Stockholm Trio provides recommendations for the next European Framework Programme
At the beginning of 2023, the European Commission held a public consultation on the European Framework Programmes for research and innovation. In collaboration with the University Alliance Stockholm Trio, KTH provided recommendations for the design of the next framework programme.
Over the past months, research stakeholders all over Europe have provided feedback to the European Commission on the performance of Horizon Europe and its successor. Stockholm Trio, an alliance between KTH, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, jointly submitted a position paper with recommendations and priorities for the next framework programme. The aim is for the framework programme to be even more effective in strengthening the research across Europe and contributing to address our global societal challenges.
The recommendations brought to the Commission by Stockholm Trio include strengthening frontier and basic research in order to better capture the creativity and curiosity of the research community, simplify the conditions for participation, and evaluate the effect of the programme’s organisation.
“It is important that KTH contributes to the future development of Horizon Europe and the design of the next framework programme. We want to ensure that the programme creates possibilities for KTH’s researchers to continue contributing to solutions to current and future challenges through their research”, says Jenny Wanselius, KTH’s representative in the Stockholm Trio Brussels Office and Head of the Research Funding Unit at Research Support Office.
The position paper includes 11 general recommendations:
- Make research an EU policy priority in its own right
- Substantially increase the budget for the coming framework programme to fully capture available potential in Europe and globally
- Evaluate the effectiveness of decentralisation and the Executive Agencies
- Strengthen international collaboration and aim for Horizon Global
- Increase collaborative and interdisciplinary fundamental science to understand and address complex challenges
- Keep the clear structure of Horizon Europe and remove obstacles for researchers to participate in partnerships and Missions
- Ensure the continuation of Pathfinder
- Widening participation whilst safeguarding excellence
- Address the inequality of funding due to the 25 per cent flat rate for indirect costs
- Properly evaluate lump sums before full roll-out
- Synergies with other research and innovation-related programmes should mean same rules for participation
Download the position paper (pdf 201 kB)
Text: Antonia Hallberg