first instalment planned for 2014 of €8.8 billion is actually less than the allocated funding in 2013.

p>During the negotiations a number of demands by the European Parliament were met. These included…

Nobel Laureates warn against Horizon2020 budget

In an Open Letter to the EU Heads of States and Governments, 42 Nobel Laureates and 5 Fields Medallists have stated their grave concern that the upcoming negotations on the overall EU budget from 2014-2020 will disproportionally hit the research and innovation budget. The letter has been published on 23 October in leading newspapers across Europe:
Financial Times (UK), Le Monde (FR), Der Standard (AT), Irish Times (IE), El Páis (ES), Público (PT), Postimes (EE), Le Temps (CH), Jurnalul National (RO), Corriere della Serra (IT), Berlingske (DK), Svenska Dagbladets (SE)…