Calls to protect EU research and exchange funding

By Jan Petter Myklebust. Universities and individuals – who have been signing a petition at a rate of 4,000 a day – have called on Europe’s political leaders to protect the Horizon 2020 research and Erasmus for All exchange initiatives at an upcoming European Council budget summit.
Heads of state are due to discuss the long-term budget for 2014-20 and Multi-annual Financial Framework research organisation on 22-23 November, following a call of the Cypriotic chair of the European Union (EU) to adjust budgets downwards.
Lobbying to keep research and higher education budgets outside the cuts started in October, when 44 Nobel laureates and field medallists wrote an open letter to heads of state and presidents of European research organisations warning of the damage that would be wreaked.
Particularly, the European Research Council programme had “achieved global recognition… It funds excellent people, excellent projects. It valuably complements national funding of fundamental research”, the letter said.
A petition was launched to mobilise the research community against the potential budget cuts, aimed at young scientists, learned societies and concerned citizens. More...