Time for a quantum leap in EU research funding – an editorial from EUA President Rolf TarrachEurope needs more ambitious research funding, or risks losing precious knowledge, writes Rolf Tarrach in an editorial published on 30 May. The European Union is currently defining its priorities for the next decade. The scientific community takes this opportunity to remind European policymakers that research and innovation propel both societal progress and sustainable economic growth.Universities are the unique places for production and dissemination of new knowledge, which are fundamentally important for society. Universities have been benefitting from, and contributing to the EU research framework programmes (FPs) for decades. The EU framework programme is one of the most powerful instruments the EU has developed to support excellent science and outstanding collaborative research across Europe and internationally. It has further structured and scaled up the scientific community’s efforts and capacity to tackle large-scale, ‘big picture’ challenges which will define the way we live tomorrow. The FP has generated so much interest among stakeholders that one might say it has been too successful in attracting first class participation. At the same time, despite significant efforts, FP spending has not kept up with the demands of increasingly knowledge-driven societies.
Read the full editorial More information: Brussels backs EUA’s call for ambitious research funding | 
