Science groups campaign against proposed €1B cut to R&D funding

Academics, scientists and funders across Europe are stepping up their campaign to head-off proposed cuts to European Union (EU) research funding.

The heavyweights of public sector R&D at the European University Association (EUA), Science Europe and the League of European Research Universities (LERU) have all published statements condemning cuts of up to €1 billion in next year’s research budget.  

The EUA, representing 850 universities, said, “Political rhetoric which places emphasis on the central role of research and education in Europe’s future competitiveness must now be backed up by real commitment and action by member states.”

Science Europe, an association of 52 national research organisations and funders, makes a similar call in an open letter published on 31 October.

Amanda Crowfoot, director of Science Europe said, “Implementing cuts in 2015 would weaken European research in the short term, but could also have a detrimental effect in the long term, by potentially reducing breakthrough discoveries, which could lead to major innovations in the future.” 

The Secretary-General of LERU, Kurt Deketelaere, representing 21 research universities, said, “EU Research is at stake. EU member states should stick to their commitments by providing the appropriate funding.”

Snowball effect

A snowball effect means that each year since the start of the financial crisis the European Commission has found itself with more bills than money to pay them. This has left member states, currently poring over the EU’s budget for next year, threatening a €1 billion cut in the research budget, as part of moves to balance the books.  

As a result of the budget shortfall, over 70 projects under Horizon 2020, the EU’s €79 billion research and innovation programme, amounting to €36 million, are currently blocked and incurring interest for late payments, according to EARTO, the European Association of Research and Technology Associations. If the trend continues, almost half of Horizon 2020’s due payments will be backed up by the time the programme finishes, in 2020. 

The situation is stifling the contribution that research should rightly be making to economic recovery and tackling Europe’s innovation emergency, EARTO said. Its members, representing nearly one third of EU research programme beneficiaries stand to, “Suffer payment delays and blockages in key EU-funded projects involving their industrial partners, large companies and SMEs.”

Deterring applications for grants

In October, German MEP Christian Ehler, told Science|Business, “The casualties are much broader and far reaching than the €1 billion figure. Why on earth will large research institutions, not to mention small business, go through the process of applying for EU research money if there’s a doubt over when they’ll receive payment?”

In a bid to save the research budget for next year, MEPs on both the Budgets and the Industry, Research and Energy committees, have been calling on national politicians to drum up a sense of urgency on the issue. 

In September, the then-Commissioner for Research, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, told MEPs that since 2011, “Research and innovation programmes have suffered from a recurrent and accumulating lack of payment appropriations.”  

In a vote in October, the European Parliament rejected the proposed cuts, but Council and Parliament will have to come to an agreement before the end of November to ensure that the EU receives scheduled payments. 

Without an agreement, the EU’s research directorates risk failing in their contractual obligations to thousands of scientists who have applied for funding through Horizon 2020, said Geoghegan-Quinn.

Non-payment of grant money has already reduced pre-financing of research projects from 60 per cent under Framework 7, Horizon 2020’s predecessor, to 35 per cent under Horizon 2020, according to the EUA. The impact is even more pronounced because scientists are looking to European grants to compensate for cuts in national research funding.

Talks begin 

Three-way negotiations began last week, between the Council, the Parliament and the Commission, at the start of a 21-day conciliation effort.

In theory, failure to reach a deal by 17 November would mean the Commission has to draw up a new proposal. Many think this scenario will be averted, given that the history of EU budget negotiations is full of tales of last-minute agreements.