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UK, Canada and Switzerland’s research-intensive universities additionally urge Fee to assist curiosity-driven analysis
College teams from Canada, Switzerland and the UK have urged the European Fee to make sure early and equal entry for related nations to the EU’s subsequent analysis and innovation programme.
In a letter to Fee president Ursula von der Leyen, the heads of U15 Canada, Swiss Universities and the Russell Group say that readability over the phrases of affiliation to Framework Programme 10 is important to permit nations to commit funding and construct partnerships early.
“A course of to clarify the phrases of becoming a member of FP10 forward of time would allow nations such because the UK, Canada and Switzerland to make an knowledgeable, early determination about associating,” the letter states.
Collaboration between the three nations and the EU is crucial to maximising FP10’s influence on financial progress and competitiveness, they write. “Supporting affiliation on mutually useful phrases, with equal entry the place nations are related, would assist make this a actuality,” the letter says.
Support elementary analysis
The college teams additionally referred to as for the programme to supply adequate assist for elementary analysis.
“We imagine a transparent FP10 deal with curiosity-driven analysis enhances plans for a European Competitiveness Fund,” the letter states. The brand new aggressive fund is anticipated to be extra industry-led and the Fee has stated it is going to be tightly related to the EU’s subsequent R&I programme.
Earlier this month, European organisations called for the subsequent programme to correctly assist early-stage collaborative analysis. A proposal for the 2028-34 R&I programme is anticipated from the Fee on 16 July.
UK efficiency
On the identical time, the Russell Group printed a briefing that reveals UK researchers are performing strongly in profitable EU funding for elementary analysis below the present programme.
For instance, the UK gained 56 European Analysis Council Superior Grants, price round €140m, within the 2024 name, which was 60 per cent greater than another nation, it stated.
However UK participation in collaborative tasks stays beneath the extent that it reached earlier than the UK left the EU, in line with the colleges group.
The Russell Group warned that uncertainty over FP10 and concerning the present UK affiliation is usually deterring European companions from investing in collaborations with UK researchers. If the UK made “an early declaration of intent to affiliate to FP10” it could “assist safe and improve relationships with EU companions”, it stated.
