How Europe's €100-Billion Science Fund Will Shape 7 Years of Research

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How Europe’s €100-billion science fund will shape 7 years of research

As Horizon Europe issues its first call for grants, Nature reviews some of the changes that it ushers in — from open science to goal-oriented ‘missions’.

Horizon Europe, the world’s largest multinational research and innovation programme, has issued its first call for grant applications. Over the next seven years, the European Union’s giant research-spending scheme will distribute a record €95.5 billion (US$116 billion) — including €5.4 billion from a COVID-19 recovery fund — to basic-science projects and cross-border research collaborations to be carried out by tens of thousands of researchers across 27 member states and more than a dozen other countries. Horizon Europe is an evolution, rather than a reinvention, of the EU’s previous research programmes. Like its predecessor Horizon 2020, which ran from 2014 to 2020, it is a mixed bag of funding schemes. It includes grants for individual scientists in all fields, and for large multinational collaborations covering grand societal challenges such as health, climate change and the digital revolution. But Horizon Europe also includes new Former EU commissioner for research and innovation Carlos Moedas with economist Mariana elements that reflect the increasing Mazzucato, who spearheaded the inclusion of goal-oriented ‘missions’ in EU science funding. attention being paid to open science, equality, interdisciplinary research and businesses and governments to pool their programme, points out Torsten Fischer, head practical applications. Here, Nature takes a skills in pursuit of a common goal, selected of the Brussels-based European liaison office look at some of the major changes. with input from the public. of Germany’s research organizations. Basic The missions replace the European science will continue to be a centrepiece of Funding reserved for priority areas Flagships, sometimes-controversial €1-billion European research. The most anticipated change in Horizon programmes that focused on particular areas Between 2021 and 2027, the EU’s premier Europe is the introduction of heavily of research, such as graphene or the human funding agency for basic research, the financed, high-priority ‘missions’. About brain. The European Commission says that European Research Council (ERC), will divide €4.5 billion is earmarked for five areas: missions will mirror the spirit of the European €16 billion among researchers at various climate change; cancer; oceans and other Green Deal plan for a sustainable economy, career levels, an increase of more than 20% bodies of water; smart cities; and soil and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan or the United compared with Horizon 2020. food. Nations Sustainable Development Goals. But Non-EU countries associated with Horizon In both scope and ambition, the many of the details remain to be determined. Europe are expected to contribute extra missions go far beyond ‘normal’ research Over the next few months, mission boards funds of roughly €4 billion, depending on collaboration, and will incorporate appointed by the commission must lay out their level of participation. Associates include tools and resources from flanking EU specific goals, research needs and indicators research-intensive nations such as Israel and programmes such as the Common for measuring impact. First calls for mission Switzerland, as well as the United Kingdom — Agricultural Policy, which administers proposals are expected by the end of this year. which left the bloc at the beginning of 2021, farming subsidies, and EU initiatives but has signed a deal to allow its scientists, for developing infrastructure in poorer A boost for basic research research organizations and companies to regions. The idea, first proposed by Although much attention has been focused participate in Horizon Europe. University College London economist on the introduction of missions, they are The ERC issued its first round of calls for

Mariana Mazzucato, is to get researchers, only a relatively small part of the new starting grants under Horizon Europe on UNION JACQUEMART/EUROPEAN JENNIFER

