UK minister welcomes ‘provisional’ H2020 deal
David Willetts, the UK’s Minister for Universities and Science, has welcomed a provisional agreement on Horizon 2020. The deal between the European Commission, Council of the European Union and the European Parliament was eventually forged in June after six months of trilogue negotiations. An agreement on the next framework programme was a key goal of the Irish Council Presidency, with the Presidency baton now passed to Lithuania.
Speaking to Horizon2020projects.com, Willetts described the next research and innovation framework as an ‘excellence-driven programme’, adding that he hoped the new simplifications set to be introduced would now be delivered in practice. He also anticipated that the UK would continue to maintain strong participation levels.
To what extent do you believe the agreement on Horizon 2020 represents a good deal for UK scientists and researchers?
The agreement reached is provisional in nature and has not been completely finalised. We also need to remember that everything is still dependent on a satisfactory agreement to the overall EU Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014-2020, which has still not been concluded. However, with those provisos, we welcome this outcome.
Horizon 2020 is an excellence-driven programme supporting research and innovation all the way from basic research to the marketplace. Its priorities are broadly compatible with our domestic ones. We have also worked hard to ensure that the rules for participation are much simpler which will lighten the administrative burden on participants. Obviously, there is work to do to ensure this simplification is delivered in practice. We also need to ensure that the work programmes adopted to implement Horizon 2020 deliver on our priorities, for example, social sciences and humanities research is properly embedded across the whole of Horizon 2020 and not simply confined to one challenge. Overall, however, I believe that Horizon 2020 offers enormous scope for UK researchers and I would encourage them to become involved.
What are your thoughts on the agreement of a simplified funding model and the reimbursement of direct and indirect costs to non-profit organisations? To what extent will this affect the participation of SMEs, Research and Technology Organisations and universities based in the UK?
The agreed funding model represents a good deal for the vast majority of UK organisations who want to participate in the programme.
While it was not possible to secure a full economic cost option for organisations that have high indirect costs, we were able to negotiate a higher flat rate to cover indirect costs than what was initially offered in the European Commission’s proposals. We also secured, for non-profit organisations, a 100% direct cost reimbursement for ‘close-to-market actions’. The Commission has committed to producing clearer guidance on direct and indirect costs. This should allow for more costs, which are normally claimed as indirect costs, to be reimbursed at 100%.
I fully expect the UK’s high levels of participation in the current framework programme, FP7, to be maintained in Horizon 2020.
What impact will the agreed balance of expenditure have on the three pillars, particularly Societal Challenges?
The final budgetary distribution is broadly in line with the original Commission proposal, which we felt was broadly satisfactory in its balance. We welcome the continuing focus on the Excellent Science pillar, in particular the budget shares going to the European Research Council and to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. Within the Societal Challenges pillar, we were also able to ensure that particular areas of UK strength, such as transport and health research, maintain adequate budget shares.
David Willetts