Commission publishes (most) draft Horizon Europe work programmes

After months and months of leaks, the Horizon Europe work programmes for 2023 and 2024 are finally out. It’s not the full package yet, and official approval is still pending, but researchers can now see what the EU’s €95.5 billion research programme holds for the next two years.

The work programmes outline the calls for projects, their scope and budgets. The European Commission published them this morning, just a month before the next two-year phase of Horizon Europe kicks into gear.

Some are still missing. The work programme for Cluster 3, which deals with civil society and security, is not included, while the European Innovation Council work programme is likely to be unveiled next week during its own annual summit.

Earlier drafts of the work programmes have been circulating online since the beginning of the year, but as always, the Commission has been slow in publishing of the final version of the programmes.

The drafts are shared with the member states and relevant stakeholders months in advance for consultation, from which point they start leaking to research institutions with the closest ties to the Brussels bubble. This way, some researchers get early access to what is coming up and can start planning their projects early, improving their chances of winning sought-after grants.

Over the past few years, Science|Business has been publishing leaked drafts floating around research circles to give everyone equal access to the unapproved plans. We call them ‘Horizon papers.’ You can find the earlier draft work programmes, as well as those that are yet to be published by the Commission, on our Horizon papers page. But beware – earlier drafts are subject to change.

The work programmes must still be officially approved by the College of Commissioners before the end of the year.

The Commission did not respond to a request for comment on the delay of the publication of the Cluster 3 work programme.

Here’s what can be found on the Commission website:

• General introduction
• Missions
• Cluster 1 – Health
• Cluster 2 – Culture, creativity and inclusive society
• Cluster 4 – Digital, industry and space
• Cluster 5 – Climate, energy and mobility
• Cluster 6 – Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
• Innovation ecosystems
• Research infrastructures
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
• Widening
• Annexes
• The European Research Council’s plan for 2023, pre-published in July