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25 February, and more are expected in the the two agencies is a wonderful opportunity accessible virtual repository for data coming months. to unlock commercial potential of basic from all research that is publicly funded, However, some types of grant have been science,” says Fischer. whether by a participating state or by delayed owing to a last-minute political the EU. agreement on the EU’s multiyear budget in Opening up The rules have raised some concerns. December. There will be no calls in 2021 for Horizon Europe is expected to mandate Meeting data-management requirements ‘synergy’ grants — those involving several that all grant recipients publish their results might be technically challenging, in teams of scientists. Calls for proof-of- according to the principles of open science. particular for scientists and research concept grants to develop ideas generated In particular, immediate open-access organizations in poorer countries, in the course of ERC-funded research will publishing will become mandatory for says David Smith, director of Croatia’s also be delayed until 2022, says Waldemar all recipients of Horizon Europe research largest public research institute, the Kütt, head of the ERC’s administrative arm in grants, including those from the ERC, says multidisciplinary Ruđer Bošković Institute Brussels. Kütt. Scientists will be required to post an in Zagreb. Competition for ERC grants — which accepted, peer-reviewed version of their “We are ready for open-access assign up to €2.5 million for 5 years to an papers online at a ‘trusted repository’. (It is publishing, but we are not quite prepared individual investigator — has historically unclear at this time which repositories will for open data,” he says. “Frankly speaking, been tough, with an acceptance rate of be acceptable.) Grants will cover publishing the whole region is behind in that respect.” around 12%, but the larger pot of money costs for pure open-access journals, but not could mean that more scientists get funded. for hybrid publications. Authors must also Equality Another important change is that retain intellectual-property rights for their EU policymakers and the European researchers at international organizations papers. Commission have agreed to spend more headquartered in the European Union — The commission will encourage EU-funded than 3% of the Horizon Europe money such as the UN-chartered Abdus Salam scientists to post their papers on Open — around €3 billion — on widening the International Centre for Theoretical Physics Research Europe, an open-access platform participation of member states that tend to in Trieste, Italy — will now be able to that will formally launch in March. Works win fewer grants. apply for these grants. Around 80 such submitted on the platform, run by the The scheme will continue to use tried- organizations were previously excluded from London-based open-science publisher and-tested tactics, such as teaming leading the scheme. F1000 Research, will be posted immediately research institutions with ones that are less and cannot be published elsewhere. Articles well-established, providing special grants for From lab to market will be subject to open peer review, meaning top researchers in countries that joined the Horizon Europe will also aim to strengthen that the reviews and reviewers’ names will EU only recently, and training researchers support for applied research that offers to improve their grant-writing and project- economic benefits. To this end, the European “Combining support from management skills. Commission has established the European However, it is unclear whether the Innovation Council (EIC), a new funding two agencies is a wonderful headline Horizon Europe ‘missions’ will agency aimed at facilitating the transfer opportunity to unlock make fair allowance for scientists in poorer of inventions and research into goods and commercial potential.” countries. “I do hope that the missions services. will not be geared for established players Around €10 billion is earmarked for the in rich countries,” says Smith. “Smaller EIC, to be divided between three types be openly available, and the commission will countries like Croatia have a lot to offer, of grant. In an early ‘pathfinder’ phase, cover publication costs. too. If implemented reasonably, the new researchers can get support to develop ideas Scientists will also need to make sure concept has potential to narrow the that have commercial potential. A second, that any research data they generate are East–West gap.” ‘fast track to innovation’ phase will support preserved and made available for reuse Organizations participating in Horizon the transition of promising results to market. by others. Horizon Europe will require Europe will also have to submit plans Finally, after market launch, entrepreneurs participants to submit a data-management to improve gender equality — another will be able to request EIC ‘accelerator’ plan, in line with the FAIR principles change from Horizon 2020. Starting in support — including grants, loans and (findability, accessibility, interoperability and 2022, all Horizon Europe-funded research coaching services — to expand their reusability), within six months of completing institutions will be expected to aim for businesses. (The accelerator programme a research project, although exceptions gender balance among their research staff, was excluded from the UK–EU trade deal, so may be granted where business secrets or enact recruitment and anti-harassment UK-based researchers will not be eligible.) sensitive personal data are involved. policies, and start to offer gender-equality The idea is that recipients of ERC proof- A partnership of research and data-service training opportunities. of-concept grants will also be able to apply organizations across Europe is developing for EIC support. “Combining support from the European Open Science Cloud, a freely By Quirin Schiermeier