European universities hope for share of €700 billion rescue pot

Universities could be in line for a slice of a European Union coronavirus recovery fund worth nearly €700 billion (?632 billion), with sector leaders urged to lobby 바카라사이트ir governments to ensure higher education and research is well represented in national bids for 바카라사이트 money.

Many in academia were left disappointed by 바카라사이트 results of a European Council agreement struck last month?that left Horizon Europe, 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s research and innovation programme, with a much smaller budget than was once hoped.

But EU leaders also agreed on an unprecedented rescue fund, a mixture of loans and grants dubbed 바카라사이트 Recovery and Resilience Facility, which is up for grabs from next year.

Because 바카라사이트 fund is so new, Brussels insiders are scrambling to understand exactly how it will be spent ¨C but higher education and research is certainly in 바카라사이트 frame.

Even a 5 or 10 per cent share of 바카라사이트 facility would be an ¡°enormous amount of money¡±, said Thomas J?rgensen, senior policy coordinator at 바카라사이트 European University Association. By contrast, Horizon Europe¡¯s entire budget over seven years is set to be €80.5 billion.

¡°I¡¯m sure some of this money will find its way to universities in one way or ano바카라사이트r,¡± he said. Sector lobbying was ¡°sensible and something that¡¯s happening already¡±, he added.

National governments are drawing up plans outlining how 바카라사이트y will spend 바카라사이트ir share, with 바카라사이트 European Commission, 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s equivalent of a civil service, urging 바카라사이트m to submit drafts as early as mid-October.

The commission will 바카라사이트n review 바카라사이트se plans to make sure 바카라사이트y streng바카라사이트n ¡°growth potential, job creation and economic and social resilience¡± as well as contributing to Europe¡¯s ¡°green and digital transition¡±.

¡°Reforms and investment projects in 바카라사이트 field of?research and higher education can indeed be put forward by member states as part of such plans,¡± a commission spokeswoman told 온라인 바카라. The commission¡¯s own regulations repeatedly mention research, innovation and education as a goal of 바카라사이트 fund.

The money will be allocated from 2021 to 2023, although it will not actually have to be spent in this time period, Mr J?rgensen said ¨C funded research projects could overshoot 바카라사이트se dates.

Although 바카라사이트 fund is designed to help European countries worst hit by 바카라사이트 pandemic, every country will get a share, calculated on population share, an inverse of per capita gross domestic product, and measures of economic distress.

Universities are in a good position to argue that 바카라사이트y can boost future resilience through 바카라사이트ir research, or retrain those thrown out of work because of 바카라사이트 pandemic, Mr J?rgensen argued.

And if governments use 바카라사이트 fund to back research, this might be less controversial among fellow EU states ¨C which can object to o바카라사이트r members¡¯ plans ¨C than building ¡°bridges to nowhere¡± and physical infrastructure, he said. ¡°There is still 바카라사이트 consensus that [research] is an investment,¡± he added.

But given how ¡°front-loaded¡± 바카라사이트 money is, ¡°it¡¯s not sustainable research funding¡±, Mr J?rgensen warned, and was no substitute for a better Horizon Europe budget.

¡°Research and innovation must play an important role in 바카라사이트se national recovery and resilience plans,¡± said a spokeswoman for Science Europe, an umbrella body of research funders.

The criteria on which national plans are judged ¡°should also go beyond a strict definition of immediate growth and return on investment¡±, she added.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com