At the same time as announcing the calls, the Commission indicated, for the first time, the funding priorities for the first two years of the programme. This will “provide researchers and business with more certainty than ever before on the direction of EU research policy,” said the Commissioner at the launch yesterday (11 December). These twelve priority areas, including topics such as personalised healthcare, digital security and smart cities, represent around 15 per cent of the total number of calls in the work programme.
The total 2014 budget for Horizon 2020 will be approximately €9.3 billion. This figure is expected to rise considerably year on year throughout the seven years. Most calls from the 2014 budget opened yesterday, with applications due by March or April.
The majority of funding will be dedicated to:
- Excellent Science: Around €3 billion, including €1.7 billion for grants from the European Research Council for top scientists and €800 million for Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellowships for younger researchers seeking to develop their careers.
- Industrial Leadership: €1.8 billion to support industry in areas such as ICT, nanotechnologies, and advanced manufacturing, while also easing access to credit for European businesses.
- Societal challenges: €2.8 billion to fund research and innovation activities in areas including health and demographic changes, agriculture, maritime, energy, transport, climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials.
Work programmes for 2014-2015
A Science|Business analysis of many of the work programmes is below:
Pillar I: Excellent Science
Pillar II: Industrial Leadership
Pillar III: Societal Challenges
Spreading excellence and widening participation
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