UK association to Horizon Europe research programme officially sealed
On 4 December UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan, was in Brussels to sign the document confirming the UK’s association with Horizon Europe. Horizon Europe is the world’s largest programme of research cooperation, worth £80 billion (€95.5 billion). The Secretary of State met with the EU Research and Innovation Commissioner, Iliana Ivanova, as officials signed the agreement to formalise the deal agreed in September.
Horizon Europe runs from 2021 to 2027 and involves more than 40 countries working in areas from climate change, artificial intelligence and medicine. UK research organisations can start bidding for grants, including leading consortia, in the current round of calls.
For previous calls, the European Commission will continue to administer transitional arrangements and the UK will continue to provide funding under the Horizon Europe Guarantee scheme.
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UK Association to Horizon Europe and Copernicus programmes: explainer
Council of the EU agree on framework for researchers
On 8 December, the Council of the European Union reached an agreement on providing further support to researchers and research careers. The recommendation includes the new ‘European Charter for Researchers’, which replaces the currently applicable text.
Diana Morant Ripoll, Spanish Minister for Science, Innovation and Universities:
“With this act, we are setting up standards that will guide Member States, research organisations, funders and stakeholders in increasing stability and attractiveness of research careers in Europe. To reach this goal we need to better coordinate our national policies on Research and Innovation; and we also need to involve all talented researchers, regardless of gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, socioeconomic origin or any other circumstances by effectively addressing persisting inequalities in research careers.”
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Council of the EU approve conclusions to strengthen Research & Innovation in policymaking
On 8 December, the Council also approved conclusions on the impact of research and innovation (R&I) in policymaking. These conclusions highlight three key dimensions:
- the importance of research and innovation for the policymaking process in the Union
- the importance of the regional research and innovation ecosystems
- the policy impact of the Recovery and Resilience Facility on the Union’s research and innovation policy and on the European Research Area (ERA)
These focus on how appropriate design, research and innovation can improve policymaking through the inclusion of scientific evidence and knowledge.
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