ERC and EIC unite to call for increased, ringfenced budgets in FP10

The European Research Council (ERC) and the European Innovation Council (EIC) have joined forces to push for an increase in their respective budgets amid persisting concerns over post-2027 research and innovation funding.

In a statement released on March 26, the two EU funding agencies called for “increased” and “ringfenced” budgets in the next research Framework Programme, FP10, “even if included in an envisaged Competitiveness Fund.” They also asked for “a clear mandate, independence and agility in governance and operations.”

Michiel Scheffer, the president of the EIC board, explained to Science|Business that this call had been inspired by the European Commission’s new competitiveness strategy, which calls for a stronger alignment between the ERC and the EIC. “There is already an alignment, but not all ERC research can lead or should lead to something applied,” he said. “A lot of the beneficiaries in the EIC come through different entry points than the ERC.”

He also noted that whether or not their budgets will be placed in the proposed Competitiveness Fund mattered less than ensuring the coherence of the upcoming programme and the long-term financial stability of both instruments.

But budget stability will not be sufficient. Scheffer hopes to see application success rates under FP10 double, which implies a doubling of the budgets available to the two funding bodies. Such an increase would be in line with Mario Draghi’s suggestion that the EIC should become more like DARPA, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. “DARPA has four to five times more funding a year than the EIC has,” Scheffer said.

He also emphasised the need to preserve bridges for innovators to scale up and take advantage of the instruments foreseen in the Competitiveness Fund, maintaining the flow from low to high technology readiness level research in both ERC and EIC instruments.

Meanwhile, the research community is increasingly worried about the Commission’s plans to fold FP10 into the new overarching Competitiveness Fund, with many stakeholders and politicians voicing their opposition against such restructuring. Earlier this month, EU research ministers in Warsaw endorsed a “self-standing” FP10, while MEPs in Strasbourg adopted recommendations for a standalone research programme, laying the ground for a conflict with the EU executive.

The issue is currently being negotiated inside the Commission, but sources suggest that the decision might ultimately come down to Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who sees the research programme as contributing to her competitiveness agenda.

Positive pressure

In this light, the joint statement from the ERC and EIC is seen as a positive sign. “It is very welcome that they have chosen to speak with one voice to underline their good collaboration and their distinct and complementary roles,” said Mattias Björnmalm, secretary general of the CESAER university association. “Their message that we should reinforce what is working well, and not disturb it, is clear and timely,” he added.

Kurt Deketelaere, secretary general of the League of European Research Universities, also sees the statement as a reminder that any structural changes to the Framework Programme should make no difference to the operation of the ERC and the EIC.

If they are granted ringfenced budgets, he said, “why would they not become, once and for all, autonomous self-standing entities, outside the Framework Programme or a European Competitiveness Fund?” he asked. 

“The fact that this is not happening suggests that the powers above them [. . .] still want to have a certain control,” he added. He also criticised the Commission’s lack of transparency over its plans and its reluctance to speak with stakeholders.