Send us a link
ERC Makes Bid to Become a 'permanent Standalone' EU Body
The European Research Council (ERC) Scientific Council wants the EU's fundamental research fund to become independent from the European Commission, with a stable long-term budget.In a surprise move on June 17, the council sent a proposal to create an independent ERC to Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and research commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva. So far, the letter has not been made public.
Commission Seeks Links Between Civil and Military Research Funds
The European Commission wants to make it easier for research and innovation projects to move between civilian and military programmes.
Trump Budget Cuts Hit CERN and Other Global Science Partnerships
Trump Budget Cuts Hit CERN and Other Global Science Partnerships
With steep budget cuts already upending the US science world, the Trump administration is now taking aim at global science, including US collaboration with Europe's CERN particle accelerator and other "big science" labs.The proposed cuts, detailed on May 31 in Trump's 2026 budget plan to Congress, stunned scientists around the world for whom the US has been a key collaborator.
Work on FP10 Outline Must Start Immediately, says MEP Ehler
There is an urgent need to fill in the detail of FP10, the next EU research and innovation Framework Programme, following confirmation that a regulation to set it up will be published on July 16 alongside the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
Viewpoint: Novel Ideas, Bold Bets
At the European Research Council (ERC) we know that ambitious, high-risk research pushes back the frontiers of knowledge. Supporting scientifically daring and novel projects means trusting researchers with bold ideas, those who challenge existing paradigms and push the boundaries of existing knowledge and methodologies.
Horizon Europe Expulsion "Almost a Death Sentence for Israeli Science"
Horizon Europe Expulsion "Almost a Death Sentence for Israeli Science"
Ejecting Israel from Horizon Europe would be "almost a death sentence for Israeli science," the president of the country's Academy of Sciences and Humanities has said, as debate grows in the EU over whether to expel the country.
Research, Progress and a 'feel Good' Factor: What Germany's New Research Minister Wants
Research, Progress and a 'feel Good' Factor: What Germany's New Research Minister Wants
Dorothee Bär has promised space travel, a computer games unit in her new ministry and less bureaucracy.
Leaked Commission Memo Lays out Plan for European Competitiveness Fund
EU Commissioners have discussed the possibility of bundling the next Framework Programme for research and innovation with other funding instruments under the European Competitiveness Fund, according to a leaked briefing note.
What Have the EU's Research Framework Programmes Actually Invented?
Last year, when visiting Germany's Sprind innovation agency, I was asked a question that had me stumped: do the EU's research Framework Programmes, the current one being Horizon Europe, actually "work"?
'Self-standing' FP10 Will Be 'Tightly Connected' to European Competitiveness Fund, Von Der Leyen Says
'Self-standing' FP10 Will Be 'Tightly Connected' to European Competitiveness Fund, Von Der Leyen Says
The next Framework Programme for research and innovation is set to remain independent but would still contribute to the European Competitiveness Fund, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said during a speech on May 20.
European Research Projects Hit by Halt to NIH Sub-awards
The shock decision by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) to stop new funding for more than a thousand foreign research partners is causing delays and uncertainty in global health science projects, say scientists.
Don't Forget Bottom-up Research, Industry Tells EU Commission
Europe should not forget fundamental and bottom-up research as it looks to channel more resources to strategic technologies that will be crucial for its competitiveness, the business community is warning.
Budget First, Impact Later: Academic Community Reacts to Horizon Europe Analysis
Budget First, Impact Later: Academic Community Reacts to Horizon Europe Analysis
The academic community has pushed back against conclusions drawn from an interim evaluation of Horizon Europe, published on April 30. Where the European Commission sees evidence of sound investment, with every euro spent so far yielding up to €11 in GDP gains by 2045, university groups find the unfunded 70% of excellent research proposals as sign of limited ambition.
Dual-use Innovation, a Strategic Choice for Europe
For decades, Europe's innovation ecosystem has operated under a self-imposed constraint: a firewall between civilian and defence research. This was born of understandable post-war caution. But in today's world, it has become a strategic liability.
Trump Halts New NIH Grants to International Health-research Partners
Stepping up its America-first campaign, the Trump administration has started to cut funding for medical-research projects that involve foreign labs. The move will disrupt clinical trials for new medicines now underway, critics warned.
UK and Switzerland to Gain Access to 'Strategic' Horizon Europe Calls
Researchers and companies in the UK, Switzerland and other countries associated to Horizon Europe are set to have access to a greater number of calls in strategic areas like quantum and space, under the 2025 Horizon work programmes pre-published last week.
US Set to Close Office Responsible for Global Science and Technology Deals
Cuts at the US Department of State could eliminate the office that negotiates science and technology agreements, including with Europe, throwing into confusion the future of global research cooperation with Washington and access for US scientists to international facilities. Three people who work for the State Department have told Science|Business that the office, which oversees nearly 60 agreements and more than 2,000 sub agreements, is set to be eliminated.
Horizon Work Programmes for 2025 Show Clear Shift to Competitiveness
Starting this year, Horizon Europe will double down on the EU's competitiveness agenda and pivot towards simpler administration rules, according to draft work programmes pre-published this week by the European Commission.
Germany Could Spend Part of Its €500B Stimulus Package Attracting US Scientists
Germany could spend some of its €500 billion infrastructure and climate package attracting US scientists, according to a leading figure in its incoming government. Meanwhile, the country is pondering if and how it could poach disaffected researchers.
Serbia's Academics Outraged over Limits to Research, Disappointed by EU Response
Serbia's Academics Outraged over Limits to Research, Disappointed by EU Response
Academics in Serbia are up in arms over a sudden move by the government to limit the time university lecturers can spend on research. Previously allowed to spend 20 hours a week on research, they will now be limited to just five hours.Critics of the new regulation point out that the move effectively invalidates the official accreditation of all public universities in Serbia, since this requires university staff to reserve half their working hours for research.
China Leads EU and US on Using Artificial Intelligence in Science
Chinese scientists have incorporated artificial intelligence into their work more rapidly than their EU or US counterparts, a European Commission analysis has found, bolstering the case for the bloc to speed up adoption.
Egypt Joins Horizon Europe Despite Academic Freedom Concerns
The European Union has struck a deal with Egypt allowing it to associate to Horizon Europe, despite concerns from MEPs and former diplomats about restrictions on research in the country.
Commission Pushes to Water Down Gender Mainstreaming in Horizon Europe
The European Commission wants to water down gender mainstreaming requirements in Horizon Europe despite facing resistance from member states and research stakeholders. The changes proposed by the Commission are set to come into effect in 2025, with member states invited to endorse the revamped rules in a vote on the whole Horizon Europe work programme for the year.
Swiss Take Further Step Towards Horizon Europe Association
Switzerland's Federal Council has signed off an agreement that will allow the country to join Horizon Europe, another step towards ending a diplomatic stalemate over association that has dragged on since 2021. On April 9, the council approved the EU Programmes Agreement, which allows association to Horizon Europe, the Euratom atomic research programme and the Digital Europe Programme.
Trump's Attack on US Universities is an Attack on All Universities
This year marks the 80th anniversary of one of the most influential science policy papers ever published: "Science: the Endless Frontier," a report by presidential advisor Vannevar Bush that served as the blueprint for the post-WWII rise of the US as the world's leader in scientific research, innovation and education. Bush famously wrote:
×