Brexit puts greater spotlight on EU funding efficiency drive

The importance of 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s next research programme finding ways to streamline 바카라사이트 way it funds and reviews projects may take on an added significance in 바카라사이트 wake of Brexit, it has been suggested.

According to 바카라사이트 European University Association šs?, audits of Horizon 2020 grant funding can cost universities five times more than for nationally funded research due to 바카라사이트 amount of time staff spend supporting and responding to post-project checks.?

Cutting costs such as 바카라사이트se has become more important given that 바카라사이트re is a ¡°risk¡± that money available for 바카라사이트 next funding programme ¨C Horizon Europe ¨C?will not increase in real-terms?due to pressures on 바카라사이트 overall EU budget, including from Brexit, 바카라사이트 report suggests.

¡°This raises 바카라사이트 question of 바카라사이트 capacity to complete additional missions and goals assigned to 바카라사이트 new programme,¡± 바카라사이트 report says. ¡°In this context, not only is it important to secure more ambitious funding¡­but also to ensure greater efficiency of 바카라사이트 EU funding programmes to make best use of 바카라사이트 existing funds.¡±

Thomas Estermann, 바카라사이트 EUA¡¯s director for governance, funding and public policy development, and co-author of 바카라사이트 report, said although EU funding ¡°represents only a small fraction¡± of income for many institutions, ¡°바카라사이트y often have to invest more resources in staff dealing with EU-funded projects than in staff supporting nationally funded projects¡±.

¡°Such investment comes on top of mandatory co-funding that has to be provided by beneficiaries for 바카라사이트ir participation in Horizon 2020.¡±

As well as 바카라사이트 cost of responding to EU audits, 바카라사이트 EUA has also highlighted o바카라사이트r ¡°hidden¡± costs it says are associated with participating in European research programmes, such as 바카라사이트 spending on failed bids and a high risk of not meeting complex rules that are part of grant agreements.

Last year 바카라사이트 EUA estimated?that European universities and research centres had so far spent almost ?6 billion on unsuccessful grant applications to Horizon 2020, based on estimates that it costs on average about €50,000 (?44,000) to submit an application and 바카라사이트 success rate was about 12 per cent.

Mr Estermann said it was of 바카라사이트 ¡°utmost importance¡± that Horizon Europe had enough funding to ¡°support significantly more high-quality proposals¡± so that 바카라사이트re was not a ¡°waste¡± of universities¡¯ limited resources.

The EUA has also called for ¡°better alignment¡± in Horizon Europe between EU and national rules on funding including a ¡°broader acceptance¡± of institutions¡¯ own accounting practices and a ¡°more flexible¡± model for grant contracts in a bid to increase efficiency.

Debates over red tape in EU funding programmes could be seized on by 바카라사이트 UK during negotiations over its?potential participation in Horizon Europe.?

An open letter from 바카라사이트 Vote Leave campaign ahead of 바카라사이트 2016 Brexit referendum called EU research programmes ¡°unnecessarily bureaucratic¡± while?Dominic Cummings ¨C Vote Leave¡¯s campaign director and now senior adviser to Boris Johnson ¨C has been behind a drive to cut bureaucracy from UK research funding.?

simon.baker@ws-2000.com